Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
No fewer than 8,000 bags of fertiliser allocated to Taraba State under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Fertiliser Input Support Programme have been declared missing, sparking a bitter blame game between federal and state authorities and leaving thousands of farmers without the critical inputs they need for the current farming season. The fertiliser, part of a larger consignment of 20,000 bags delivered to the state in early July 2026, was meant to boost food production and enhance food security across the country, but weeks after the allocation, the whereabouts of the 8,000 bags remain shrouded in uncertainty, with conflicting accounts from officials raising serious questions about accountability and the integrity of the distribution chain.
President Tinubu had announced the procurement of 449,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser inputs for nationwide distribution as part of his administration's strategy to address food insecurity and support farmers. Taraba State received 20,000 bags comprising organic NPK and Urea fertilisers, which were reportedly shared between two key entities: 12,000 bags were allocated to the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Taraba State chapter, for distribution to its registered members, while the remaining 8,000 bags were designated for the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for onward distribution to cooperatives and organised farmers across the state.
Investigations by multiple news outlets, including The Guardian, BusinessDay, and National Accord, have revealed a stark contradiction between the federal and state governments over who actually took custody of the 8,000 bags. The Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Taraba State, Mr. Luka Dabut, has insisted that his office received the fertiliser from the Federal Government and formally handed it over to the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. According to Dabut, the fertiliser was delivered during the tenure of his predecessor and was kept in the Federal Ministry's warehouse pending the commencement of distribution. "On my arrival, I met the fertiliser in our store. It was under our custody only for safekeeping. Shortly afterwards, the Federal Government engaged a consultant to coordinate the distribution exercise," Dabut explained. He added that officials of the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, including the Permanent Secretary and directors, participated in meetings alongside representatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies before the handover. "We successfully handed over the entire 8,000 bags to the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in the presence of all the security agencies. No single bag was left in our store," Dabut stated emphatically.
However, the Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Nicholas Namissan, has flatly denied that his ministry ever took custody of the fertiliser. In a terse text message response to inquiries, Namissan said, "There's a Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Taraba State. They handled the distribution by themselves." The commissioner's statement directly contradicts the position of the Federal Ministry, which maintains that the fertiliser was formally handed over to the state government. The conflicting accounts have generated deep concern among farmers who were expected to benefit from the intervention programme, with many expressing frustration that they have yet to receive any fertiliser despite the ongoing farming season.
While the fate of the 8,000 bags remains unresolved, the 12,000 bags allocated to AFAN were observed being distributed openly at the Veterinary Warehouse located opposite the Christian Centre along FGGC Road in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital. The visible distribution of the AFAN allocation stands in stark contrast to the mystery surrounding the state government's portion, raising suspicions that the missing fertiliser may have been diverted or misappropriated. Farmers who were expecting to benefit from the 8,000 bags said no such distribution had taken place, and they have now called on security agencies, the Presidency, and Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas to investigate the matter and establish the whereabouts of the missing fertiliser.
The disappearance of the 8,000 bags of fertiliser is a significant blow to food security efforts in Taraba State, where agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and the livelihoods of millions depend on access to affordable farm inputs. The President's fertiliser support programme was intended to cushion farmers from the high cost of inputs, which have soared in recent years due to inflation, subsidy removal, and supply chain disruptions. The loss of 8,000 bags of fertiliser—enough to cover thousands of hectares of farmland—represents not just a financial loss but a direct threat to the food production capacity of the state and the nation at large.
The conflicting accounts between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Taraba State Government highlight a troubling lack of coordination and accountability in the implementation of federal agricultural interventions. While the federal government has pledged to enhance food security and support farmers, the alleged disappearance of such a large quantity of fertiliser undermines public trust in the programme and raises questions about the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms. The involvement of the DSS and other security agencies in the handover process suggests that the government was aware of the potential for diversion, yet the fertiliser still appears to have vanished without a trace.
Farmers in Taraba have expressed deep disappointment and anger over the situation. Many had looked forward to receiving the free fertiliser to boost their yields and reduce their production costs, which have become increasingly unaffordable. The price of a bag of fertiliser in Nigeria has skyrocketed to between N40,000 and N50,000, making it out of reach for many smallholder farmers. The free fertiliser programme was seen as a lifeline, but the alleged disappearance of 8,000 bags has dashed the hopes of thousands of farmers who now face the prospect of another lean season.
The farmers have called for a thorough and transparent investigation to determine what happened to the 8,000 bags of fertiliser and to hold those responsible accountable. They have also appealed to the Presidency and Governor Agbu Kefas to intervene and ensure that the fertiliser reaches the intended beneficiaries. "We call on security agencies, the Presidency, and the governor to wade into the matter and unravel the source of the missing products," one farmer told BusinessDay. The farmers' demand for accountability reflects a growing frustration with the persistent challenges of corruption and mismanagement that have plagued agricultural input distribution programmes in Nigeria for decades.
As the farming season progresses, the mystery of the missing 8,000 bags of fertiliser remains unresolved, with federal and state officials offering irreconcilable accounts of what transpired. The conflicting claims have created a credibility crisis that threatens to undermine the federal government's agricultural agenda and erode the trust of farmers in government interventions. The resolution of this matter is critical not only for the affected farmers but also for the broader goal of achieving food security in Nigeria.
The case also raises broader questions about the effectiveness of the President Tinubu Fertiliser Input Support Programme and the mechanisms in place to ensure that inputs reach the intended beneficiaries. While the programme was well-intentioned, the alleged disappearance of a significant portion of the allocation in Taraba State suggests that more robust monitoring and accountability systems are needed to prevent diversion and ensure that farmers benefit from government interventions. The farmers of Taraba State are now looking to the authorities to act swiftly to recover the missing fertiliser or provide alternative support to enable them to carry out their farming activities.
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