In appreciation and an attempt at encouraging a budding entrepreneur, the Ogun State government, under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun, has unveiled 20 year-old Oludamilola Ogunbanjo of Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state as a rice farming ambassador.
Recall that early in 2020, the state government had partnered with the apex bank in the country, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to address issues limiting farmers’ productivity.
Ogunbanjo, lashing on to this, got busy on her farm and applied for Rice Production Enterprise Anchor Borrowers Programme and the rest, as they say, was history.
Today, Wednesday, 15th July, 2020, she joyfully received her inputs at a ceremony flagged off by the governor and she was optimistic of a pleasant farming experience.
According to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, the state government was interested in her progress and would ensure close monitoring to ensure successful farming.
“We’re interested in your harvest and as you take your inputs today, we would follow up on you. I congratulate you for making it and I wish you happy farming,” he said.
During a town hall meeting after a systematic review of the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers initiative to increase farmer’s productivity and value addition, Dr. Odedina noted that the meeting was held to work out modalities by which loans granted by CBN and other financial institutions would be judiciously invested in agriculture.
This, it was hoped, would create the enabling environment and other incentives, while National Commodity Association would be involved in ensuring that farmers are linked to credit, inputs and ready markets.
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