By S David Prince
President Bola Tinubu used Nigeria’s 27th Democracy Day address to tie the country’s democratic progress directly to the prosperity of farmers, declaring that the benefits of governance must be felt on the farm and in the pocket of every Nigerian.
Speaking in Abuja, Tinubu said the National Agricultural Development Fund is currently deploying 10,000 tractors over a five-year period as part of broader efforts to expand food production and reduce the cost of farming across the country. He also disclosed that non-oil exports grew by 21 per cent last year, with over 1,000 small and medium enterprises certified for export.
“Democracy must be felt in the quality of people’s lives, in opportunities for youth, in prosperous farmers, successful entrepreneurs, and the dignity of our workers,” the President stated.
President Tinubu acknowledged that many Nigerians continue to face economic hardship, but maintained that his administration remained focused on reducing inflation, expanding food production, and creating the conditions for sustainable prosperity.
He described the reforms of the past three years as necessary rather than convenient, saying they had restored fiscal stability, improved federation revenues for states, and attracted fresh investment into agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and other sectors.
On food security specifically, the President pointed to the NADF fertiliser distribution programme and mechanisation drive as evidence of the administration’s commitment. Earlier this week, the Federal Government inaugurated the distribution of 80,640 bags of NPK fertiliser to 20,160 smallholder farmers across Niger, Benue, Nasarawa and Kwara states under the same NADF framework.
The president also announced the renaming of the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies in Kaduna as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology, in honour of the late statesman’s contributions to democratic Nigeria.
The Democracy Day address, delivered as Nigeria marks 27 uninterrupted years of civilian rule since May 29, 1999, struck a notably agricultural tone at several points, with the President framing farmer prosperity and food affordability as central to what democratic governance must deliver.
“The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community, and every region,” he added.
The speech also touched on security, with President Tinubu disclosing that the 2026 national budget commits N5.41 trillion to defence and security, described as the largest security allocation in the country’s history. He noted that improved rural security was directly tied to the ability of farmers in conflict-affected zones to return to productive agriculture.
For the agricultural sector, the combination of the mechanisation drive, fertiliser distribution and export certification push represents the clearest picture yet of where federal agricultural investment is headed in the second half of this administration.
