Kogi State: 145,000 Rural Farmers To Benefit From Loans And Grants

Over 145,000 rural farmers so far validated by the Kogi  State

Government in partnership with the Kogi Farmers Cluster Development

Union are to benefit from agricultural loans and grants under the

Nigerian Agricultural Payment Initiative.

Capt. Idris Wada made this known during the flag off of the pilot

phase of the disbursement of loans and grants to rural farmers through

the NAPI e-wallet system in which is being jointly executed by the

Federal Government,  the Kogi State Government and other stakeholders

in the agricultural value chain in Nigeria.

The Governor who described the disbursement of loans and grants

through the Nigerian Agricultural Payment Initiative e-wallet platform

as a significant step in the development of agriculture in the state,

noted that the sum of 160,000 Naira loans and grants being disbursed

to rural farmers will enhance wealth creation and alleviation of rural

poverty among the teeming population of farmers in the state.

While commending members of the Kogi Cluster Farmers Development Union

for keying into the agricultural transformation agenda of the state

government, Capt. Wada urged all farmers in the state to sustain their

interest in agriculture by taking advantage of several initiatives

aimed at improving the welfare of farmers and development of

agriculture in the state.

Capt. Wada said the flag-off of the disbursement of loans and grants

to rural farmers in the state is a testimony of the commitment of the

present administration to the development of agriculture in the state.

He noted that the disbursement through the NAPI e-wallet platform

which was adopted by the present administration in October, 2013 will

eliminate corruption and facilitate greater inclusion by ensuring that

the funds gets to the farmers directly.

The Governor assured farmers in the state that agriculture remains the

focal point of the development agenda of the administration.

Earlier in an address, President of the Kogi Cluster Farmers

Development Union, Mr. Alfred Okeme, noted that the beneficiaries are

expected to pay back the sum of 56,000 Naira out of the 160,000 Naira

loans and grants given to individual farmers, adding that 104,000

Naira is received as grant while 56,000 Naira is given as loan to each

farmer which will be paid back with 5 percent interest from proceeds

accruing from produce buy-back from the farmers by the state

government.

He commended the Kogi State Government for the support given to the

organisation through mobilisation of farmers, validation of farmers

clusters and provision of agricultural inputs.

Over 1000 farmers are benefiting from the pilot phase of the

disbursement of loans and grants under the NAPI e-wallet scheme in

Kogi State.