YECCIMA hails Diri’s N2.4bn grant to farmers, warns of risks 

The Yenagoa Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (YECCIMA) has described the N200 million grant (totalling N2.4 billion annually) to Bayelsa farmers as a major agricultural boost in the State.

Governor Douye Diri approved the grant during the flag off of 2025/2026 dry season farming and directed Bekekiri Sese, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, to increase the production of made-in-Bayelsa rice by the end of the year.

Commenting on the development, Jones Idikio, Director-General of YECCIMA, told BusinessDay on Wednesday that “The allocation is part of his broader push to strengthen food security and economic diversification in the State.”

Idikio said the grant is expected to be accompanied by farming inputs such as seedlings, herbicides and pesticides to reduce food importation into the State.

He enumerated some of the benefits as increased food production and food security, rural income and employment creation, strengthening the value chain, economic diversification and supporting infrastructure.

Idikio stated: “Bayelsa’s economy has historically depended on oil revenue. Investing in agriculture can diversify the state’s economic base, making it less vulnerable to oil price shocks.

“The governor emphasised the link between rural infrastructure (roads/bridges) and productive agriculture — improved access will enhance market access for produce.”

In spite of its immense benefits, Idikio pointed out that the development is also fraught with gaps and risks which the state government must manage to ensure overall success.

He said the gaps include scale relative to need, misallocation and weak targeting, infrastructure and supply chain limitations, climate and environmental risks, and herdsmen and security issues.

“₦200 million per month (₦2.4 billion annually) is significant, but relative to the entire state agricultural budget and needs for modern mechanisation, storage, and large-scale irrigation, it may still be insufficient without complementary public and private investment. The state’s overall agricultural allocation in the broader 2026 budget was around ₦15.6 billion, indicating that the monthly grant must be integrated strategically within larger funding frameworks”, he noted.