CBN, Association Inaugurates E-Naira, Targets 1m Farmers

The Association of Northern Agricultural and Allied Commodities Practitioners (ANAACOP) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has inaugurated farmers programmable money agro e-Naira engagement.

The programme targets one million farmers in Northeastern states in 2023 farming season.

The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele said in Yola, that the programme was designed to ensure food security in the region and country at large.

Digital currency

Represented by Hajiya Rakiya Muhammad, the Director Information Technology and Coordinator Naira programme of CBN, Emefiele said the e-Naira was the first digital currency to be launched in Africa and second in the world.

Emefiele congratulated the association and the beneficiaries for having the programme, explaining it will help famers to access affordable inputs for tremendous progress and transformation as the result of technology and innovation.

50 farmers

He said that currently 50 farmers were targeted to test run the programme in Adamawa.

“But by the end of the year we will scale up to one million farmers and another four million by 2024.

“So what we are doing is providing a platform where we can have accountability, transparency and make the programme efficient to encourage people who will be able to provide finance to those who need it,” said the CBN governor.

The Chairman ANAACOP, Mr Sadiq Daware commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the Anchor Borrowers Programme through the CBN.

He said that the programme would help a lot of farmers in the country and today the Naira programme would reduce intermediaries and provide easy access to credit and financial services for farmers in rural communities of Northern Nigeria.

“Today we are happy to inform all Nigerians that ANAACOP through the CBN have gotten it right to make sure that farmers, particularly the small holders farmers, will get loans at ease with little or no hitches leveraging on e-Naira programme,” he said.

Daware assured farmers that they would not regret at the end of the day.

Malam Mijinyawa Mahmudu, the Chairman, Ribadu Farmers Group, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, appreciated the Federal Government interventions in agriculture sector through CBN.

He also commended the association for coming up with the programme that have direct impact on small scale farmers.

NAN/Lateefah Ibrahim