The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Agricultural Subsidy Intervention Funds, Aids and Grants Programmes has commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for its investment in the agricultural sector.
The commendation was made by the Deputy Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Sunday Umeha, during the committee’s resumed investigative hearing in Abuja.
He said trillions of naira had been spent by the Federal Government on the agricultural sector through various intervention programmes, grants, aids, and loans.
According to him, the committee is charged with the responsibility of assessing the impact of these interventions on the sector.
Umeha noted that it was disheartening that several agencies and financial institutions invited by the committee had declined to appear and brief the panel.
“Some of them have refused to appear and or neglected or ignored to honour invitations to appear as at when invited. It is on this premise that I’m constrained to move a motion to compel NAISAL MFP, Central Bank of Nigeria, SunTrust Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, and the National Bureau of Statistics to appear before this committee.
“Mr Chairman, I also move that all the relevant processes for issuance of summons on these aforementioned agencies and financial institutions be activated, completed and duly served on them. We cannot let the Nigerian people down,” he said.
The committee adopted the motion and summoned the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the concerned financial institutions to appear before it.
Earlier at the hearing, the Head of Agribusiness at Unity Bank, Haruna Usman, was asked to return at a later date with complete documentation from the bank.
Similarly, the team led by the Head of Regulatory Compliance at Access Bank, Ms Uloma Ndulue, appealed for a new date for the bank’s leadership to appear before the committee.
The Head of Agric Business at Jaiz Bank, Mr Abubakar Makinta, and a representative of Unity Bank who appeared before the committee were unable to provide some of the required documents.
Addressing the issues, the Chairman of the committee, Jamo Aminu, requested that the financial institutions provide details of inflows and outflows of funds, full details of beneficiaries, and other relevant information.
The Ad-Hoc Committee, dissatisfied with some of the presentations made, rescheduled the hearing to Tuesday next week.
The panel is probing trillions of naira expended on agricultural intervention programmes implemented by the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria between 2015 and September 2025, following a House resolution of July 23, 2025.
The investigation covers major schemes including the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, the Agribusiness/Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme, the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme, the Nigerian Electricity Stabilisation Fund, and other intervention windows.