Governors Urge FG to Cut Fertiliser Costs, Sustain Food Security Gains

Nigerian governors have urged the Federal Government to liberalise fertiliser production and distribution in order to make the input more affordable for farmers and boost agricultural productivity.

Speaking after the 152nd meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, said reducing fertiliser costs was key to consolidating recent improvements in food output.

He noted that the Presidential Food Security Coordinating Unit—tasked with implementing new strategies to tackle food inflation—must prioritise optimising fertiliser prices alongside other measures.

Namadi recalled the launch of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) in 2016, which revived blending plants across the country. According to him, the number of functional plants has since grown from fewer than five to nearly 90.

While local firms such as Dangote, Indorama, and Notore supply urea, he explained that critical raw materials like phosphate and potash are still imported, creating structural gaps that inflate costs.

The governor highlighted President Tinubu’s intervention last year, when over two million bags of fertiliser were distributed to farmers free of charge—an initiative he credited with strengthening the 2024 harvest.

“We are now at a point where the government is handling PFI 3.0,” Namadi said, stressing the need for sustained reforms to stabilise input prices and secure long-term food security.