Senator Barau Commits N2.79billion To Agricultural Revolution In Northwest 

The loan as explained by Senator Barau  to journalists on Thursday in Abuja, aims at raising 558 young farmers’  millionaires across the Seven States  on the basis of 69 from Kaduna State, 132 from Kano , 63 from Kebbi , 102 from  Katsina , 81 from Jigawa, 69 from  Sokoto and 42 from Zamfara .

Senator Barau who was represented by his Special Adviser on Policy and Monitoring , Professor Bashir Muhammad Fagge , said under the  programme  tagged: “Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN)”, three young farmers will be selected from each of the 186 local government areas of the seven states .

Each beneficiary according to him,  will receive N5 million to invest in farming during this season.

The total sum of N2.79 billion will be disbursed to the beneficiaries.

“Food security is paramount and at the top of the agenda of progressive nations globally. Without it, you are insecure at the individual, family, local government, state, and country levels.

“If you recall, decades ago, the North, especially the North West, was our country’s food basket, producing most of the agricultural products for consumption by the people nationwide and even for export to our neighbouring countries.

However, that has become history.

“To change the narrative and harness the enormous arable land across the seven North West states, I have developed the initiative of empowering 558 young farmers in the North West geopolitical zone for the first phase of the programme.

“The Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN) programme aims to use the vast arable land in the geopolitical zone to restore its agricultural prominence and achieve food security. 

“My foundation, the Barau I Jibrin Foundation (BIJF), is partnering with a relevant national financial institution to implement this programme.

“It will interest you to know that we have had a series of meetings with the institution’s management. Arrangements for the project’s launch are almost complete.

 “The initiative’s targeted April this year to launch fully, ahead of this year’s farming season”.

Under the BIARN, three young farmers “will be selected from each of the 186 local government areas of the seven states that comprise the North West geopolitical zone—Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara.

“Each selected beneficiary will receive an interest-free N5 million loan to invest in farming during this year’s cropping season.

The sum of N2.79 billion will be disbursed to the beneficiaries.

“The beneficiaries of this scheme would be guided in cultivating maize and rice crops.

This would essentially boost the desired yield of the two crops, reduce the cost of food items, and enhance food security in the zone and nationwide.

“The central concept behind this scheme is to revolutionise agricultural production in northwestern Nigeria by empowering youths with a background in agriculture”, he said .