Hi fellow green revolutionists,

The future of Nigeria and the world at large is in our palms. This thread is for all those who have been calling me and for those who have been wondering how to access government-subsidised agric loans.

One of the first issues I have always had cause to address is the fact that government does not directly give loans in any form. What government does is to identify different categories of financial institutions to channel and champion the policy of agri-finance.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) being the apex financial institution has the principal responsibility of developing the policy framework upon which agri-finance products are built and made accessible to the sector players. There are three major agri-finance products that an agri-preneur can take advantage of, namely the Micro, Small, Medium-Scale Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF), Commercial Agric Credit Scheme (CACS), and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

Take time out to download and peruse the eligibility criteria. In my few years as a Food Security Consultant/ Agri-Business Developer, I have cause to always emphasise to clients that whatever agri-finance product you apply for, it is a credit. It is not a windfall. It is not a grant. Hence, it should be approached with the maximum degree of seriousness, leverage, credibility and corporate weight.

Every agri-finance application like any other credit facility application goes through the intensely critical and imperative phase of Credit Risk Analysis (CRA). This CRA is the litmus test of the entire transaction. There are 5Cs that generally guide credit analysis, namely: Character, Capacity, Condition, Collateral and Capital.

Your application will go through every crucible of each of these 5Cs, before the bank can decide your full eligibility and competence to handle such credit.

As young agri-preneurs, this is a long shot. And the odds are skewed mostly against us. But we can painstakingly with doggedness and tenacity build through each 'C' to the point that no bank will say 'No' to us.

I am not much of a writer. I am more of a speaker, hence I am actually thinking of packaging an agri-business chat, not a seminar please. It will be in Lagos hopefully before the year runs out and then in Abuja by next year. We will be privileged to have some Heads of Agri-finance and Senior Executives of some commercial banks. It will be in form of a brunch. Ideas and resources will go a long way in making it happen. Please ensure that you are well packaged intellectually and in person to attend. Remember, you are addressed the way you are dressed. This is not about clothing, but about personal presentability and civility.

The major purpose of this meeting will be to:
- demystify agri-finance lending from the bank's perspective.
- access the challenges of prospective applicants in the agri-finance lending process.
- examine the S-W-O-T which applicants can leverage on or need to mitigate towards a successful agri-finance lending process.

The meeting does not involve any immediate application processes. It does not guarantee any favors or leverage should at any point an attendee feels bold enough to take the step at actually applying for an agric credit facility. The veritable edge you have is the knowledge acquired.

It is purely a learning process. Thomas Edison learnt how not to make the electric bulb several hundreds of time. We are in the twenty-first century, you don't have that luxury of time. Learn now to succeed later.

Prospective stakeholders in Lagos and Abuja should add me on whatsapp. Let's start by discussing how to make this a reality.

Thank you.

Signed

Mykellio
08032615423

Nice one