During the 2026 budget defence of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the lawmaker, Awaji-Inombek Abiante challenged the clarity and accountability of proposed programmes, clashing with the House Committee chairman.
A heated exchange erupted on Tuesday during the 2026 budget defence of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, as a member of the House of Representatives, Awaji-Inombek Abiante (APC, Rivers), openly challenged both the substance of the ministry's presentation and attempts by the committee leadership to curtail debate.
The confrontation occurred at a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Agricultural Production, Services and Rural Development, where the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sabi Abdullahi, presented the ministry's 2026 budget proposal.
Mr Abiante, reacting to the minister's presentation, questioned the clarity, structure and equity of the proposed programmes, asking whether the document complied with federal character principles and provided sufficient detail to ensure accountability.
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"Does this report conform with the requirement of federal character?" Mr Abiante asked. "A whole lot of what is embedded here has no appropriate description."
As he attempted to elaborate, the Chairman of the House Committee, Bello Ka'oje (APC, Kebbi), struck the gavel in an apparent effort to halt his contribution. Mr Abiante, however, refused to yield the floor, escalating the exchange.
"Mr Chairman, I have the floor. If you don't want me to speak, I will get my things and go," he said. "I was elected by my people to defend their interest, and it is that interest I have come here to defend, not yours."
He accused the chairman of attempting to silence him for the second time during committee proceedings.
"We don't seem to be acting like a serious-minded people or country," he continued.
Mr Abiante criticised what he described as vague and unverifiable budget descriptions, arguing that broad phrases such as "food security gross value chain development" and "manpower development strategies" were meaningless without concrete explanations.
This according to him, made accountability impossible.
"How do you talk about food security gross value chain development? What does it mean?" he queried. "You talk about implementation of manpower development strategies, what does that mean?"
He also faulted references to market upgrades across geopolitical zones, noting that markets fall under local government jurisdiction.
"If you say six geopolitical zones, where exactly? Which village?" he asked.
On rural infrastructure, the lawmaker said he had never seen evidence of the projects referenced in the budget.
"You talked about rural roads and infrastructure. I have not seen one in my life, and the chairman wanted to shut me down," he said.
Mr Abiante warned that failure by lawmakers to insist on clarity and transparency could undermine the entire budget process.
"As gatekeepers, if we fail to keep the gates, we collapse everything," he said.
Amid the tension, David Ogewu (APC, Benue) urged lawmakers to move into an executive session. While Mr Abdullahi expressed readiness to address the concerns either behind closed doors or publicly, the chairman ruled that deliberations should continue in an open session.
Minister defends budget, cites food security emergency
Presenting the ministry's 2026 budget proposal earlier, Mr Abdullahi said government interventions were focused on expanding agricultural production, improving sustainability and stabilising Nigeria's food system.
He said the ministry's strategy was anchored on the food security emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu, following rising inflation, supply chain disruptions and declining household food access across the country.
Mr Tinubu had in 2023, declared a state of emergency as part of broader measures to boost domestic food production, scale mechanisation, address post-harvest losses and reduce Nigeria's dependence on food imports amid worsening economic pressures.
According to the minister, the emergency declaration "placed agriculture at the centre of national economic recovery, with emphasis on scaling output across value chains and strengthening farmer resilience."
He said funding limitations, rising input costs and structural bottlenecks continued to weigh heavily on farmers nationwide.
Despite these challenges, Mr Abdullahi said government surveys indicated marginal increases in output, though he cautioned that sustaining such gains would require addressing deeper structural constraints.
He told the joint committee that the ministry had submitted an Agricultural Performance in Nigeria report covering 2024 and 2025 to provide lawmakers with evidence of ongoing interventions and outcomes.
On budget performance, the minister said personnel costs under the 2025 appropriation were largely implemented, but capital project execution had been constrained by delayed releases.
For the core ministry, about 30 per cent of the capital allocation, roughly ₦18 billion, is yet to be released. He added that only constituency-related projects had seen partial disbursement, with about ₦19.8 billion released so far.
The delays, he said, had slowed programme execution and limited the ministry's capacity to scale support for farmers.
For 2026, Mr Abdullahi said the agricultural sector is projected to receive about ₦1 trillion, with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security expected to receive approximately ₦262 billion for capital expenditure and ₦19.18 billion for recurrent costs.
He identified rising input costs as the most pressing challenge confronting farmers, citing fertiliser production, gas pricing policies and taxation on agro-chemicals as key drivers.
He stressed that the most pressing concern confronting farmers "remains the rising cost of inputs, driven by broader macroeconomic pressures beyond the ministry's direct control."
The minister disclosed that more than 7,000 tractors across the country were previously under-utilised due to poor distribution systems, a situation he said government was determined not to repeat.
He said President Bola Tinubu had approved the procurement of over 2,000 tractors, with distribution currently ongoing, alongside plans to train youths to operate, maintain and repair the equipment as the farming season approaches.
He added that the Renewed Hope project had been renamed the National Urban Agricultural Programme to promote grassroots farming, while young farmers' clubs were being promoted to attract youth participation.
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On technology, Mr Abdullahi stressed the need for improved access to high-yield crop varieties and effective extension services, noting that Nigeria's agricultural productivity remains below potential.
Lawmakers react
The senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero (APC), lamented that farmers were not receiving fair value for their produce, warning that the situation could discourage production and worsen unemployment.
"We are not doing anything in terms of subsidy. In fact, subsidy has been removed," he said, urging collaboration between the ministry and the National Assembly to address pricing distortions.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Production and Rural Development, Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central), warned that declining allocations to agriculture could worsen food insecurity.
He noted that while total national expenditure is projected to rise to ₦58.47 trillion in 2026, allocation to the agriculture ministry fell from ₦2.22 trillion in 2025 to ₦1.45 trillion.
Similarly, Mr Ka'oje warned that reduced funding could undermine food security ambitions and weaken economic recovery.
He said the committee's review would be guided by transparency, accountability and alignment with President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that agriculture remains central to food security, employment and national stability.
He assured that the National Assembly would work with the ministry to produce a credible, evidence-based 2026 agricultural budget capable of delivering tangible benefits to Nigerians.
