As part of efforts to ensure that there is no miscarriage in progamme of the
federal government to bring about massive food production from this year,
the government is undertaking training for people along the value chain.
The latest training was started in Jigawa State, one of the states involved in
the dry season farming with official supports to boost the activities of
farmers. In the training spearheaded by the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk
Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), no fewer than 1,016
agricultural extension agents and farmer cluster leaders have benefitted.
The training done recently at the state Polytechnic Dutse, in the state
capital, was to enable participants get educated on new techniques to
improve farm yields and on how to use the farm inputs given them by
government agencies, and also pass the knowledge down to other farmers
and groups. The training was organised under the National Agricultural
Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) was done in conjunction with
Jigawa state government.
Abbas Umar, Managing Director, NIRSAL who was represented by
Suleimen Ibrahim, the leader of the training briefed newsmen at the training
that part of the objectives of the workshop was to educate the participants
on the need for groupings.
“A total of 355 extension agents and 706 farmer cluster leaders from
Kiyawa, Birnin Kudu, Ringim, Hadejia, and Kazaure took part in the first
phase of the training sessions, held in four of the five emirates of the state.
NIRSAL, which was established to de-risk agriculture and facilitate
commercial finance for agribusiness in Nigeria played that role in the
disbursement of the ANCHOR Borrowers programme, now being
investigated for alleged fraud under the last dispensation. So far the body
has not been directly indicted by the investigating body on the alleged fraud
over which some yet unidentified persons are said to have refunded
money.
In the message sent to the event, Umar said, “It (NIRSAL) has developed
several models for de-risking primary production in what it considers, the
upstream segment of the agricultural value chain. This is against the
backdrop of banks’ aversion to financing primary production because of the
inherent risks.”
He explained that the participants are expected to transmit the knowledge
gained along with the training materials received to the members of their
respective clusters. Umar said the federal government has provided the
needed leadership for the ending of food insecurity in Nigeria, but that the
relevant bodies, groups and the farming population must collaborate to
enhance these official efforts for the good of all. Here, according to him,
NIRSAL will play its part and give support to farmers. That, he said, was
what informed the decision of the agency to collaborate with other
stakeholders to train and follow up on the farmers.
He said, “Federal Government has done precisely what it should, it has
communicated its vision for food security in Nigeria, provided leadership,
and is committing resources to back its vision. On our part, we are showing
our readiness to support Jigawa state, and all other states, to walk the talk
of the government. We are contributing our expertise by preparing these
extension agents and farmers to make success out of this collective
endeavour for Jigawa’s and Nigeria’s sakes,”
That noble step is not lost on the government of Jigawa State. Muttaka
Namadi, Commissioner for Agriculture in the state commended NIRSAL for
its commitment to the state’s wheat project, expressing the hope that the
support would enhance the success of the project.
