Farmers Cry Out Over Exclusion from Abia Agricultural Empowerment Scheme

A fresh rift has emerged between the Abia State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and the Ministry of Agriculture following allegations of exclusion, bias, and sidelining of registered farmers in the ongoing African Union supported agricultural empowerment programme.

At a press conference in Umuahia on Wednesday, AFAN’s Abia State Chairperson, Mrs. Gift Ogbonna, flanked by youth Leader, 17 LGA Executives and women leader of the association, accused the Ministry of Agriculture of deliberately shutting out genuine smallholder farmers from benefitting from the empowerment initiative flagged off in the state on August 21.

Mrs. Ogbonna, who spoke on behalf of AFAN Abia State, AFAN’s National President, Dr. Farouk Rabi’u Mudi, and the National Executive, commended Governor Dr. Alex Otti for what she described as his “farmer-friendly leadership and bold reforms in agriculture.” However, she decried the actions of the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, who she alleged used a separate list of beneficiaries that sidelined AFAN’s members.

“Our farmers trooped in their hundreds with joy to Jackville for the launch, only to be embarrassed and told they were not invited. None of AFAN’s 82 commodity associations or its grassroots structures across 184 wards in Abia were captured in the Commissioner’s list. Instead, we saw members of political groups presented as beneficiaries,” Ogbonna alleged.

She further warned that if the government fails to involve AFAN in the farmer enumeration exercise, the state risks losing credible data necessary for policy-making and donor support.

Also Speaking at the conference, AFAN youth representative, Dr. Chibuzo, lamented that Abia’s young farmers were completely excluded from the programme.

“Agriculture is now attracting youth interest, from small home farms to innovative agritech ideas. Yet none of us were captured. We want to pull youths away from cybercrime into farming, but this exclusion is discouraging,” he said.

Similarly, Mrs. Praise Christiana, who represented women farmers, broke down in tears as she recounted how rural women returned from the flag-off “disgraced and embarrassed.”

“Women who labour daily to put food on the table came out crying because one man held agriculture hostage in Abia State. We are begging the governor to intervene so women farmers are not shut out,” she appealed.

The farmers also raised concerns about alleged attempts by the commissioner to impose a suspended AFAN member as the association’s leader, describing it as political interference that undermines the will of farmers who freely elected their leadership in December 2024.

“For the first time in Abia State, AFAN elections were free and fair. Farmers made their choice. Any attempt to impose leadership is unacceptable and a sabotage of this government’s efforts,” Ogbonna stated.

When contacted, the Abia Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, dismissed AFAN’s claims, insisting that the programme’s distribution process was transparent and based on verified data of genuine farmers.

Agbaeze admitted that AFAN in Abia currently operates in “three factions,” making it difficult for the ministry to work with any one group exclusively.

“It would be wrong to hand over resources meant for farmers to a factionalised association. Our priority is ensuring genuine farmers benefit, whether or not they belong to AFAN,” he said.

The commissioner explained that the ministry is building a digital database of farmers in Abia that captures the exact coordinates of each farm, the size, soil composition, and crops grown. According to him, the first phase targeted 170 farmers across the 17 local governments, while the broader programme aims to reach 17,000 farmers over time.

“We cannot reach every farmer at once. But as the exercise progresses, more farmers including AFAN members will benefit. What we will not do is allow middlemen to hijack inputs meant for farmers,” he stressed.

Agbaeze further revealed that he had evidence, including text messages from Mrs. Ogbonna herself, acknowledging that AFAN members were among the beneficiaries of the programme.

The standoff has now thrown up urgent questions about transparency, inclusiveness, and the role of farmer associations in Abia’s agricultural policy. While AFAN insists on being carried along as the umbrella body of all farmers, the ministry maintains that factional crises within the association have made direct engagement impractical.

Observers say Governor Alex Otti may need to step in to prevent the dispute from derailing what many see as a landmark opportunity to reposition agriculture in Abia State.