By Abel Leonard Nzwanke/Lafia
Officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and representatives of the Nasarawa State government have met and agreed on modalities for accessing a N1.5bn credit facility to assist youths across the state in establishing agribusinesses.
Chairman of the committee set up by the state government to secure the credit facility and Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the state governor on Youths, Sports and NGOs, Yakubu Kwanta, said shortly after the meeting, at the state Ministry of Agriculture that government and the parties have agreed on the modalities for accessing the loan.
He said the government has since kick started the process of the loan disbursement, with application forms issued freely to youths from across the 13 local government areas of the state.
The SSA further disclosed that the collection of the completed forms has commenced, following which the committee will sit down and analyse critically, whether the youths that applied for the facility were qualified or not.
“Our main target are youths between the ages of 18 and 35 that are graduates of agriculture and those that are desirous of going into agriculture,” he said.
Also speaking, Akin Ogidi, Head, Development of Finance Office at the CBN Lafia branch, said the project is at the preliminary stage, with the apex bank laying out its requirements for accessing the credit facility.
Ogidi confirmed that the state government was willing to take part in the programme.
