600 Farmers in Niger to Get Interest-Free Loans

The Niger State Government has announced that 600 farmers in the state will receive interest-free loans through the federal government’s FarmerMoni scheme.

Bologi Ibrahim, who is the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Mohammed Bago, shared this news in a statement on Wednesday. He mentioned that farmers will be chosen from all 25 local government areas in the state.

This scheme is part of a larger initiative called the Renewed Hope Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, or GEEP 3.0. This federal program aims to support smallholder farmers, artisans, market women, and petty traders with financial assistance.

According to the statement, the federal government plans to reach around five million beneficiaries across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas by the year 2027.

The state government noted that its Social Investment Programmes Office is collaborating with the National Social Investment Programme Agency, or NSIPA. They have started preparing for the programme by training GEEP desk officers from all 25 local government areas.

This training will help officers identify, register, and verify farmers using digital data collection. They will collect personal information and details about farm locations.

Hauwa Mohammed, the governor’s Special Adviser on Social Investment Programmes and the state’s NSIP focal person, said this exercise is crucial. It will make sure that the intervention reaches the right farmers.

Still, the government has not revealed how much money each farmer will receive, the repayment period, or what the eligibility requirements are. They also did not say when the disbursement will start or how they will select the 600 beneficiaries from the larger group of farmers.