The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards enhancing agricultural interventions by developing a comprehensive farmers’ register through a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
This initiative aims to establish a verifiable database of genuine farmers across Nigeria.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, explained that the first phase of the project would register two million farmers within the next three months.
Subsequently, the registration will expand to include six million farmers in the second phase, with the ultimate goal of encompassing all farmers nationwide.
Kyari stressed the importance of the register in addressing a key challenge in agricultural interventions in Nigeria.
“Many Federal Government interventions do not reach genuine farmers and agro-dealers due to the absence of a verifiable database of farmers across the country,” he said.
He described the initiative as “a game-changer,” noting that it would enable the government to target authentic farmers, thereby boosting food production and ensuring food security.
“What we have just signed with the National Identity Management Commission is the development of a farmers’ register.
“We are going to use the platform that NIMC has, namely the National Identification Number (NIN) and the National Identity Card, which will contain all the biometric information of individual farmers,” he said.
The register will not only include personal details but also vital information such as farmland location, crop types, soil characteristics, and farming methods, including whether irrigation or rain-fed systems are used.
“So, we are going to have a register that ensures interventions and support reach genuine farmers,” Kyari emphasised.
The minister added that the initiative would address issues such as “portfolio farmers and ghost farmers,” ensuring that government resources are directed to those who truly require support.
In response, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, expressed the commission’s commitment to the project.
She assured that NIMC would leverage its extensive infrastructure, including offices in every Local Government Area, to ensure smooth implementation of the registration process.
“We have a three-month timeline for the registration of two million farmers.
“We will utilise all our resources to ensure that the process runs smoothly. Our role at NIMC is to ensure that we use the NIN to link the end-to-end life cycle of farmer beneficiaries, enabling them to access government services at any point in time under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,” she said.
