Niger Foods, AGRA, and Financial Institutions Conduct Financial Literacy Training for Over 200 Smallholder Farmers in Minna
By Rashida Abdul Rahman.
Niger Foods, under the leadership of Chairman Mr. Sammy Adigun, in collaboration with AGRA Niger State Project Officer Mr. Godswill Aguiy and seven financial institutions, organized a comprehensive one-day financial literacy training session for smallholder farmers in Minna on Thursday.
This initiative aligns with the vision of Niger State Governor, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago, to foster sustainable and inclusive agricultural development across the state. By enhancing farmers’ financial literacy and facilitating connections to formal financial systems, the program seeks to boost productivity, resilience, and access to vital financial services.
The training equipped smallholder farmers with essential financial management skills, including financial planning, budgeting, responsible borrowing, assessing financial services, building trust in financial institutions, saving, investing, risk management, and improving creditworthiness. The session was led by Zenith Bank in Minna.
Participating institutions such as FCMB, The Alternative Bank, Jaiz Bank, LAPO Microfinance Bank, and FUT Microfinance Bank introduced tailored financial products, including crop and livestock loans, mechanization financing, solar pump loans, and warehouse receipt financing. Several unbanked farmers seized the opportunity to open bank accounts during the event.
Niger Foods emphasized that collaboration with financial institutions will lead to the development of farmer-friendly financial products with flexible repayment schedules aligned with agricultural cycles, thereby enhancing financial inclusion and support for smallholder farmers.
