Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has flagged off the distribution of 500 trucks of free fertiliser and tractors to 150,000 smallholder farmers across the state’s 23 local government areas, saying the initiative underscores his administration’s commitment to boosting food production and supporting rural livelihoods.
The governor, who launched the programme at Murtala Mohammed Square in Kaduna over the weekend, said the exercise marks the third consecutive year his administration has distributed fertiliser free of charge to farmers.
He described it as one of the largest agricultural support programmes by any state government in Nigeria.
He recalled that in 2025, the state distributed 400 trucks of fertiliser to 100,000 farmers, with each beneficiary receiving two bags, while more than 500 trucks of fertiliser and other farming inputs were distributed in 2024 for both wet and dry season farming.
According to Uba Sani, the decision to distribute the fertiliser free of charge was informed by the need to shield smallholder farmers from rising production costs and ensure that food production is not affected by high input prices.
He said although he was advised to sell the fertiliser at subsidised rates, his administration rejected the proposal because even the subsidised price would be beyond the reach of many rural farmers.
“We want the fertiliser to get to the genuine farmers and not be bought in bulk by middlemen for resale at exorbitant prices,” the governor said.
He noted that agriculture contributes about 43 per cent of Kaduna State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides employment for between 60 and 80 per cent of the active workforce, making the sector central to the state’s economic development.
The governor attributed the renewed confidence in farming to improved security across the state, saying peace has enabled thousands of farmers to return to their farms.
He disclosed that about 5,000 hectares of previously abandoned farmlands had been reclaimed with the support of local communities and the Federal Government.
Highlighting Kaduna’s agricultural potential, Uba Sani said the state remains one of Nigeria’s leading producers of maize, tomatoes and ginger, stressing that agriculture is not only critical for food security but also for industrial growth, job creation and social stability.
He said his administration had significantly increased budgetary allocation to agriculture from ₦1.48 billion in 2023 to ₦23.4 billion in 2024, ₦74.02 billion in 2025 and over ₦100 billion in the 2026 budget, representing about 11.65 per cent of total state expenditure and exceeding the 10 per cent benchmark set under the Malabo Declaration.
The governor credited the achievements to the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and said the state had invested across the entire agricultural value chain through improved seeds, mechanisation, irrigation, extension services, agricultural insurance, rural road construction and market access.
He added that Kaduna State is implementing the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone in partnership with the Federal Government and the African Development Bank, while also establishing the Africa Quality Assurance Centre to improve the competitiveness of the state’s agricultural produce in regional and international markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
