600 Niger State farmers to get interest-free loans

MINNA, Niger State, Nigeria — The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Niger State Government, plans to provide interest-free loans of ₦300,000 each to 600 small-scale farmers in the state, a total disbursement of ₦180 million.

The initiative is being implemented through the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, under the National Social Investment Programme Agency. The National Programme Manager of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, Hamza Baba, disclosed the plan on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Minna, during the start of the FarmerMoni enumeration exercise and the training of programme desk officers from the state’s 25 local government areas.

Baba said each eligible farmer would repay the loan within one year, with repayment expected to begin six months after farming activities start. The loans are intended to help farmers buy agricultural inputs, expand production and improve their livelihoods. The support covers crop cultivation, poultry, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture.

Beneficiaries will be identified, registered and verified before the funds are released. Registration requires digital photographs, biometric information, National Identification Numbers, verified farm locations and details of the agricultural activities farmers are engaged in. Registration is handled through designated desk officers.

Baba said the programme would work with the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, the Agricultural Development Programme and local government officials to monitor how the loans are used and repaid.

The Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Ibrahim Inga, described the initiative as complementing existing poverty reduction programmes in the state. He said the involvement of relevant stakeholders would make the process transparent and ensure that only genuine farmers benefit.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Investment Programmes, Hauwa Mohammed, said desk officers had been equipped with tablets to capture farmers’ details and farmland locations, which would help prevent fictitious beneficiaries from receiving loans.

The initiative is part of wider federal efforts to expand agricultural financing for small-scale producers. In March 2026, the Federal Government approved a ₦250 billion facility for the Bank of Agriculture to provide loans to smallholder farmers at single-digit interest rates. In September, the Nigeria Commodity Exchange and the Bank of Agriculture launched a price guarantee scheme targeting 500,000 farmers in its first phase, with plans to expand to two million beneficiaries. The Federal Government and the Bank of Agriculture also introduced a financing programme aimed at raising annual grain output from about 11 million tonnes to 25 million tonnes.

The Niger State scheme differs from those programmes in that it offers interest-free loans to a targeted group of 600 farmers.