Nigerian Gwagwalada Area Council authorities have subsidized fertilizer prices by 5% to farmers this season. Council Chairman Alhaji Zakari Angulu Dobi said the council’s decision to subsidize the price of fertilizer to farmers was to enhance adequate food production in the council and beyond. About 150 metric tons of assorted fertilizers were allocated by the federal government to the council, comprising 60 metric tons (1,200 bags) of NPK and 30 metric tons of (600 bags) of SSP, which Dobi said were sold to the council at government price of N1,500 (US $12.93) per bag for Urea.
He said the fertilizers were sold to farmers at N1,000 ($8.62) per bag, and NPK was sold to farmers at the rate of N600 ($5.17)/bag, instead of the government price of N1,100 ($9.48)/bag. Listing agriculture as one of the major focuses of his administration, Dobi pledged to assist farmers with necessary farming tools, fertilizer, and chemicals. "If fertilizer goes for N1, 500, we believe that it is only few farmers that can be able buy it,” said Dobi. “So, based on that, the council met and agreed that we should subsidize this fertilizer to a more affordable price so that our farmers can buy."