The Federal Government has launched a collaborative effort with the National Identity Management Commission to develop a comprehensive farmers’ register. This initiative, led by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, aims to create a verifiable database of genuine farmers across Nigeria.
According to Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, the farmer registration project will kick off with a target of registering two million farmers within the next three months. Subsequently, the registration will expand to include six million farmers in its second phase, with the ultimate aim of registering all farmers nationwide.
Kyari emphasized the importance of the register in addressing a major challenge in agricultural interventions in Nigeria.
He said, “Many Federal Government interventions do not reach genuine farmers and agro-dealers due to the absence of a verifiable database of farmers across the country.”
The Minister described the initiative as “a game-changer”, saying it will enable the government to target authentic farmers, thereby increasing food production and ensuring food security.
The government has just signed a deal with the National Identity Management Commission to create a comprehensive register of farmers. This register will utilize the National Identification Number (NIN) and National Identity Card to store biometric information of individual farmers. But that’s not all – it will also include crucial details like farm location, crop types, soil characteristics, and farming methods, such as whether they use irrigation or rain-fed systems. This will enable the government to provide targeted support to genuine farmers, addressing issues and boosting food security,” Kyari emphasised.
The minister added that the initiative would tackle issues such as “portfolio farmers and ghost farmers,” ensuring that government resources are directed to those who truly require support.
In response, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, expressed the commission’s commitment to the project.
She assured that NIMC will utilize its extensive infrastructure, including offices in every Local Government Area, to ensure a smooth registration process, with a three-month timeline to register two million farmers. They will leverage the National Identity Number to link farmers to government services, enabling them to access support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
