For hundreds of onion farmers whose livelihoods were washed away by floods and climate shocks, relief finally arrived on Thursday in Birnin Kebbi as the Federal Government, through the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), launched the first phase of its Onion Intervention Programme. TVC News Reporter, Hauwa Mohammed tells us more in this report 

Speaking at the flag-off, the Executive Secretary/CEO of NADF, Muhammad Abu, represented by the Director of Emergency Response, Professor Maryam Abubakar, said the intervention was designed as an urgent recovery measure for vulnerable farmers affected by flooding and pest outbreaks. She explained that onion farming remains a critical value chain for food security, income generation and rural development, yet farmers in states such as Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Borno have suffered heavy losses that disrupted household incomes and local markets. The programme, she noted, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises targeted support for vulnerable farmers.

In Kebbi State alone, 520 onion farmers are benefiting from the emergency distribution of farm inputs, with plans already underway to scale up support during the 2025/2026 dry season farming cycle. According to NADF, no fewer than 5,000 onion farmers affected by last year’s flooding and pest invasion will be identified to benefit in subsequent phases. The Fund assured that the distribution process would be transparent, equitable and closely monitored in collaboration with the state government.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion and Chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Rt. Hon. Bello Kaoje, who represents Bagudu/Suru Federal Constituency, commended the resilience of onion farmers and pledged continued legislative support to attract more agricultural interventions to the sector. Representing the Kebbi State Governor, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Shehu Muazu, urged beneficiaries and the Onion Farmers’ Association to ensure that only genuine farmers receive the inputs, stressing that the support was meant to restore production and not be diverted.

Read Also

The programme, held at the Produce Office in Birnin Kebbi, also drew key stakeholders including the Commissioners for Livestock Development and Fisheries, Alhaji Kabir Usman Alaramma, and Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed BK. As the intervention was officially declared open, NADF reaffirmed its commitment to standing with farmers, rebuilding lost livelihoods and safeguarding Nigeria’s food supply through timely and people-focused agricultural support.

This article is written by by Hauwa Mohammed