Nigerian Farmers’ Cooperative Societies (NANFACOS) has expressed concern over the practice whereby real farmers are often sidelined on the issue of agricultural funding and other related matters in Nigeria.
“It is a known fact that agricultural funding and materials from government most times do not get to the targeted farmers; it is been taken by portfolio farmers.”
Speaking to newsmen today, November 26 in Abuja, the President of the group, Nwogwugwu Uzoma
Uzoma, appealed to the Federal Government to support the group to gain access to credit facilities, land and vehicles.
He said that these would assist the government in stimulating the gains of agriculture in the country.
Uzoma asked the government to persuade the state governments to make at least 1,000 hectares of land available for agricultural activities in every state of the Federation.
The president said that NANFACOS would create a difference between cooperative farmers and ordinary farmers in Nigeria, as well as have good book-keeping programme to assist the farmers in business.
According to him, the cooperative is made up of 127, 000 registered farmers with a conglomerate of over 68 million individuals and practising cooperative farmers across the country.
Uzoma said that the cooperative has been able to visit funding agencies like ministries, parastatals, banks, and non-governmental organisations to negotiate for the funding of agribusiness.
”Those visited include Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministries of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Others are Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, Nigeria Incentive-Based, Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending , and Bank of Agriculture.”
NANFACOS was given official recognition via its registration by the Federal Department of Cooperatives at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2019, in accordance with the Nigeria Cooperative Societies Act.
Source: NAN.
