The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has launched a digital Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) platform to oversee its N19.5 billion AgGrow Farm Support Programme.

The initiative, introduced last week in Abuja, aims to provide 50% subsidies on seeds, fertilisers, and crop protection products to 50,000 smallholder farmers engaged in maize, rice, cassava, and soybean production across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Designed to bridge the gap between farmers and processors, the programme also targets reduced dependency on middlemen and improved raw material sourcing for the agro-processing sector. The new digital platform will also enable advisory services and training in modern farming techniques.

Mohammed Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of NADF, said the platform was designed to ensure transparency and efficiency.

“The platform ensures that every seed, every input, and every naira invested is properly tracked from distribution to usage, so that we can keep learning, improving, and delivering results aligned with national priorities,” he said.

“We have gone to great lengths to create a framework and software to enhance the quality of our M&E, knowing that end-to-end supervision of the project is crucial for us as a Fund,” he added.

To strengthen local implementation, Ibrahim said NADF will deploy independent agents and collaborate with community leaders.

“You will be our eyes and ears in all the corners of the nation you’re posted to. You will play a vital role in implementing this scheme, leveraging the NADF M&E Platform to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and inform decision-making,” he stated.

Olusola Omole, a representative of the Monitoring & Evaluation partners, noted the uniqueness of the collaboration.

“There hasn’t been a time when M&E vendors were brought together like this to align on expectations and targets. This is a new beginning, and we believe it will empower us to deliver results that truly benefit the farmers and processors,” he said.

Adewale Adegoke, CEO of AgroXchange Technology Services Limited, commended NADF’s innovation.

“NADF is changing the narrative. Their approach ensures that the distribution of inputs is fully tracked and traceable, with real, quantifiable impact on farmers,” he said.