BY MUSA IDRIS UMAR, DECEMBER 30, 2025 | 06:13 AM
The Borno State Government has outlined a 2026 agricultural plan aimed at restoring livelihoods for internally displaced persons and vulnerable households through expanded farming, irrigation, and input support.
The plan is contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill presented by Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor of Borno State, to the state House of Assembly on Monday.
Years of insurgency and displacement have left thousands of families without access to farmland, inputs, or stable food sources across rural communities.
Under the 2026 budget, the ministry of agriculture and natural resources will focus on enabling displaced persons and returnees to resume farming as a pathway out of dependency and poverty.
Government plans to distribute free farm inputs, including improved seeds, fertilizers, and agrochemicals, to IDPs, returnees, and resettled communities across the state.
The ministry will expand irrigation farming by drilling additional tube-well boreholes and rehabilitating existing irrigation schemes to support dry-season farming for vulnerable farmers.
New earth dams and irrigation clusters will be constructed to ensure year-round water access for farming communities affected by climate shocks and displacement.
To stabilize food prices and protect poor households, government will expand the state food buffer stock program to cushion shortages and market fluctuations.
The 2026 budget also provides for the expansion of the BOSG Mega Mechanization Scheme, allowing smallholder farmers, including IDPs, to access tractors and mechanized services at subsidized rates.
Agro-processing and value addition centers will be developed to help vulnerable farmers process produce locally, reduce post-harvest losses, and earn better income.
Rural commodity aggregation and marketing centers will be established to connect small-scale farmers to structured markets and reduce exploitation by middlemen.
Extension agents will receive modern training to support vulnerable farmers with improved farming techniques, soil testing, and market access guidance.
The government says these interventions are designed to move displaced families from humanitarian aid to self-reliance through agriculture.
A total of N44.9 billion has been allocated to the ministry of agriculture and natural resources and its agencies for capital and recurrent expenditure in the 2026 fiscal year.
The state government says the agricultural strategy aligns with its broader plan to close IDP camps by restoring livelihoods and strengthening food security across Borno.