By Our Reporter
In a bold move amid Nigeria’s deepening food crisis, the House of Representatives has launched a probe into the alleged disappearance of N174.26 billion in agricultural funds meant to boost farming and secure the nation’s food supply
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Bello Ka’oje revealed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday.
The panel also urged all government institutions and stakeholders connected to the funds to submit all relevant documents and support the probe.
The panel equally called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as development partners to provide full cooperation to ensure a thorough and transparent process of the investigation.
According to the lawmaker, the Committee is specifically examining the circumstances surrounding the non-release of the N174.26 billion intervention funds and the persistent high cost of fertilizer, which continues to burden farmers and undermine food production nationwide.
Lawmakers however noted that delays in disbursing funds secured from international partners have heightened fears of food insecurity, especially after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security in July 2023.
The panel also disclosed that Nigeria had negotiated a $134 million loan with the African Development Bank in February 2023 to support the National Agricultural Growth Scheme, Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project.
According to the panel, the JICA-backed facility was designed to support 550,000 smallholder farmers with subsidised inputs for rice, maize, soya beans and cassava production across the 2025 wet season and the 2025/2026 dry season cycles.
Lawmakers, therefore warned that the funds are time-bound and those delays have already caused farmers to miss critical planting windows, reducing anticipated output for the 2025 harvest and threatening the 2026 farming season.
Again, the committee further cautioned that an additional $200 million in AfDB Result-Based Financing could be jeopardised if earlier interventions remain unimplemented.
He stressed that urgent action is required to rescue Nigeria’s agricultural sector for the purpose of securing the nation’s food future
