The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has launched a digital Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) platform to oversee the rollout of its N19.5bn AgGrow Farm Support Programme.

The initiative, launched in Abuja last week aimed at providing 50% subsidies on seeds, fertilizers and crop protection products to 50,000 smallholder farmers in the maize, rice, cassava, and soybeans value chains across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

The programme is also aimed to close the gap between farmers and processors, reduce reliance on middlemen, and improve raw material sourcing for the agro-processing sector, as the digital platform would support advisory services and extension training on best farming practices

Mohammed Ibrahim, Executive Secretary (NADF), said “the platform ensures that every seed, every input, and every naira invested is properly tracked from distribution to usage, so that we can keep learning, improving, and delivering results aligned with national priorities.

“We have gone to great lengths to create a framework and software to enhance the quality of our M&E, knowing that end-to-end supervision of the project is crucial for us as a Fund”, he said.

Noting that the NADF will deploy independent agents and engage community leaders to strengthen grassroots coordination, Ibrahim said, “You will be our eyes and ears in all the corners of the nation you’re posted to. You will play a vital role in implementing this scheme, leveraging the NADF M&E Platform to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and inform decision-making.”

Also speaking, Olusola Omole, Representative of the Monitoring & Evaluation partners, said “There hasn’t been a time when M&E vendors were brought together like this to align on expectations and targets. This is a new beginning, and we believe it will empower us to deliver results that truly benefit the farmers and processors.”

Adewale Adegoke, CEO, AgroXchange Technology Services Limited, said the “NADF is changing the narrative. Their approach ensures that the distribution of inputs is fully tracked and traceable, with real, quantifiable impact on farmers.”

Ruth Tene, Assistant Editor, Agric/Solid Minerals/INEC Ruth Tene is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience in developmental reporting across several newsrooms, as a reporter, editor and other managerial roles. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Maiduguri among several other certifications She has attended several trainings and certifications both locally and internationally and has been recognized for her impactful work in humanitarian reporting, receiving the Gold Award for Humanitarian Services from the Amazing Grace Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Home Alliance Fellowship, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more humane, safer and more sustainable planet. An active member of professional journalism bodies, Ruth is affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), where she continues to advocate for excellence, ethical reporting, and development-focused journalism.

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