Date: 11 August, 2026
By Abraham Ovuoba
The Deputy Chief Whip and Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, Barr Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has distributed 1,000 bags of fertiliser to farmers as part of the efforts to boost agricultural production and strengthen food security in the Nigeria.
The fertiliser distribution, held in Iboko, headquarters of Izzi Local Government Area, had benefiting farmers in attendance, who described the intervention as timely ahead of the current farming season.
Speaking during the distribution exercise, the Chairman of Izzi Local Government Area, Hon. Stephen Nwankpa, said the intervention was consistent with the agricultural policy of both the federal and state government, noting that the support came at the right time.
Nwankpa attributed the timing to the agricultural orientation of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, whom he described as a home-grown farmer who understands the farming calendar and the challenges confronting farmers in the state.
According to him, the previous practice of distributing agricultural inputs around October and November often made such interventions less useful because farmers had already passed the critical stage of the farming seasons.
The council chairman also assured that the fertiliser would get to genuine farmers, saying beneficiaries were identified from various villages and wards across the local government area.
He explained that the process was deliberately structured to identify vulnerable farmers who could not afford to purchase fertilisers, rather than relying solely on political or other influential stakeholders.
“We started the documentation from the wards and villages across the wards,” Nwankpa said, adding that stakeholders were involved in screening the names to ensure that the beneficiaries reflected the needs of the grassroots.
He further disclosed that the local government council would distribute its own agricultural inputs to farmers, stressing that the 1,000 bags provided by Senator Nwebonyi represented an additional intervention and not the council’s annual allocation.
Nwankpa, while addressing the farmers, urged them to take advantage of the government agricultural interventions to work harder and increase food production in the state, assuring them that food security remained a priority of both the state and local governments.
Representing Senator Nwebonyi at the event, Mr Martin Anayo Mbam said the distribution was part of the senator’s yearly agricultural support programme for his constituents.
Mbam explained that the senator had planned to distribute the fertiliser earlier but the exercise was delayed by his overseas trip and other official engagements.
He also expressed confidence that Nwebonyi would be re-elected for a second term, saying that the senator would continue to provide what he described as dividends of democracy to the people of Ebonyi North.
Mbam also cited the senator’s interventions in infrastructure and electricity, noting that some roads had been illuminated with Street Lights to improve movement and security in the constituency.
Also speaking, the member representing Izzi West State Constituency, Hon. Abiri Godwin Abiri, commended Nwebonyi for what he described as sustained support for farmers and other empowerment programmes.
Abiri said the senator had provided 5,000 bags of fertiliser for the wider constituency and was expected to augment the supply with additional bags.
He also commended Governor Nwifuru for supporting Nwebonyi’s return to the Senate, describing the senator’s interventions in agriculture, education and infrastructure as evidence of effective representation.
The distribution is expected to provide immediate support to beneficiaries and enhance their capacity to cultivate their farms during the current agricultural season in the area.
