The Bank of Agriculture has launched the 2026 Wet Season Input Disbursement under the Smallholder Farmer Input Support Programme in Katsina State, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The initiative marks the beginning of the distribution of essential farm inputs to smallholder farmers as preparations gather pace for the 2026 wet planting season.
In a statement issued by the Strategic Officer to the Managing Director of the bank, Raherena Adeleke, the programme was described as part of the bank’s continued efforts to strengthen agricultural support and improve access to affordable farming inputs for smallholder farmers.
According to the statement, the intervention is expected to support farming activities across about 10,000 hectares through more than 1,000 farmer cooperatives working in partnership with Farmer Aggregation Companies across Katsina State.
Each registered farmer under the programme will receive four bags of NPK fertiliser and two bags of urea. About 150 farmers participated in the launch ceremony as representative beneficiaries ahead of the nationwide rollout.
The bank explained that the programme is being implemented through its strengthened agricultural delivery system in collaboration with the Nigeria Agribusiness Group, the umbrella organisation representing the Farmer Aggregation Companies.
It noted that working closely with the aggregation companies allows the bank to make use of verified farmer records and field information to ensure that input loans reach genuine farmers who are actively engaged in production.
The statement added that the programme is backed by an improved verification process, including farmer profiling, Bank Verification Number and Know Your Customer checks, GPS mapping of farms and field validation. According to the bank, these measures are intended to improve transparency, accountability and the effective delivery of government support.
Representing Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda at the launch, the Commissioner for Rural and Social Development, Professor Abdulhamid Ahmed Mani, described agriculture as the foundation of the state’s economy.
He said the programme would increase productivity by supporting cultivation across 10,000 hectares while also improving rural livelihoods and strengthening food security through the activities of farmer cooperatives and aggregation companies.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, said the initiative reflects a more effective approach to implementing government agricultural interventions.
He explained that collaboration with the National Agro Inputs Dealers and Buyers Group and the Farmer Aggregation Companies, combined with verified farmer data and information gathered from the field, would ensure that support reaches genuine farmers quickly, transparently and on a larger scale.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Katsina State, Yau Umar Gojo Gojo, welcomed the intervention, describing timely access to fertiliser as essential for a successful planting season.
He expressed confidence that the programme would enable more farmers to cultivate their land, increase crop yields and improve household incomes.
The Bank of Agriculture added that the disbursement of inputs to participating Farmer Aggregation Companies and their affiliated cooperatives has already commenced and will continue across beneficiary communities in line with the 2026 wet season planting calendar.
