By Maryam Bakare
The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) on Sunday flagged off the first phase of its onion intervention programme in Sokoto state, targeting 600 onion farmers and covering 300 hectares of farmland across the state.
The programme was formally launched by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NADF, Muhammad Ibrahim, who was represented at the event by the agency’s Assistant General Secretary, Muazu Ibrahim.
Restoring farms after flood losses
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Ibrahim said the intervention was designed to help farmers recover from losses caused by flooding and other climate-related shocks, restore production capacity and strengthen resilience along the onion value chain.
He noted that onion farmers in Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe and Borno states were among the worst affected by recent flooding, which disrupted livelihoods, local markets and the national food supply.
“The onion value chain is strategic to rural livelihoods and food security. This intervention is a deliberate step to ensure affected farmers return to their farms without delay,” he said.
Mr Ibrahim assured beneficiaries that the process would be guided by transparency, accountability and equity, adding that all inputs had been properly verified to ensure they reached genuine farmers.
Farmers welcome timely support
The President of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), Isa Aliyu, described the intervention as timely, saying it would help farmers rebound from the combined effects of flooding and poor-quality seeds experienced during the 2024 farming season.
He disclosed that 600 farmers in Sokoto State would benefit from the programme, cultivating a total of 300 hectares, with each farmer allocated 0.5 hectares.
Mr Aliyu also commended the Sokoto State Government for providing logistics, security and an enabling environment that ensured the smooth take-off of the intervention.
Boost for 2025/2026 season
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Sokoto State Ministry of Agriculture, Almustapha Alkali, said the relief inputs would significantly boost onion production in the 2025/2026 farming season if properly utilised.
He added that the state government’s recent launch of a modern onion storage facility would help reduce post-harvest losses, preserve produce and improve farmers’ incomes.
The ceremony marked the commencement of the Onion Intervention Programme in Sokoto, with stakeholders expressing optimism that the initiative would revive the state’s onion subsector and contribute to national food security.
