The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the non-release of over ₦174 billion in agricultural intervention funds received from international development partners, following a motion raised under a Matter of Urgent Public Importance.
The motion, sponsored by Hon. Bello A. Ka’oje, seeks to unravel the circumstances surrounding the alleged withholding of funds meant to boost food production under the National Agriculture Growth Scheme, Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), and the Food Security Emergency Support Loan.
Moving the motion, Ka’oje recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on July 13, 2023, declared a state of emergency on food security, a move that prompted increased funding and support from development partners to scale up agricultural production nationwide.
He informed the House that in February 2023, Nigeria secured a $134 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the NAGS-AP project, with the first tranche of $99.67 million released to the Federal Government after statutory deductions.
According to the lawmaker, while the Federal Ministry of Finance released ₦55.99 billion and ₦40.49 billion from the AfDB facility to the Ministry of Agriculture’s NAGS-AP account at the Central Bank of Nigeria, a balance of ₦55.29 billion remains outstanding and undisbursed.
He explained that the funds were designed to settle agro-dealers who supplied farm inputs to 280,000 wheat farmers during the first phase of the 2024/2025 dry season, as well as to support 150,000 rice farmers in the second phase.
The House was also told that Nigeria, in April 2024, signed a ¥15 billion Food Security Emergency Support Loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Of this amount, ¥12 billion—equivalent to ₦118.96 billion—was disbursed in March 2025 as the first tranche.
The JICA funds were earmarked to provide subsidised agricultural inputs to 550,000 smallholder farmers cultivating rice, maize, soybeans, and cassava during the 2025 wet season and 2025/2026 dry season farming cycles.
Ka’oje expressed concern that the funds, though released to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, were allegedly withheld by the Ministry of Finance beyond the stipulated timelines, causing many farmers to miss critical planting seasons.
“This situation has left thousands of farmers stranded and significantly reduced agricultural output during the 2025 harvests,” he said, warning that continued delays could negatively affect the 2026 farming season.
He further disclosed that about $200 million in additional AfDB funding under a Results-Based Financing (RBF) framework remains inaccessible to Nigeria due to the non-implementation of already disbursed interventions.
Worried by the implications for food security, the House resolved to investigate the non-release of ₦55.29 billion AfDB funds and ₦118.96 billion JICA funds, both meant for the NAGS-AP project.
The House also mandated the Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the matter and report back within two weeks.
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