House  Moves to Uncover N174.26bn Farm Fund Scandal

Juliet Akoje In Abuja

The House of Representatives has resolved to launch a probe into the alleged failure to release N174.26 billion meant for agricultural interventions, with the Committee on Agricultural Production and Services urging Ministries, Departments,  nd Agencies (MDAs) as well as development partners to cooperate fully with the investigation.

The committee’s Chairman, Hon. Bello Ka’oje, said in a statement yesterday that all relevant government bodies and stakeholders must submit necessary records and provide support to enable a comprehensive and transparent inquiry.

The lawmaker recalled that in late January, the House resolved, after adopting his motion, to investigate donor-funded agricultural initiatives backed by the African Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency o ensure accountability and proper utilisation of public resources.

He explained that the committee’s mandate specifically includes examining why the N174.26 billion intervention funds have not been released, as well as reviewing the continued high cost of fertiliser, which he said is harming farmers and undermining food production across the country.

Ka’oje noted that delays in releasing funds secured from international partners have intensified worries about food insecurity, particularly after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security in July 2023, a decision that prompted multiple donor-supported agricultural programmes.

Providing more details, he said Nigeria secured a $134 million AfDB loan in February 2023 for the National Agricultural Growth Scheme–Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) project, with $99.67 million already paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

However, N55.30 billion is still awaiting release to agro-dealers supplying inputs to 280,000 wheat farmers and supporting 150,000 rice farmers under the 2024/2025 dry-season farming programme.

He further disclosed that Nigeria obtained 15 billion Japanese Yen from JICA in April 2024 as a Food Security Emergency Support Loan.

Although the first tranche of 12 billion Yen, valued at N118.96 billion, and disbursed in March 2025, is yet to reach the agencies responsible for implementation.

According to him, the JICA facility was structured to provide subsidised inputs to 550,000 smallholder farmers cultivating rice, maize, soybean, and cassava during the 2025 wet season and the 2025/2026 dry-season cycles.

Ka’oje warned that the funds are time-sensitive and that delayed disbursement has already caused farmers to miss planting windows, reducing 2025 harvest output and creating serious risks for the 2026 farming season.

He added that about $200 million in additional AfDB support under a result-based financing arrangement could also be endangered if earlier interventions remain unimplemented.

The lawmaker stressed that the gravity of the situation demands firm commitment to ensure all programmes are executed so as to stabilise the agriculture sector and secure the national food supply.

The committee, therefore, called on all stakeholders and agencies responsible for releasing and implementing the funds to work closely with the National Assembly in removing every obstacle delaying the interventions.