Dry-Season Farming: BOA, AFAN Seal Landmark Deal to Finance 400,000 Farmers

In a decisive move to confront Nigeria's worsening food insecurity and soaring commodity prices, the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has entered into a strategic partnership with the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) to provide comprehensive financing for 400,000 farmers across the country. The landmark initiative, specifically targeted at the 2026 dry-season farming cycle, is expected to inject much-needed liquidity and technical support into the agricultural sector at a time when local production faces unprecedented structural headwinds.

According to reports detailing the agreement, the credit facility will be structured to bypass the bureaucratic bottlenecks that have historically plagued state-sponsored agricultural interventions. By leveraging AFAN’s extensive grassroots database, the BOA aims to ensure that genuine smallholder and commercial farmers receive direct access to capital, high-yield seedlings, fertilizers, and modernized irrigation equipment necessary to optimize dry-season cultivation.

Speaking on the development, stakeholders within the agricultural value chain have expressed cautious optimism. Experts note that dry-season farming offers a more predictable and controlled yield compared to wet-season cycles, which are heavily disrupted by climate change and erratic rainfall patterns. The success of this massive financing drive could signal a major turning point in Nigeria's quest for agricultural self-sufficiency and raw material security.