By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has launched an investigative hearing into the alleged mismanagement of government agricultural funding and interventions by departments and agencies outside the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The investigation follows a House resolution mandating the Committee to probe the handling of funds by institutions including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industry (BOI), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), and the National Agricultural Development Fund, among others.
Declared the hearing open in Abuja, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Deacon Chike Okafor, on Tuesday emphasized that the probe is not a witch-hunt but a bid to uncover the truth, identify systemic lapses, and ensure accountability in the disbursement and utilization of public funds intended to drive agricultural development.
He said that “despite trillions of naira spent over the years on various agricultural programmes, Nigeria still battles with food scarcity, soaring prices, and widespread malnutrition.
“If these funds were judiciously utilized, we would not be facing a crisis where millions of Nigerians cannot afford basic meals.”
Specific areas under scrutiny include: The CBN’s disbursement of ₦1.12 trillion to 4.67 million farmers under the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).N
NIRSAL’s disbursement of ₦215 billion to support agriculture and agribusinesses.B
BOI’s release of ₦3 billion to over 22,000 smallholder farmers and ₦59.4 billion to agro and food processing ventures.B
BOA’s ₦5 billion loan facility for livestock farmers unveiled in 2023.T
The ₦1.6 billion Recovery Fund by the National Agricultural Development Fund to combat the ginger blight epidemic in 2024.
The Committee requested comprehensive documentation covering the 2017–2024 period, including authorization statutes, fund receipts, loan terms, performance metrics, list of beneficiaries, and future projections for 2025.
Also invited to the hearing were officials from 11 key agencies and institutions, including the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, and the National Agricultural Seed Council.
Acknowledging the recent appointment of a new Managing Director at the Bank of Agriculture, Hon. Okafor noted the Committee had received formal notification from the institution.
Rep. Okafor urged the agencies to cooperate fully and provide honest disclosures. “Accountability is not an option—it is a necessity,” he stated. “The Nigerian people deserve to know how their resources are being used.”
He also called on the media and civil society organizations to support the process through objective reporting and active engagement.
“The goal is not to antagonize but to collaborate in finding solutions. Where there are inefficiencies, let us correct them. Where there are infractions, let us take necessary actions to prevent recurrence,” he said.
The Committee is expected to continue hearing from the agencies and stakeholders in the coming weeks as it works toward enhancing transparency, food security, and public trust in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
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