Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Niger Delta have applauded the Managing Director of Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Micro Finance Bank, Abubakar Kura, for the improved funding of the agriculture sector.
The APC supporters, comprising politicians and ex-agitators from the region, under auspices of the Niger Delta APC Youth Vanguard (ND-APCYV), declared that the policy had led to an appreciable increase in the participation of local farmers and artisans in the sector.
NIRSAL was launched in 2011 and incorporated in 2013 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a dynamic, holistic public-private initiative to catalyse the flow of finance and investments into fixed agricultural value chains.
The group said despite the rising economic challenges, the Kura-led NIRSAL had work tirelessly to reposition the agricultural sector in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy of agricultural revolution.
The ND-APCYV in a statement on Tuesday by the National Coordinator, Fiawei Pathfinder and the National Secretary, Comrade A.K. Peters, applauded the NIRSAL boss for the great work and the tremendous achievements he had recorded so far on the mandate given him since he was appointed under the supervision of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The group said: “As at today, over 90 per cent of our small holder farmers across the country who were finding it difficult to access farmers’ and traders’ funds of all kinds such as artisans barbers, hairdressers, beauticians, vulcanisers, market women, fashion designers, shoe makers, are today benefiting and growing in their businesses.
“The review of the agricultural sector funding has made ordinary Nigerians smiling to their various places of business across the six geo-political zones without any stress and with the approval of President of Muhammad Buhari who cares more about the welfare and the well-being of the ordinary Nigerians.
“The programme was initiated with the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria to support most of these small scale farmers who could not gain access to this fund to support their businesses before.”
The group also noted that the economic reforms and the numerous infrastructural development policies of President Buhari had impacted positively on the people of the Niger Delta region.
