The Bank of Agriculture has entered into a partnership with the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria to widen access to financing for 400,000 farmers who are gearing up for the 2026 dry-season farming cycle.

A statement issued on Friday said the initiative is designed to boost food production all year round, improve the livelihoods of farmers and strengthen the supply of locally grown food to Nigerian households.

The arrangement is being carried out under BOA’s Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SSVCF), through which the bank is building a pipeline of farmers who are already actively producing and need funding to sustain or scale up their operations during the dry season.

Apart from agricultural inputs, the financing will also cover irrigation toolkits and related irrigation equipment, so that farmers can depend less on rainfall and keep producing through the dry season.

The bank stated that extending agricultural production beyond the main rainy season could raise food availability, lift farmers’ incomes and make food supply chains more resilient.

Under the agreement, AFAN will identify credible farmers within its national network and present them to the bank, supplying details of their locations, commodities, farm sizes and proposed dry-season acreage.

The association will also assist in identifying suitable Farmer Aggregation Companies (FACs) that have verifiable farmer networks and the capacity to coordinate the participating farmers.

Through the Farmer Allocation Model, approved financing will be channelled to eligible farmers via suitable FACs, which will act as obligors and coordinate the allocation and deployment of approved inputs and other production requirements.

Speaking on the initiative, the Managing Director of BOA, Ayo Sotinrin, said the bank was committed to making sure that farmers had access to the financing and productive assets required to keep production going beyond the main rainy season.

“Dry season farming allows us to keep production going beyond the main farming season. Our responsibility is to ensure that farmers who are ready and able to produce have access to the financing, inputs and irrigation equipment they need to do so,” he said.

Sotinrin added that backing production throughout the year would help improve farmers’ livelihoods while also contributing to a more dependable food supply.

He said the partnership with AFAN would also enhance BOA’s ability to reach credible farmers at scale and create a stronger pipeline for agricultural financing.

After farmer and FAC information has been submitted, BOA will carry out verification, due diligence and credit assessments in line with its applicable policies and requirements.

However, participation in the programme will depend on a satisfactory assessment and approval by the bank.

The bank said its partnership with AFAN was part of its wider efforts to expand access to agricultural finance, promote year-round production and strengthen the productive capacity of Nigerian farmers.

It added that tackling the financing and irrigation constraints tied to dry-season farming would help raise food production and contribute to a more resilient Nigerian food system.