The Coalition of Farmers Association of Nigeria (COFAN) and the Himma Youth Farmers Association of Nigeria (HYFAN) have expressed concern that the Federal Government’s ongoing restructuring of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) could lead to sharp increases in fertilizer prices, threatening smallholder farmers and food security across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the groups, Dr. Abubakar Bamai commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his agricultural reforms and policies aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s food systems, but urged the administration to safeguard the achievements recorded under the Buhari-led government.
‘Mr. President, Nigerian farmers cannot afford a disruption in fertilizer supply at this critical moment. We deeply appreciate your reforms, but we appeal: do not kill the legacy of Buhari’s agricultural transformation on fertilizer access. Sustain raw material importation until Nigeria’s local capacity is ready’, Bamai said.
The groups noted that the PFI, introduced under former President Muhammadu Buhari, had been central to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, making fertilizer more affordable by supporting local blending plants through the importation of raw materials.
Millions of farmers, they said, had benefited from the scheme, which boosted food production and strengthened national food security.
COFAN and HYFAN urged the Tinubu administration to adopt a balanced approach that shields farmers from immediate shocks while building local production capacity for the future.
They specifically called on the government to continue importing fertilizer raw materials until local capacity can fully meet demand, retain the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) as the agency responsible for managing raw material imports to ensure transparency and efficiency and guarantee stability in fertilizer supply and pricing during the transition.
The farmer groups reaffirmed their commitment to working with government, the private sector, and development partners to ensure the restructuring of the PFI strengthens the sector rather than undermines it.