No fewer than 600 farmers across Niger State are expected to benefit from interest-free loans under the Federal Government’s FarmerMoni scheme aimed at boosting agricultural production and supporting smallholder farmers.
The beneficiaries will be selected from the state’s 25 local government areas under the Renewed Hope Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program (RH-GEEP 3.0), a federal social intervention initiative of President Bola Tinubu.
The program is designed to empower about five million smallholder farmers, artisans, market women and petty traders across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas by 2027.
In preparation for the implementation of the scheme in Niger State, the State Social Investment Programs Office, in collaboration with the National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA), has commenced the FarmerMoni Enumeration and Capacity Training for GEEP desk officers from the 25 local government areas.
The training is aimed at equipping the officers with the skills to identify, register and verify genuine farmers through digital enumeration, including the collection of farmers’ information and geographical locations of their farms.
The Special Adviser to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago on Social Investment Programs and State NSIP Focal Person, Hauwa Bako Mohammed, said the state government had put necessary measures in place to ensure the successful implementation of the scheme.
She described the capacity-building exercise as important to ensuring accurate data collection and identifying genuine beneficiaries so that the intervention reaches deserving farmers across the state.
According to her, the initiative will strengthen efforts to expand agricultural opportunities and improve farmers’ access to financial support.
The Niger State Government said agriculture remains central to the New Niger Agenda under Governor Bago’s administration, which aims to make the state a major food production hub in the country.
The state continues to prioritise agricultural development by collaborating with the Federal Government, development partners, and local institutions to expand food production and improve farmers’ livelihoods.
