Fulani herdsmen attack may frustrate repayment of CBN’s ABP loans
Strong indications have started to emerge suggesting that many of the rural farmers who accessed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) of the bank have started finding it difficult to pay back considering push-backs by herders’ invasion of farmlands.
Only recently, the Governor of the CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, said the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme of the bank shows the need for all stakeholders to sustain current efforts by the bank to galvanise agricultural production to meet the requirements of Nigeria’s growing population.
Giving further insights in Zauro, Kebbi State on Tuesday during the inauguration of the 2020 wet season harvest aggregation and 2020 dry season input distribution under the CBN-Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, as part of the fifth anniversary of the ABP. He noted that 2.92 million farmers cultivating 3.64 million hectares across 21 commodities through 23 participating financial institutions had been financed in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory from inception till date. These were contained in a statement from the CBN on Tuesday tilted ‘Emefiele charges Nigerians to enhance agric’. He noted that Nigeria was naturally blessed to meet its food requirement and had no reason to continually repeat the mistake of neglecting agriculture. Emefiele said, “The rhetoric around neglect of previous years will remain part of our history and the best time to correct those mistakes is now, and every stakeholder must contribute their quota to guarantee the realisation of these national targets.
