From Okwe Obi, Abuja
No fewer than 1,700 cocoa farmers in 90 communities in Osun State have secured financial support from Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, to boost production.
The Head of Sustainabity of TGI Group, Yosola Ononuga, in a statement yesterday, explained that the undisclosed funds was channeled through the Osun Financial Inclusion Drive (OFID).
Ononuga noted that the initiative was Implemented under its sustainable cocoa programme and executed through the WACOT Limited, which is a member of TGI Group, adding that the beneficiaries are from underserved farming communities with access to formal banking services, financial literacy tools, and digital platforms.
According to him, smallholder farmers should not be left behind in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, revealing that the financial inclusion drive was built on the success of the 2022 Kebbi Financial Inclusion Drive (KFID), which reached over 5,000 farmers across five local governments in Kebbi State with a high inclusion rate for women and youth.
“Reflecting on the broader impact of the initiative, Ononuga, said: “For us at TGI, inclusion starts at the grassroots. OFID is about equipping farmers with the tools to participate meaningfully in today’s economy. This is sustainability in action, creating access, building resilience, and empowering communities from within.
“Whether in Kebbi, Osun, or any other state where we operate, we are embedding financial inclusion as a critical pillar of our sustainability agenda.
“When people are excluded from basic banking services, their economic independence is limited.
“Through OFID, TGI is bridging this gap, supporting over 1,700 cocoa farmers across 92 Osun communities with the resources and knowledge needed to improve financial decision-making, build income security, and plan for long-term growth.
“For many of the beneficiaries, it was their first interaction with structured financial services.”
He added: “As part of the closing activities for the drive, over 100 cocoa farmers received Sustainability Differential (SD) payments, a financial incentive awarded to those who met traceable, responsible cocoa farming standards.
“TGI Group will continue to expand financial inclusion activities across its agricultural value chains, reinforcing its belief that farmers should be empowered not only as producers, but as active participants in shaping Nigeria’s rural economy.
A beneficiary and a farmer Oladipupo Fatai said: “Prior to this time, it has not been easy for me to manage my finances and this is my first time opening an account, so it is indeed a great privilege for me.
“Now, I have a bank account and I’ve learned how to use my phone for payments.”