(Fertiliser Bags. Photo Credit: Daily Post)
Following the disappearance of 8,000 bags given to the state government, a ‘cloud’ of uncertainty has hung over the distribution of fertiliser supplied under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Fertiliser Input Support Programme in Taraba State.
The missing fertilizer is among the 20,000 bags brought to Taraba in early July 2026 as part of the federal government’s initiative to increase agricultural output and promote national food security.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier announced the procurement of 449,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser inputs for distribution nationwide, with Taraba State receiving an allocation of 20,000 bags made up of organic NPK and urea fertilisers.
Investigations revealed that of this allocation, 12,000 bags were designated for the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Taraba State chapter, while the remaining 8,000 bags were meant for the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, for onward distribution to cooperatives and organised farmers.
Weeks after the allocation was made, however, the location of the 8,000 bags remains unknown, with federal and state authorities giving conflicting accounts of what happened.
The Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Taraba State, Luka Dabut, confirmed that his ministry received the 8,000 bags from the federal government and subsequently handed them over to officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
He explained that the consignment had arrived during his predecessor’s tenure and remained in storage at the Federal Ministry’s warehouse until distribution began.
He said he met the fertiliser already in the ministry’s store upon his arrival, noting that it was held only for safekeeping before the Federal Government engaged a consultant to oversee the distribution process.
Dabut added that officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, including its Permanent Secretary and directors, took part in meetings with the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies ahead of the handover.
He maintained that all 8,000 bags were formally handed over to the state ministry in the presence of the security agencies, insisting that none remained in the federal ministry’s custody.
Findings also showed that the 12,000 bags allocated to AFAN were distributed openly to members at the Veterinary Warehouse opposite the Christian Centre along FGGC Road in Jalingo, an exercise witnessed by beneficiaries and association members.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Nicholas Namissan, however denied that his ministry was involved in distributing the 8,000 bags.
Responding to enquiries by text message, he stated that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Taraba State handled the distribution on its own.
This account directly contradicts that of the Federal Ministry, which maintains that the fertiliser was officially handed over to the state ministry.
The conflicting claims have raised concern among farmers who had expected to benefit from the intervention programme.
Several farmers who spoke on the matter expressed frustration over the uncertainty, noting that many smallholder farmers are yet to receive any allocation despite being at the peak of the farming season.
One of them, Jacobs Samsons, called on security agencies, the Presidency and the Taraba State Government to investigate the matter and determine the whereabouts of the missing 8,000 bags meant for farmers.
The farmers further appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to intervene and ensure accountability should any wrongdoing be established.
With both federal and state authorities presenting conflicting versions of events, key questions remain unresolved over what became of the fertiliser meant to support food production in Taraba State.
Until clarity emerges, the fate of the 8,000 bags allocated under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Fertiliser Input Support Programme remains uncertain.
