The Association of Northern Agricultural and Allied Commodities Practitioner (ANAACOP) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have inaugurated farmers programmable money Agro e-naira engagement targeting one million farmers in northeast states in 2023 farming season.
Speaking at the occasion on Thursday in Yola, Mr Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor said that the programme was designed to ensure food security in the region and country at large.
Emefiele who was represented by Hajiya Rakiya Muhammad, Director Information Technology and Coordinator e-naira programme of CBN said the e-naira is the first digital currency to be lunch in Africa and second in the world.
Emefiele congratulated the association and the beneficiaries for having the programme, adding it would help famers to access affordable inputs for tremendous progress and transformation as the result of technology and innovation.
He said that currently 50 farmers were targeted to test run the programme in Adamawa.
“But by the end of the year we will scale up to one million farmers and another four million by 2024.
“So what we are doing is providing a platform where we can have accountability, transparency and make the programme efficient to encourage people who will be able to provide finance to those who need it”,
Sadiq Daware, Chairman ANAACOP commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the Anchor Borrower Program through the CBN.
He said that the programme help a lot of farmers in the country and today the e-naira programme would reduce intermediaries and provide easy access to credit and financial services for farmers in rural communities of Northern Nigeria.
“Today we are happy to inform all Nigerians that ANAACOP through the CBN have gotten it right to make sure that farmers particularly the small holders farmers will get loans at ease with little or no hitches leveraging on e-naira programme”, he said.
Daware assured farmers that they will not regret at the end of the day.
Mijinyawa Mahmudu, Chairman Ribadu farmers Group who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries thanked the Federal Government interventions on Agricultural sector through CBN.
He also appreciated the association for coming up with the programme which that have direct impact on small scale farmers (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
