From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The National Agro Allied Commodities Cooperatives Services, has announced a partnership with the World Bank to launch a six-year food security programme worth $500 million in Nigeria.
National President General, Queen Hajarat Adeyeye, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, explained that part of the plan was to offer loan facilities to small holders farmers across the country.
She stated that the loan would enable farmers across the country to contribute to food security and become self-sufficient in food production and thanked President Bola Tinubu, whom she said, has been magnanimous in approving the empowerment scheme for farmers in the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory.
She also applauded the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari and the Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture, for the urgent consideration and approval for the release of funds to enable early disbursement.
“All these interventions are part of efforts being made by the Tinubu-led administration to create employment and boost food security. It is worthy to note that the Bola Tinubu administration, through the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, has been instrumental in implementing various initiatives to boost food security and agricultural production in Nigeria.
“Some of the key initiatives include; Distribution of 42,000 metric tons of grains to states nationwide, Release of 58,500 metric tons of milled rice to stabilize the market,” she said.
Adeyeye, therefore, urged registered farmers, producers, processors, packagers, marketers, agro input, suppliers, produce buyers and consumers groups in the agricultural agro-allied value chain system to go and open accounts with the closest branch of the Bank of Agriculture.
“Our major focus is youths, women, adults and less privileged people that are able,”the Queen added.
Similarly, she announced that an Agro-Allied Industrial University of Technology, would be established in Queen City, Ilu Ajerowaye, via Afin – Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria, to mechanised farming for food security and sufficiency.
According to her, “The university covers a geo-agro space of 500 hectares of already surveyed land and other benefits include eradication of youth unemployment, wealth generation through agricultural business and related matters, enhance self-employment, promote job creation, facilitate good leadership, and provide food sufficiency through modernized technology and international food exposure to marketability on acceptability through training by experts in relevant fields of Agro – allied commodities cooperative in value chain system endeavors.”