In a shocking revelation, the much-publicized agricultural scheme for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria has been marred by alledged gross mismanagement and a staggering waste of public funds.
With a budget of N1.07 billion, the scheme was supposed to provide agricultural inputs and tools for refugees, migrants, and returnees.
However, mounting evidence suggests that the project may have been deliberately designed to siphon funds, with little regard for its success or benefit to the IDP communities it was meant to serve.
The project, which was set to span 150 hectares, aimed to offer displaced persons a sustainable means of livelihood by engaging them in large-scale agriculture. Yet, more than N300 million of the allocated funds were set aside for clearing and preparing the land alone—a task that has barely seen any progress.
Despite the massive expenditure, only 65 hectares have been cleared, less than half of the originally planned area.
”In fact, the area is not a designated IDP center, and the so-called IDP participants are merely residents of the area. I think one should not expect an IDP members from Abuja or else where to come to Loko to partake in IDP agricultural scheme, since farm scheme like this is mostly designed and tied to where IDPs are resettled in order to provide alternative means of livelihood. The source revealed.
Sources familiar with the scheme have raised concerns about its viability, given the current agricultural plans. The project intends to sow soya beans, a crop that, with optimal farming techniques, yields an average of 1.2 metric tonnes per hectare. With the 65 hectares cleared, the anticipated total yield stands at just 78 metric tonnes.
At the current market price of N750,000 per tonne of soya beans, the potential revenue from the harvest would amount to a mere N58.5 million. This is a paltry return when compared to the staggering N1.07 billion that has already been poured into the project, raising alarms about the scheme’s overall financial logic—or lack thereof.
Critics have been quick to label the project a “rogue operation,” calling out the CEO at the helm of the scheme for what they describe as “wanton mismanagement.” With over a billion naira already spent, it appears that the entire intervention was ill-conceived from the outset.
There are growing suspicions that the agricultural scheme was designed not for the benefit of displaced persons but to facilitate the embezzlement of IDP funds under the guise of a development initiative.
The numbers just don’t add up. Spending over a billion naira to achieve a cash output of less than N60 million is not just bad business—it’s a scandal,” one insider shared, on condition of anonymity. “This is a blatant misuse of public resources, and the IDPs are the ones who will suffer the most.”
The scheme, which was initially presented as a beacon of hope for displaced persons eager to rebuild their lives, now stands as a grim testament to the mismanagement that has plagued many IDP interventions. Many are now calling for a full investigation into the project’s finances and the actions of its leadership, warning that if left unchecked, the scandal could erode public trust in future efforts to aid Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations.
In the coming days, pressure is expected to mount on the government and relevant authorities to take swift action, ensuring accountability and transparency in the handling of IDP funds. For now, the question on everyone’s mind is simple: how could over a billion naira be spent on a project with so little to show for it?
