As the 2025 farming season began with early and promising rains, local farmers in Sokoto State are struggling to cultivate their lands due to a lack of government support, particularly the unavailability of subsidized fertilizer and other essential inputs.
Farming is considered almost the only means of combating food insecurity in Northern Nigeria—especially now that many families can no longer afford three square meals due to the rising cost of living, insecurity, and other challenges.
Approximately 80% of communities in Sokoto and other northern states rely on farming as their main source of livelihood. Yet, the majority of these farmers cannot access the subsidised fertiliser provided by the government, and the productivity of their farmland continues to decline.
In early July 2025, when ASHENEWS visited some farmers working in their fields, many expressed dismay at the lack of government intervention, lamenting that they were struggling to feed their families.
Farmers in prostration
It was a Monday morning under the scorching sun. Hussaini Na Shuni, a father of 12 from a rural community in Dange-Shuni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, was busy cultivating his barren farmland, sweat soaking his shirt. Hussaini expressed frustration over his continued inability to access the government-distributed fertilizer meant to support smallholder farmers like himself.
According to Hussaini, he once abandoned one of his farms due to poor soil fertility and a lack of fertilizer. He explained that even if he had cultivated it, he wouldn’t have harvested anything.
“Even if the government provides support, I might not know,” he said. “Sometimes we don’t hear about it until the distribution is over. I’ve never gotten the subsidized fertilizer, except during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration when we were given a card. That was the only time,” Hussaini recalled.
Without access to chemical fertilizers, Hussaini now relies on green manure—animal waste he either purchases or gathers from nearby dumpsites.
“If I had access to fertilizer, I would cultivate more. But even when it’s distributed, it doesn’t get to us. By the time we hear about it, it’s already been sold off,” he added.
Even worse, he said, fertilizer often arrives too late in the season—long after crops have begun to mature. What farmers really need, he emphasized, is timely access to fertilizer, irrigation machines, and agricultural inputs.
“But no one listens to us. I feel like my voice doesn’t matter,” he said with visible distress.
Five farmers share one bag of fertilizer
This is the reality for most farmers in rural communities. Like Hussaini, 50-year-old Aliyu Garba, a father of four, said that although the rains came early this year, the same challenges persist—there is still no meaningful support from the government.
Garba said farmers often only hear of fertilizer distribution, but when it eventually arrives, it’s barely enough.
“Sometimes, five farmers share one bag,” he revealed.
He recalled a time when he and two other farmers split a single bag of fertilizer among them—barely enough to cover their fields.
“We need at least three to five bags per farmer for a decent harvest. Without that, we’re just planting for survival, not for profit or food security,” he explained.
Garba stressed that the shortage and high cost of fertilizer are directly impacting food production in the region.
“If every farmer got enough fertilizer, there would be no hunger in this country. But the land is no longer fertile on its own. Fertilizer is essential,” he said.
He also criticized the untimely distribution of inputs, noting that they often arrive only when crops are near harvest, rendering them ineffective.
“We have no one to carry our voices to the top,” he added.
Fertilizer market prices soar
When ASHENEWS visited the fertilizer market at Kofar Kara in Sokoto metropolis, one of the sellers, Umar Ladan, said fertilizer prices now range from ₦32,000 to ₦70,000 per bag.
This skyrocketing price is alarming for low-income farmers, who can barely afford it. Ladan pointed out that the issue is not with the retailers but with the production and supply companies.
State gov’t moves to sell subsidized fertilizer for 2025 wet season
As of the time of filing this report, Sokoto State Governor, Dr. Ahmad Aliyu, had approved the appointment of Local Government Coordinators and Committee Members to oversee the sales and distribution of subsidized fertilizers for the 2025 wet season farming.
According to the Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Abubakar Bawa, the coordinators are mandated to oversee fertilizer sales across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state and ensure that each of the 244 wards receives its allocated quantity.
Despite this move, local farmers continue to express concern that the subsidized fertilizer might not reach them—or worse, be diverted.
Systemic challenges fuel hunger and malnutrition
Lack of access to fertilizer, insecurity, and the impact of climate change remain the main challenges facing farmers in the region. These issues contribute significantly to widespread hunger and malnutrition, especially among women and children. A World Food Programme (WFP) Nigeria Situation Report reveals that 11 million people across six states in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria are facing acute food insecurity in 2025.
What denies rural farmers access to subsidized fertilizer?
Dr. Yusuf Isah Sokoto, Chairman of the Environmental Society of Nigeria, Sokoto State Chapter, identified poor coordination, lack of rural distribution centers, low awareness of agricultural support programs, weak farmers’ associations, and insecurity as major factors hindering access to subsidized fertilizer.
He emphasized that solving these issues requires a well-coordinated plan to establish agro-dealer networks down to the village level. These outlets would serve as effective distribution points.
Dr. Yusuf also stressed the need to guide local government committees on proper distribution practices, ensuring that fertilizer arrives in alignment with the planting season, not after.
According to him, if properly implemented—alongside the promotion of local fertilizer production in areas like Kalambaina and Kware—fertilizer would become more affordable and accessible for young farmers in rural Sokoto State.
