By Awyetu Asabe Hope
About ₦9 billion has been disbursed to farmers and agribusinesses in Nigeria’s Northwest over the past eight years to improve access to finance in the agricultural sector, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has said.
The Cluster Coordinator, Transformation of Agric-Food System at GIZ, Andrea Ruediger, disclosed this during the close-out of the Global Project: Promotion of Agricultural Finance for Agric-based Enterprises in Rural Areas, held in Kano.
Ruediger explained that the project, funded by the German government, was designed to link financial institutions with agribusinesses through demand-driven advisory services and improved access to suitable financial products.
She noted that the initiative was implemented across Kano, Kaduna, and Kebbi states to tackle challenges in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, including population growth, climate change, land degradation, market inefficiencies, and limited access to finance.
According to her, the project, which had a budget of €8 million, successfully facilitated €42 million (about ₦9 billion) in commercial loans to farmers and agribusinesses.
“These are all commercial credits.
There was no preferential or concessionary finance and no grants were given.
It was purely based on sound business models, training, and financial product development,” she said.
Ruediger added that all loans disbursed under the programme had been fully repaid, enabling beneficiaries to sustain and expand their businesses.
She also highlighted the development of 22 financial products by 11 financial institutions to support key value chains, including rice, maize, and Irish potato production.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, represented by Dr. Aliyu Ochonomo, commended the long-standing partnership with GIZ, which dates back to 1974.
Ochonomo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening collaborations aimed at achieving food security under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Also speaking, Kano State Commissioner for Livestock Development, represented by Dr. Abubakar Sani Inuwa, said the state had benefited significantly from the project and urged beneficiaries to sustain the gains.
Dr. Jamilu Abdullahi of the Nigerian Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, disclosed that over 5,000 farmers were trained under the initiative.
He added that more than 30,000 farmers accessed finance through the project, with 87 per cent of beneficiaries located in Kano, Kaduna, and Kebbi states.
Abdullahi stressed that although the project is ending, efforts to strengthen agricultural financing and agribusiness development should continue.
Key implementing partners included the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Agriculture (Nigeria), Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation, Jaiz Bank, First City Monument Bank, Wema Bank, Access Bank, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, and the Food and Agriculture Organization, alongside several microfinance banks and state governments.
