The Niger State Government has received 68,087 litres of liquid gel fertiliser from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). This delivery replaces the remaining balance of NPK fertiliser initially provided to farmers affected by the 2018 flood.
Receiving the fertiliser for distribution, Acting Governor Comrade Yakubu Garba praised NEMA for the timely intervention, noting that the fertiliser would benefit both current wet season and upcoming dry season farming. He highlighted that his recent visit to NEMA's headquarters in Abuja, where he requested the remaining fertiliser, led to this delivery.
Comrade Garba commended NEMA's management for their warm reception and for fulfilling their promise to complete the fertiliser distribution, which aims to mitigate the flood's impact on farmers. "We thank the federal government, especially the Vice President and the Director General of NEMA and her staff for this gesture," he said. He assured that the state would ensure the fertiliser reaches the intended beneficiaries and is used appropriately.
NEMA's Director General, Zubaida Umar, represented by Dr. Onimode Abdullahi Bandele, explained that the gesture falls under the National Food Security Council's Emergency Agricultural Intervention (NFSC-EAI). He recalled that NEMA began distributing NPK fertiliser in 2020 but faced delays due to changes in regulations by the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI), which terminated the contract between NEMA and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
The NEMA Director General credited Vice President Kashim Shettima for securing approval to complete the distribution, ensuring all beneficiary states received their due fertilizer. With the delivery of 68,087 litres of liquid gel fertiliser, equivalent to 50 kg of NPK fertiliser per litre, the distribution to farmers affected by the 2018 flood is now complete.
Dr. Bandele also appreciated Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for his efforts towards agricultural empowerment and food security in the state, urging him to support the federal government's efforts by ensuring timely distribution of the fertiliser to the intended beneficiaries.