THE Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending is empowering 475 female farmers in Uyo for cassava production during the 2020 wet season farming.
The agency said this in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday.
According to NIRSAL, the move is in adherence to the principles of all-inclusive growth.
Based on the Agro Geo-Cooperative model, NIRSAL structured the farmers into a group which was aptly named the Uyo Women Agro Geo-Cooperative.
NIRSAL said the 475 female farmers were trained on Good Agronomic Practices and received various inputs for their use.
It said that all 478 hectares of land will be mechanised throughout the planting season to enhance yields and profits and eliminate the drudgery of farming with crude implements.
It noted that the Uyo Women AGC would receive finance through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme for which it is playing a critical role as a Participating Financial Institution in ensuring that the CBN’s and indeed the Federal Government’s developmental and economic diversification goals are met.
NIRSAL said it made the move formal for distribution of inputs to the farmers during a ceremony held at Anang People Primary School, Obio Ndot, Oruk Anam LGA of Akwa Ibom State.
According to the statement, Theresa Thompson Akpan, the President of the Uyo Women AGC, described the CBN’s support through NIRSAL as a milestone in enhancing cassava production in the state.
Theresa, however, enjoined Uyo Women AGC to embrace NRSAL Plc’s approach of farming as a business in order to move from peasant farming to sustainable agribusiness.
She further thanked NIRSAL Plc for harnessing the female farmers’ potential and for its continued support of agribusiness in Akwa Ibom State.
Represented by Helen Akula, the Head of NIRSAL Plc’s Akwa Ibom State Project Monitoring, Reporting and Remediation Office, Aliyu Abdulhameed, NIRSAL’s Managing Director/CEO, noted that NIRSAL’s support of Uyo Women AGC would not only empower the 475 farmers of the AGC but would also create jobs for many families in the community.
This, she said would help to achieve NIRSAL’s vision of forging partnerships between finance and agriculture while achieving food security, creating jobs and spurring economic growth.
He added that through the ABP, the farmers’ door to commercial financing had been unlocked, thereby paving the way for a better-quality life.
Also speaking at the event, Desmond Ushe, the Acting Head of the CBN’s Akwa Ibom State Development Finance Office, noted that with the integration of NIRSAL’s AGC concept, risks would be reduced significantly, and the participation of farmers in the ABP would be boosted.
Ushe solicited for sincerity and commitment from the farmers to match that of Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the CBN, whom he said possessed the utmost passion for the ABP and for economic growth through agriculture.
