By: John Bassey, Kebbi.

The Kebbi Government on Monday commenced the distribution of agricultural machinery , farm inputs, and Ramadan palliatives to no fewer than one million residents to boost dry season farming across the state.

Items distributed include 2,000 units of solar powered pumps, 5,000 units of power tillers, 5,500 sprayers, 24,000 litres of herbicide, 70,000 litres of organic fertilisers, and 5,000 truckloads of assorted fertilisers and Ramadan Palliatives, among others.

Speaking at the flagg off ceremony of the programme tagged “Distribution of 2026 Dry Season Farm Implement and Ramadan Palliatives” in Birnin Kebbi, His Excellency Comrade Dr Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, said his administration agenda is focused on empowering farmers to improve productivity and enhance food security.

As contained in a statement by Comrade Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kebbi State, the Governor noted that the state has recorded remarkable achievements in crop production, livestock development and fisheries.

“Our huge investment in providing farmers with free farm inputs and effective extension service is a testament to our administration’s commitment to empowering farmers and promoting food security in our state and the nation at large,” he said.

“We recognize the challenges faced by our farmers and are committed to providing them with the necessary tools to overcome those challenges and succeed.”

According to him, the steady growth in the state’s annual agricultural output, particularly in three major crops, demonstrates that the administration’s policies are yielding positive results.

He disclosed that crops production in 2023 stood at 3.05 million tonnes, 2024, 3.15 million tonnes. Although the projection for 2025 exceeds 3 million tonnes, the final figures will be confirmed in March 2026.

“We have remained at the top of the chart as the leading producer of rice in Nigeria. Production of other crops has also witnessed steady growth within the same period,” he added.

The Governor explained that Kebbi operates two production cycles during the dry season. The first cycle runs from mid- November to the end of March and includes Wheat, vegetables and fruits such us watermelon and sweet melon. The second cycle begins in the second week of February and ends in May, with rice and maize as the major crops.

Assuring that the initiative would further boost food production, create jobs and increase income, the governor appealed to the farmers to take advantage of the opportunity to contribute to the growth of Kebbi and Nigeria at large.

Gov. Idris warned that no beneficiary should substitute or transfer their allocation and directed security agencies to arrest and prosecute any beneficiary found selling or misusing the distributed items.

He also stated that no Local Government Chairman, Commissioner, Adviser, or member House of Assembly should receive any of the items meant for farmers.

The governor appreciated the federal government for its support to the programme and specifically thanked the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari for his efforts.

In his remarks, the minister of Agriculture and Food Security Senator Abubakar Kyari emphasized that agriculture shapes the course of the economy, noting that more than 80 per cent of the Kebbi State population engaged in farming and related activities sustaining livelihood at rural and urban communities.

“Agriculture here is not a seasonal activity, it is an identity, it is culture it is livelihood and it is economy. Kebbi example, underscores a broader national reality, a nation that can not feed its people cannot claim sovereignty.

“Food security is therefore,not just an agricultural imperative but the foundation of economic strength, social stability and national resilience.

“His Excellency, our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made this position unmistakenly clear by elevating agriculture as a strategic national priority and issuing a mandate that demands action, coordination and measurable results.

“That mandate is one we all share, from the federal government to state governments, from institutions to farmers, each of us carrying responsibility for strengthening domestic production and securing our nation’s future,” he said.

He said in Kebbi State, that mandate had been advanced under the exemplary leadership of Gov. Nasir Idris, saying his administration had made great productivity, value addition and food security central to the state development agenda.

The minister added the strategic provision of critical inputs under his stewardship had equipped farmers with the necessary resources towards increased productivity across the state.

“Kebbi’s long standing leadership in the production of rice continued to define its agricultural identity, implement the leading producer of rice in Nigeria and major contributor to the nation’s food supply,” Kyari noted.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Alhaji Shehu Ma’azu said the event marked the third distribution exercise since assumption of office of the present administration.

He said the governor had been providing water pumps, power tillers, fertilisers alongside other farm inputs free-of-charge.

“This is not merely a celebration of palliatives, but a celebration of the success we have recorded in agriculture,” he said.