Farmers Urge Tinubu to Rethink PFI as Fertiliser Price Jumps Nearly +1000%

News in Brief

-Nigerian farmers urge President Tinubu to reconsider changes to the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) as fertiliser prices have risen sharply by almost 1000%.

-Farmers call on the government to sustain fertiliser raw material import by the government under the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) till local capacity increases.

Nigerian farmers have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rethink the new direction of the Presidential Fertilisers Initiative (PFI) as it directly impacts prices and accessibility of fertilisers for farmers in the country, which affects food production.

The farmers under the umbrella of the Coalition of Farmers Association of Nigeria (COFAN) and Himma Youth Farmers Association of Nigeria (HYFAN) appealed to the President to preserve the PFI, a legacy of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, warning that the new direction would affect farmers’ access to fertilisers, thereby undermining the progress achieved earlier. 

Sustain fertiliser importation till local capacity rises

COFAN President, Dr Abubakar Bamai, alongside representatives of HYFAN, during a media briefing in Abuja, called on the government to adopt a balanced approach that protects farmers in the short term while building stronger local capacity for the future.

Dr Bamai expressed deep concern about the immediate effects on Nigerian farmers, particularly smallholder and youth farmers.

“Rising input costs, distribution gaps, and uncertainty in fertiliser supply threaten to undermine the gains made over the past eight years”, he said.

Highlighting the impact of the government's new direction to stop raw material imports for making fertiliser and handing it over to the private sector, fertiliser prices have risen by over 990.90%. Market reports claim that it now costs ₦60,000, up from the ₦5,500 price per bag achieved during the government’s last intervention.

“The price hike is affecting everything—mechanisation, monitoring and evaluation, access, production—you name it.” Dr Bamai said.

They urged the government to sustain the importation of fertiliser raw materials until local production capacity is fully reliable to meet national demand.

“It’s unfair to expect immediate results just because a large budget was allocated to agriculture. We need proper planning and long-term commitment.

“For instance, if we say we’ll produce all we consume, we must first build the capacity to do so. Fertiliser was very cheap back then, but that’s no longer the case,” the representative said.

Despite these concerns, the farmers commended Tinubu for his agricultural reforms in food systems, farmer empowerment, youth inclusion, and food security. 

The groups further advised that the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) should be allowed to continue managing raw material importation, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and stability in the supply chain.

What you need to know about the PFI

Launched in 2016, the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) was set up to address inefficiencies and improve self-sufficiency in Nigeria’s fertiliser sector. Under the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), the PFI resuscitated and established over 90 blending plants, delivered over 128 million bags of high-quality fertiliser nationwide, and generated more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

The initiative saved nearly $200 million in foreign exchange and eliminated the need for subsidies, resulting in over ₦60 billion in fiscal savings annually.

In 2025, the management of PFI was transferred to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), through MOFI Management Company Limited (ManCo), with MOFI pledging to sustain strategic support. 

Next steps for the initiative under ManCo include introducing wet blend technology, expanding geographic reach, and increasing private sector participation to build on recent successes and further empower farmers