Reps to probe non-release of N174b AfDB, JICA agric loan

The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to probe the circumstances leading to the non-release of about N174.250 billion meant for the National Agriculture Growth Scheme Agropocket pocket from the consolidated revenue fund of the federation.

The funds made up of N55.295 billion accessed from the African Development Bank (AfDB)  and N118.955 billion accessed from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to implement the support for 550,000 smallholder farmers with subsidized critical agricultural inputs for rice, maize, soya beans and cassava value chains under the 2025 wet season and 2025/2026 dry season farming.

In its resolution following a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Bello Kaoje (APC, kebbi), the House directs in its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to carry out a.comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading to the non-releases of the intervention funds.

Kaoje recalled that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security shortly after his inauguration in 2023, adding that in addition to funding efforts by the Nigerian Government a lot of agricultural interventions were received through the efforts of several development partners all aimed at boosting agricultural production.

According to him, sometime in February 2023 Nigeria negotiated with the Afrcan Development Bank (AfDB) and signed an agreement for a twenty-five (25) year tenor loan to support National Agriculture Growth Scheme Agro-pocket Project for an amount not exceeding $134 000 000.

He said the first tranche of $99,665,000 00 was released to the Federal Government Consolidated Account after deducting the Front End-Fee (FEF) of 0.025%.

He alleged that the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) out of the total sum of $134 Million USD disbursed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) released the sums of N55,986,301,549.95 and N40,486,800,000.00 to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security/National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project account at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) leaving a balance of N55,295,810,075.00 outstanding (undisbursed).

He said: “The plan is for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security/National | set Agriculture Growth Scheme and Agro-pocket (NAGS-AP) Project to | or honour its obligations to the agro-dealers that provided agricultural “ inputs to 280,000 targeted registered wheat farmers under the first phase of the 2024/2025 dry season programme and distribution of agricultural inputs to 150,000 rice farmers under the second phase”.

He further alleged that sometime in April 2024, Nigeria negotiated with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and signed a loan agreement on or about the 24th April, 2024 for a Food Security Emergency Support Loan for an amount not exceeding 15,000,000,000 (Fifteen Billion Japanese Yen).

Kaoje said: “On or about the 25 March, 2025, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) disbursed the sum of 12,000,000,000 (Twelve Billion Japanese Yen), less Front-End-Fee (FEF) of 0.025per centequivalent of $78,778,800.00 which represents N118,955,186,000 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation as the first tranche.

“The plan is for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security through the National Agriculture Growth Scheme and Agro-pocket (NAGS-AP) Project to implement the support for 550,000 smallholder farmers with subsidized critical agricultural inputs for rice, maize, soya beans and cassava value chains under the 2025 wet season and 2025/2026 dry season farming.

“The respective funds for farm inputs were time bound for the 2024/2025 dry season farming which has passed, the 2025wet season which has also passed and the 2025/2026 dry season farming which is currently passing.

“This ugly situation has left many farmers stranded for critical farm inputs and consequently reduced agricultural output in the 2025 harvests because the affected farmers could not go to farm during the seasons due to non-supply of critical inputs.

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“These funds were accessed from development partners for targeted purposes and despite disbursement to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, the funds have been unduly withheld from the implementing Ministry/Agency by the Federal Ministry of Finance beyond the timeframe for the utilization of the funds.

“Failure to release these funds for use to boost our agricultural production, the chances are the 2026 farming season will be greatly impacted negatively.”