Small-scale farmers in Niger State can access interest-free loans of up to N300,000 each under the Federal Government’s FarmerMoni scheme, aimed at improving agricultural productivity and supporting food production.
The initiative, implemented under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) through the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), is targeting 600 farmers across the state.
The National Programme Manager of GEEP, Hamza Baba, disclosed this on Saturday in Minna during the flag-off of the FarmerMoni enumeration exercise and training of desk officers from the 25 local government areas of Niger State.
Baba explained that the loans would enable small-scale farmers to purchase agricultural inputs, improve productivity and increase output in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.The programme covers farmers engaged in crop cultivation, poultry, livestock, fishery and aquaculture.
To access the loan, eligible farmers will be identified, registered and verified through trained GEEP desk officers assigned to the state’s 25 local government areas.
The registration process will involve the digital capture of applicants’ photographs, biometric information, National Identification Numbers (NIN) and farm locations to establish their identities and confirm their farming activities.
Farmers interested in the intervention are therefore expected to provide accurate personal information and details of their agricultural activities during the enumeration exercise.Each selected beneficiary will receive N300,000, repayable within one year, with repayment expected to begin six months after the commencement of farming activities.
The agency will monitor the utilisation and repayment of the loans in collaboration with the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and local government desk officers.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Dr Ibrahim Inga, described the intervention as a complementary effort by the Federal Government to support Niger State’s poverty reduction programmes.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Investment Programme, Hauwa Mohammed, said the exercise was part of the state’s implementation of GEEP, which comprises FarmerMoni, MarketMoni and TraderMoni.She added that desk officers had been provided with tablets to capture farmers and their farmlands, ensuring that fictitious beneficiaries were excluded from the programme.
However, the current exercise specifically targets 600 farmers in Niger State. People who intend to venture into farming should confirm their eligibility and registration opportunities with the relevant GEEP desk officers, as the announcement does not establish that first-time prospective farmers automatically qualify for the current loan allocation.
