Farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the aegis of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), FCT Chapter, have raised the alarm over the alleged delay in the release of 6,800 bags of free fertiliser meant for the 2026 wet-season farming.
According to a report by Vanguard, the fertiliser was reportedly provided under the National Agricultural Development Fund’s (NADF) Renewed Hope Farm Input Support Programme (FISP).
The Chairman of AFAN, FCT Chapter, Dr Perpetual Okafor, said farmers were becoming increasingly agitated as the farming season progressed without access to the critical farm inputs.
According to her, the farmers had submitted their names as beneficiaries, but the fertiliser had yet to be released despite several visits and calls to the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat.
Farmers raise concerns over delay
Okafor said the flag-off ceremony for the fertiliser distribution was held on June 15, 2026.
She said she visited the Department of Agri-Services on June 17 but was informed that the Mandate Secretary was unavailable to authorise the release of the fertiliser.
The AFAN chairman added that repeated calls and messages sent to the Mandate Secretary had not yielded any response.
“It is very concerning that the fertilisers have not been released. The wet-season farming will soon be over, and the fertilisers will no longer be useful to the farmers if not released on time,” she said.
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Okafor disclosed that some farmers had been forced to purchase fertiliser from the open market to sustain their farming activities.
She gave the Secretariat an ultimatum to release the fertiliser this week, warning that failure to do so could compel the farmers to take further action.
The AFAN FCT chairman appealed to the relevant authorities to expedite the release of the 6,800 bags of fertiliser to enable the 1,700 beneficiary farmers to benefit from the programme as intended.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain a response from the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat were unsuccessful.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.