The House of Representatives has resumed its investigation into the alleged misappropriation of N1.2 trillion in Federal Government agricultural intervention funds disbursed through various departments, agencies, schemes, and programmes.
Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Rep. Chike Okafor (APC–Imo), said the motion was referred to the committee after extensive deliberations, with lawmakers resolving to thoroughly probe all agencies involved in the disbursement and utilisation of the funds.
According to him, the inquiry covers major institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), the Bank of Industry (BoI), the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), and the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), among others.
Okafor said the committee is particularly interested in examining how the CBN disbursed N1.12 trillion under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) to 4.67 million maize, rice, and wheat farmers through 563 anchors. He added that lawmakers also want clarity on how NIRSAL facilitated N255.61 billion for agriculture and agribusiness across 915 projects nationwide.
Similarly, the committee will investigate how the BoI disbursed N3 billion to 22,120 smallholder farmers under its Agriculture Value Chain Financing scheme, as well as its funding of 49 agro and food processing businesses with N59.4 billion.
Okafor recalled that, in 2023, the Federal Government introduced a N5 billion loan facility to the BoA for livestock farmers, and in March 2024, the NADF launched a N1.6 billion Recovery Fund to support the Ginger Blight Epidemics Central Task Force (GBECT) in tackling the devastating blight disease affecting ginger farmers.
He stressed that investigating these interventions has become crucial as Nigeria continues to battle rising food insecurity.
“Nigeria’s food security is non-negotiable. As a nation blessed with arable land, water, and human capital, hunger should not be our reality. Yet inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement in agricultural programmes threaten this vision,” Okafor said.
He noted that the allegations of fund diversion, ghost beneficiaries, inflated project costs, and delayed repayments must be thoroughly scrutinised.
Okafor also highlighted the link between nutrition and food security, adding that both issues remain central to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He said the creation of the committee was part of the legislature’s effort to work with the executive and other stakeholders to ensure Nigerians have access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food.
The chairman expressed displeasure over the absence of key officials invited to the hearing, including the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sontinrin, and the Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Dabban.
He warned that the committee would not hesitate to issue bench warrants for their arrest if they fail to honour the committee’s summons on Wednesday.
Okafor reminded the hearing that the committee had held earlier investigative sessions on April 18 and June 15, noting that some officials had either failed to respond or offered “flimsy excuses,” which he described as unacceptable.
