Smallholder farmers in Lagos State have commended the Federal Government for distributing free agricultural inputs in the state to boost food security.
The commendations were made on the sidelines of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security’s input distribution exercise on Thursday at Agege, Lagos.
The distribution aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to tackle food insecurity nationwide.
Lagos State Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Mr Raphael Hunsa, praised the Federal Government’s intervention in the agriculture sector. He urged farmers to use the inputs productively rather than selling them for personal gain.
“We really appreciate what the Federal Government has been doing for farmers to produce more food for the masses. These inputs are going to real farmers, not political ones,” Hunsa said. “We urge our members to make good use of them and not sell them. When we increase our harvest, the government will be willing to provide more. We thank President Bola Tinubu and the Ministry for this timely intervention.”
Renowned agriculture stakeholder and farmer, Africanfarmer Mogaji, also commended the government for the intervention in Lagos State, predicting significant results.
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“For the last 25 years, there has been no direct benefit from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to Lagos farmers. This is a new beginning—renewed hope for farmers across the river basin,” he said. “We now have a Ministry willing to ensure inputs reach the right people. We must showcase results from these inputs. Farmers, please record videos as you use them, tag the Ministry on social media, and demonstrate increased yields.”
Mogaji added: “When your yield increases, the Ministry will come after you for more results. This empowerment is not just support—it’s about the quality of top-brand inputs that will deliver large yields. Challenge the Ministry with results this year.”
The President and founder of SheFarmers Initiatives, Mrs Temitope Ande, thanked the government on behalf of women farmers.
“I want to thank the Minister of Agriculture for this benevolent opportunity for women farmers in Lagos State,” she said. “We will not disappoint you—we will apply these inputs and increase our yields. The Ministry has many programmes that can transform farming, especially for women. We can no longer suffer in our active years providing food for the nation only to become ill from strenuous traditional methods. This is different from past distributions. We assure the government that these inputs will go to commercial-scale farming on large acreage, and we will show results.”
Beneficiary farmer Mrs Nurat Atoba also lauded the government and assured proper use of the intervention.
“We thank President Bola Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda for taking care of farmers,” she said. “We are grateful to the Ministry of Agriculture for bringing these inputs—they will help greatly in this year’s planting season. We are genuine practicing farmers here, and our job is to produce food for the nation. We will continue to do so.”
