Barau, BOA partner to empower 558 farmers

The Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West, an initiative of the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bank of Agriculture to empower 558 young and mid-level farmers in the North-West region.

The partnership aims to create a new generation of young, successful and rich farmers.

Under the scheme, each beneficiary will receive a loan of up to N5m to cultivate maize or rice with high yields and proven high-profit margins.

This was made known in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir.

Present at the signing ceremony, held at the National Assembly, were Senator Jibrin; the BIARN team led by Prof Bashir Fagge; and the BOA delegation led by its Managing Director, Alwan Hassan.

Speaking at the ceremony, Barau said the initiative supports food security and youth empowerment in the country.

He said: “One of the cardinal programs of this administration is boosting agriculture and providing food for the citizens of this country.

“It is in line with this that I decided to bring forward this initiative. It is an avenue to provide jobs for our teeming youths to become agricultural entrepreneurs because the intention, apart from providing food, is to make successful millionaires out of our teeming youths who are unemployed.”

He emphasised that beneficiaries will be youths, including holders of HND, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and PhD, who are currently unemployed.

Barau commended the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture for his dedication to the scheme.

“I also want to use the opportunity to commend Mr. President for boosting the capital base of the Bank of Agriculture by N1.5trn. This demonstrates Mr. President’s resolve to enhance agriculture in this country. Mr. President is serious. He has a passion to turn around the agricultural fortunes of this country for the better,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the MD of BOA assured Senator Barau that his initiative on the loan scheme would be well implemented and coordinated.

“BOA is very happy with the initiative to revolutionise Agriculture in the Northwest geopolitical zone and raise 558 young farmers millionaires in the area of Maize and Rice cultivation,” he said.