NIRSAL: How we protected 926 FCT farmers from exploitative middlemen

The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System’s (NIRSAL Plc) says it protected 926 farmers in the federal capital territory (FCT) from “exploitative tendencies of middlemen”.

In a statement, the agency said the farmers cultivating 1,140 hectares of land were guaranteed with “offtake markets”.

It said the support for the 2020 wet season farming activities under the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) would lead to increase in yields and also improve livelihoods.

“NIRSAL Plc has linked 926 FCT farmers thereby protecting them from price fluctuations and the exploitative tendencies of some middlemen,” the statement read.

“Other forms of support include the provision of fertilizer, crop protection products and round-the-clock technology-driven project monitoring services.”

It said though the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a global economic challenge, the federal government resolved not to undermine the agriculture sector by injecting funds into the CBN’s anchor borrowers’ programme.

The statement said NIRSAL representatives met with some farmers in the Dobi area of the FCT recently.

“They met with NIRSAL’s officials at Passo where the Head of NIRSAL’s Project Monitoring, Reporting and Remediation Office (PMRO) in the FCT, Mr. Ayo Olaleye, relayed the Federal Government’s and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to agriculture to them,” the statement read.

“Olaleye told the farmers that NIRSAL will continue to prioritize farmers’ needs, not just in the implementation of the CBN’s ABP, but also in the development and delivery of frameworks that will further open the banking sector to agriculture.”

Speaking on behalf of his members, Emmanuel Afolabi, president of the Dobi AGC, expressed his appreciation to the federal government and NIRSAL for their inclusion in the ABP.

He solicited for the sustenance and expansion of the programme to include more farmers in Dobi community in the future.

“We are grateful to the Federal Government for remembering us and bringing this project to us, rural dwellers. On our part, we will strive to ensure that the project is a success in our community. We pledge that we will not fail the Federal Government and NIRSAL. We are requesting that the programme will not end this year and we want more farmers to be accommodated next year,” he said.

Also present at the gathering was Nmadu Benjamin who represented Nuhu Muazu, head of the CBN’s development finance office (DFO) in the FCT.

Nmadu encouraged the farmers to make good use of the ABP opportunity and ensure that they repay the loan so that they can access more benefits in the future.