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The Federal Government’s Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, PFI, has said that Nigerian farmers should have no course to worry over the shortage or high cost of fertilizer.
The Director of Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, Dr. Armstrong Takang, said the Federal Government secured early procurement designed to shield Nigeria from external shocks.
He said that the Tinubu administration was able to secure early orders and cheaper fertiliser before the crisis in Iran, thereby shielding Nigerian farmers from global crisis while several countries across Africa grapple with fertiliser shortages and rising input costs triggered by fresh global disruptions.
According to him, the Federal Government has secured Nigeria’s fertiliser supply for the 2026 wet season and also saved the country over $42 million ahead of peak planting.
“The latest disruptions, linked to escalating tensions affecting critical global shipping routes, have pushed up freight costs and driven increases in prices of key fertiliser inputs.
“These include Granular Ammonium Sulphate, GAS, Diammonium Phosphate, DAP, and Muriate of Potash, MOP. Across multiple markets, supply gaps are emerging, leaving farmers uncertain about availability and pricing ahead of the planting season,” he noted.
According to official Q1 2026 procurement and shipment records made available to the media, the Federal Government through the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative locked in nine vessels carrying a combined 407,304.00 metric tonnes.
This brings total raw materials to 534,219 MT, including the opening balance at the beginning of the 2026 cycle, available for NPK fertiliser production.
The records further show that as of mid-April 2026, over 323,109.24 metric tonnes, approximately 6.5 million 50kg bags, had been released to registered blending plants nationwide.
More than 198,264.41 metric tonnes, approximately 4 million 50kg bags, had already been offtaken. This indicates active distribution across the country ahead of peak planting.
Takang said, “We took a deliberate decision to move early, well ahead of market pressures, by securing supply, locking in pricing, and putting the necessary financial instruments in place.
“That foresight by the Federal Government is what has ensured that Nigeria is not exposed to the disruptions currently affecting global fertiliser markets.”
Financial data reviewed alongside the procurement records indicate that the Federal Government’s early purchasing strategy generated total savings of $43.99 million, equivalent to approximately N61.58 billion, when compared with prevailing spot market prices.
