The Edo State Government has secured the sum of N5 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for farmers in the state through its agripreneur programme, as part of efforts by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to ensure food security.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security Programme, Prince Joe Okojie, disclosed this to journalists after an inspection tour of a cluster of fish farms in Uteh Koko Community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area and the returnees integrated farm facility at the state’s Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State.
The governor’s aide disclosed that the credit was secured at a single-digit interest rate of 9 percent.
Prince Okojie noted that the agripreneur initiative of the Obaseki-led administration has the potential of driving the economic development of the state and lifting thousands of smallholder farmers from subsistent to commercial farming, adding that the programme was established in collaboration with the CBN to ensure food security and wealth creation in the state.
According to Okojie, “The CBN has set aside N40bn for farmers at a single-digit interest rate of 9 per cent and Edo State Government has been able to secure N5bn for our farmers”.
Speaking to poultry farmers at the ADP, Prince Okojie said 1,700 poultry farmers across the three Senatorial Districts of Edo State will benefit from the programme as they will get 1,000 birds as well as feeds and medications for the birds.
“We have about 1,700 farmers across the three Senatorial District and each farmer will get 1,000 birds, bringing the total to 1.7million birds. The governor wants to make sure he brings prosperity to all Edo people, which inspired this scheme.”
Chairman, Uteh fish farm cluster, Uzezi Odhe, who commended the governor for his agricultural programme for farmers in the state, thanked the state government for judiciously expending the CBN loan attracted to boost productivity.
“We are happy to have the Special Adviser visit our farm; we have five clusters with Uteh being the biggest. We are happy to be part of the programme,” he noted.
A former governorship candidate in the state, Justina Agbarha, who is also a poultry farmer, commended Governor Obaseki for the laudable programme, noting that it will go a long way to increase fish production across the State.
Another farmer, Victoria Odia, said the state was in time past known for agriculture but derailed along the way with the discovery of oil, thanking the governor for diversifying the state’s economy
Between Depleting Workforce And Declining Productivity