Nigeria’s Agriculture Revolution: A 2017 Timeline

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Pre-2017 Context

November 17, 2015: Launch of the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) by President Muhammadu Buhari, in Kebbi State. The ABP was created by the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide a linkage between smallholder farmers (SHFs) of key agricultural commodities, and “anchor” companies involved in the processing of these commodities. The ABP provides farm inputs in kind and cash (for farm labor) to smallholder farmers to boost production of these commodities, stabilize inputs supply to agro-processors, and address Nigeria’s negative balance of payments on food. At harvest, the SHFs supply their produce to the Agro-processor (Anchor) who pays the cash equivalent to the farmer’s account. Since inception, the CBN has invested more than N40 billion in the ABP, benefiting more than 200,000 smallholder farmers — growing rice, wheat, maize, cotton, soya beans, poultry, cassava, and groundnuts as well as involved in fish farming — across 29 states of the federation. Find out more about the ABP here

February 2016: Groundbreaking ceremony for the 120,000MT per annum WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu, Kebbi State.

December 2, 2016: Birth of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) with the signing of a Phosphate Agreement between FEPSAN and OCP, on behalf of Nigeria and Morocco respectively. Details here

2017

February 14, 2017: First output of blended NPK Fertiliser rolls out under the PFI

April 2017: Launch of new Tomato Policy by the Federal Government to boost investment in local production.

July 2017: Launch of the Presidential Economic Diversification Initiative (PEDI), aimed at supporting the revival of moribund industries (especially in Agro-processing) and facilitating new investments, by reducing regulatory bottlenecks and enabling access to credit.

July 27, 2017: Commissioning of Indorama Eleme Fertilizer Plant, Port Harcourt, by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

August 1, 2017: Commissioning of the 120,000 MT per annum WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu, Kebbi State, by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. It was the first Rice Mill to be conceived, completed and commissioned under the Buhari Administration.

August 29, 2017: Commissioning of the 60,000 MT per annum Edo State Fertilizer Company Limited (also managed by WACOT, in a Public Private Partnership with the Edo State Government), by the Vice President.

September 12, 2017: Commissioning of OLAM’s 750,000 MT per annum Integrated Poultry Facility (consisting of Feed Mill, Hatchery and Breeder Farms) in Kaduna State, by President Buhari

September 2017: Fifteen (15) moribund NPK Fertilizer Blending Plants now revived and in operation across Nigeria, under the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative. Target is 18 before the end of 2017.

October 2017: Dangote Rice Company Limited launches the Dangote Youth Rice Farm project, an out-grower scheme for youths, at the Lower Niger River Basin Authority, Kampe, in Yagba West local government area of Kogi State. The Dangote Rice Company provides seedling, pesticides, and fertilizers while the Basin Authority provides the land.

December 1, 2017: Commissioning of Kellogg’s Tolaram Cereal Plant, in Lagos. It will produce 10,000MT of cereal per annum.

December 21, 2017: Commissioning of Mitros Rice Mill in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to produce Ofada and Parboiled Rice.