….Committee Demands Answers On Ghost Beneficiaries, Inflated Costs
… Lawmakers Vow No Sacred Cows As Food Security Hangs In The Balance
Daud Olatunji
The House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security on Tuesday launched a deep probe into alleged mismanagement and diversion of ₦1.12 trillion earmarked for the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) and other agricultural interventions.
Chairman of the committee, Deacon Chike Okafor, said the third public hearing in Abuja would scrutinize how agencies outside the Federal Ministry of Agriculture handled billions of naira intended to boost food production and reduce hunger across the country.
“The Anchor Borrowers Programme alone reportedly disbursed ₦1.12 trillion to 4.67 million farmers. In addition, NIRSAL’s ₦255.61 billion support for 915 agribusiness projects, the Bank of Industry’s ₦59.4 billion financing of agro-processors, and federal ginger blight recovery funds are all under review,” Okafor told journalists.
He said allegations of fund diversion, ghost beneficiaries, inflated costs, and poor repayment records demanded urgent legislative scrutiny.
“Food security is non-negotiable. Yet corruption, inefficiencies, and mismanagement in these programmes are undermining our national goal. Hunger must not define Nigeria,” Okafor warned.
While some agencies complied with the committee’s summons by submitting verifiable documents, others—including the Bank of Agriculture, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), and the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA)—were accused of ignoring invitations.
“This is totally unacceptable. No sacred cows, no cover-ups, no excuses. Every kobo must be accounted for,” Okafor stressed.
Tuesday’s session featured presentations from the National Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), participating financial institutions in the ABP, the Agricultural Research Council, the National Agricultural Seeds Council, and NALDA. Wednesday’s hearing is expected to focus on the Bank of Agriculture, NAIC, NIRSAL Plc, and NIRSAL Microfinance Bank.
Okafor said the committee’s mandate was clear: “We seek answers—Where is the money? Who benefited? Why are claims unpaid? And how do we fix this? This Committee is not a court of law, but it is a platform for accountability. Nigerians deserve transparency.”
He assured that the final report would recommend measures to recover misused funds, plug loopholes, and strengthen Nigeria’s food security architecture.
“To the Nigerian people: we hear you. Funds meant to secure our food future must work for Nigerians. We will act,” he said.
In a related development, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to probe the widespread abandonment of federal government properties nationwide. Headed by Hon. Daniel Amos, the committee is tasked with identifying idle assets, determining causes of neglect, and recommending recovery or rehabilitation measures.
“These facilities represent public wealth. They must not rot away,” Abbas said, warning that the era of neglecting national assets was over. “Every federal asset must be identified, protected, and put to productive use. Nigerians expect nothing less.”
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