Nigeria : Jigawa Gov accuses agro-dealers of sabotaging wheat production programme
Jigawa State Governor Malam Umar Namadi has accused agro-dealers of sabotaging the state’s 2025 wheat production initiative by delaying supplies and inflating prices. During an inspection, he found input redemption centers lacking personnel and farmers facing exploitation. Namadi vowed to report these issues to the Ministry of Agriculture, issue arrests, and ensure timely delivery of inputs to support the state’s wheat production goals
Jigawa State Governor Malam Umar Namadi has accused federal government agro-dealers handling the supply of wheat seedlings and other inputs of sabotaging the 2025 100,000-hectare wheat production initiative in the state.
The governor made the accusation during an unscheduled visit to seedling and input redemption centres in Birninkudu and Kiyawa Local Government Areas, expressing concern over delays in the supply of commodities and the exploitation of farmers through inflated official prices.
Malam Umar Namadi bitterly complained about the manner in which input supplies were being handled in the state despite concrete arrangements made by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to ensure timely planting to achieve the targeted 100,000 hectares.
According to the governor, “There is a problem with some of the agro-dealers. In the first instance, they are not allowing the farmers to redeem. They are not allowing people to redeem their alerts, and some of them are not here. I came here, and there is nobody in this redeeming centre.”
“Therefore, we are going to report them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. As long as they (agro-dealers) do not issue the inputs to the farmers on time, we are going to waste our money, and the federal government will waste its money without good results because they are not doing the right thing at the right time,” Namadi emphasized.
He further stated, “This is something that we will not tolerate as a government. We will report them to the appropriate authorities so that something must be done.”
Malam Namadi also issued a stern warning, saying, “Whoever collects the commodity and sells it will be arrested and prosecuted. The government will not allow any form of sabotage or irregularity from anybody, irrespective of their status.”
The governor immediately directed the arrest of the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in the area, Isyaku Katanga, for illegally increasing charges by N2,000 on each farmer.
He also instructed the Divisional Police Officer of Kiyawa to ensure that all the money illegally collected from the farmers is recovered.
Malam Umar Namadi pledged to ensure that the full package of inputs is provided to registered farmers as directed by the Federal Government.
He called on stakeholders to ensure that registered farmers receive their allocations promptly, enabling them to begin preparations for dry-season wheat farming.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to supporting farmers in the state to complement the Federal Government’s plan to cultivate approximately 100,000 hectares of wheat during the irrigation farming season.
Earlier, some farmers expressed concerns over delays in the arrival and distribution of inputs, stressing that the planting season was slipping away.
One of the farmers, Malam, highlighted irregularities at the redemption centres, saying: “We were registered and completed all the required formalities to access the inputs. But paying and collecting them is the problem. They are inflating the price, and if you don’t know someone, it’s even more difficult to get assistance. Look at the time—we are really confused.”
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Source : Tribune Online
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