The Federal Government has launched the GEEP 3.0 FarmerMoni initiative in the South-East as part of efforts to support smallholder farmers, improve food production and reduce poverty across rural communities.
The launch took place in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, during the Renewed Hope FarmerMoni South-East Media Sensitisation and Stakeholders’ Engagement organised by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Government.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, said the programme was designed to provide interest-free financial support to farmers to help them expand their farming activities and improve productivity.
The minister, who was represented by the National Programme Manager of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Alhaji Hazmat Baba, described FarmerMoni as one of the Federal Government’s major intervention programmes under the Renewed Hope agenda.
According to him, the initiative would also create opportunities for beneficiaries to access bigger loans after repayment.
“Beneficiaries who repay successfully will qualify for larger credit facilities through partnerships with the Bank of Agriculture and NIRSAL,” he said.
He noted that the programme was aimed at strengthening food security while creating economic opportunities for rural farmers and low-income households.
Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, represented by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Ikeuwa Omebe, said the state government remained committed to improving the welfare of residents through agriculture and human capital development programmes.
He said the partnership with the Federal Government would further support ongoing efforts to transform rural communities and empower farmers across the state.
Also speaking, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Mrs Ann Aligwe, disclosed that more than 18,000 smallholder farmers in the state were expected to benefit from the programme.
She explained that each beneficiary would receive N300,000 to support farming activities and improve agricultural output.
Mrs Aligwe advised beneficiaries to use the funds strictly for farming purposes and avoid diverting the loans to other activities.
She said proper use of the funds would help farmers increase profits, improve their standard of living and contribute to food production in the country, Nigeria Startup News (NSN) reports.
