The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has said that the bank would collaborate with the National Agriculture Land Development Authority (NALDA) to develop integrated farms across the country.
He said the farms would provide affordable and accessible finance to farmers in Nigeria’s rural communities and provide jobs for its teeming population.
Emefiele spoke during the inauguration of the first National NALDA Integrated Farm Estate in Suduje Daura, Katsina State.
Emefiele said the bank would collaborate with the NALDA to develop integrated farms across the country, provide affordable and accessible finance to farmers in Nigeria’s rural communities and provide jobs for its teeming population.
He noted that the NALDA integrated farm estate would serve as an agricultural hub for inhabitants of the area with its wide-range of facilities to support rearing of poultry, goat and rabbit pens as well as fish ponds, crop farming areas, processing and packaging plants, storage, clinics, residential area, school, training centres, and an administrative facility.
Emefiele therefore expressed the CBN’s readiness to work with NALDA to replicate similar integrated farm projects in rural communities in order to make life more meaningful for inhabitants of those areas through the provision of affordable and accessible finance to the beneficiaries under the integrated farm programme.
During the inauguration, President Muhammadu Buhari reiterated that his administration remained committed to the goal of ensuring that Nigeria produces what Nigerians eat and eating what the country produces.
The president also restated that the government was determined to get 100 million Nigerians out of poverty during his tenure, stressing that he would continue to drive policies that will ensure food sufficiency and boost exports.
While commending the Buhari administration for resuscitating NALDA to optimally deliver on its mandate, Emefiele noted that Nigeria’s survival as a country was hinged on the resourcefulness and synergy among the government’s ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in areas of policy formulation and implementation, which he emphasised was essential to the attainment of Nigeria’s desired economic growth.
He said the apex bank would partner NALDA and explore the potential of providing affordable and accessible finance to the beneficiaries under the integrated farm programme.
This, he added, would scale up productivity and provide jobs for Nigerians. He also urged deposit money banks to support the NALDA mandate, which he noted aligned with the developmental priorities of the CBN.
Culled from http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2021/07/23/cbn-to-partner-nalda-on-farms/
