Call for Applications: IITA/IFAD AgriHub Nigeria Project 2021 for the Unemployed Youth

The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Songhai center in Nigeria, will be implementing the AgriHub Project, directed towards realizing IFAD’s vision in empowering African youth through the establishment of a network of youth-centered Agribusiness Hubs in Nigeria.

Services offered by the Hub include;

  1. Capacity building, training and mentoring
  2. Technology transfer
  3. Technology testing, demonstration, and certification facilities
  4. International networking and collaboration
  5. Policy advocacy and market intelligence; and
  6. Links to investors and other financing sources.

The IFAD Agrihub project in Nigeria aims to create sustainable employment and income generating opportunities for young people in agriculture and related activities in Nigeria by directly reaching 3410 young men and women within five years (30% for entrepreneurial track and 70% for employment track).

Register for free on www.agrihub.youthagripreneurs.org/training-application/

Deadline for application: 27th February, 2021

Non-interest loans for farmers and MSMEs

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is set to establish a policy on non-interest loans which will be integrated in its intervention programmes especially the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) for farmers, and the Targeted Credit Facility for households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) affected by the current pandemic.

The Bank’s Director, Development Finance Department, Yila Yusuf, made these disclosures at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja to review the successes recorded so far under the ABP and the strategies for the 2020 agricultural wet season.

Furthermore, the intervention is expected to create about five million jobs down the agro-commodities value chains stimulate Nigeria’s speedy economic recovery.

So, how can MSMEs, households and farmers gain access to these non-interest loans when it is officially announced by the CBN?

One can begin by applying for the CBN interventions such as the ABP, Targeted Credit Facility, and others, because the the non-interest loans will be integrated with these programs.

To read more about the CBN interventions, visit nmfb.com.ng

FG TO DISTRIBUTE AGRICULTURAL INPUTS TO FARMERS

An endeavor has been made by the Federal Government to alleviate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food production in Nigeria, the government started the dissemination of agricultural inputs to farmers nationwide.

According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the move would enhance agricultural production and avert food scarcity in 2021.

It said in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday that the inputs distributed to smallholder farmers included various varieties of seeds of rice, maize, wheat and palm seedlings.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, inaugurated the distribution exercise in Kaduna.

He stated, “The Federal Government will continue to support smallholder farmers with relevant inputs through associations and cooperatives to ensure that the country does not experience food shortages as a result of the pandemic.

“Rice farmers through the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria will receive support worth about 270 metric tonnes and 300MT of certified seeds of FARO 66 and 300MT of foundation seeds of flood- tolerant rice varieties of FARO 66 and FARO 67.”

He added, “The ministry is also distributing 26MT of certified wheat seeds to wheat farmers, 1,350 maize production kits and 18,517Kg of Aflasafe to ensure that the maize produced is aflatoxin-free.”

Nanono said the association was expected to distribute the seeds to its members nationwide for the 2020 cropping season.

Source: https://punchng.com/fg-distributes-agricultural-inputs/

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