Every newspaper, radio and whatever medium they could use is all about empowering youth in agriculture.
How many youths has benefitted from the one million programmes that the so called federal government claimed to have created.
We don't need to be told, we want to feel the effect. We want to see the factories/companies that are built, the processors that producing
The Nigeria population is over 160 million, out of which 100 million are youths.
80% of the youth population are either jobless, partially employed, casual workers, arm robbers, arm dealers, prostitutes etc.
Yet, the government is working, spending billions to create jobs that are non existing.
Enough of all this propaganda.
Could you believe that a youth empowerment programme that has been in the closet for several years is just surfacing two months to another election year.
Our youth are so gullible. Just buy sweets for them and they will forget their names. They will always remain the babies.
Obviously we gets the type of leaders we deserve.
Until the youths grow up, let the politicians keep buying sweets for them

Some people will argue using youwin. After all some people has won. Yes its true.
But lets check some figures
We assume we have about 100 million youths in Nigeria. 80% of which are jobless.
That means we have 80 million unemployed. What percentage has you win empowered?
How many youwin winners are better off after 2 years?
A one eyed man become the king in a blind mans village
Enough of all the propagandas

The immigration job scam will always be fresh in the mind of those that lost one relative or the other.
It was swept under the carpet. For a second, imagining if it were to be you or one of your brothers and sisters or probably one of your cousin.
I am very sure what came to your mind immediately is "God forbid" .
The lost souls has no chance or opportunity to think so.
Yet nobody get punished for that. Its business as usual. Its just one of those things.
I learnt people should visit the ministry of agric closer to them to register. What happens to all the other registration we have ever done.
In 2013, I registered for the GES scheme propaganda in Ogun State. I got an SMS to buy cassava cuttings and fertilizers at a certain address.
I went to locate the supposed address but lo and behold, the address is non existing. We searched and searched the whole of Abeokuta but the distribution centre could not be found.
These are just to mention a few. I can keep on and on
The truth remains that our Federal Government are noise makers.

If i've the power to kill. .I will kill all naija leaders.

Is not that FG are not empowering youths but selfish leaders incharge are swallowing the cash that suppose to circulate.

In this corrupt nation you can't benefit 4rm any government stuff if you don't knw somebody that knw someone on TOP.

Naija no get future. . .

Rich are getting richer.
Poor are getting poorer.

Thunder fire all our selfish & corrupt leaders. Old fools

Without bias, this has been the most agriculture friendly government in the history of Nigeria. The interest Nigerians have taken in Agriculture is unprecedented.

I started an Agribusiness firm under this administration and as a direct result of Adesina's policies and we are running business worth millions of dollars in less than 2 years of operating.

If you attended Agra Innovate held last month in Lagos, you would have met with a host of young Agribusiness entrepreneurs who are pushing the limits of Agriculture. Majority of them attest to the fact that GEJ/Adesina's policies remain one of the key motivating factors.

The opportunities in Agriculture have been made more visible by this administration. The recently concluded YABDI you guys held in Ogbomosho is a testament. The fact that we have a very active agriculture board is a testament.

This government might have failed in security, Anti corruption and a host other areas, but to say it has failed in Agriculture would be utterly dishonest.

PapaBrowne:
Without bias, this has been the most agriculture friendly government in the history of Nigeria. The interest Nigerians have taken in Agriculture is unprecedented.
I started an Agribusiness firm under this administration and as a direct result of Adesina's policies and we are running business worth millions of dollars in less than 2 years of operating.
If you attended Agra Innovate held last month in Lagos, you would have met with a host of young Agribusiness entrepreneurs who are pushing the limits of Agriculture. Majority of them attest to the fact that GEJ/Adesina's policies remain one of the key motivating factors.
The opportunities in Agriculture have been made more visible by this administration. The recently concluded YABDI you guys held in Ogbomosho is a testament. The fact that we have a very active agriculture board is a testament.
This government might have failed in security, Anti corruption and a host other areas, but to say it has failed in Agriculture would be utterly dishonest.

Hmmmnn
I was almost carried away by your sweet words and accolade for the federal government until I get to the part where you mentioned YABDI.
Please categorically give me one area or aspect where YABDI has benefited or is a testament of the GEJ/Adesina's working?
Since I know most of the in and out of YABDi, and knows what you wrote is wrong.
That means the same principle could be applied to every thing you have stated above.
My question is "Which parent will claim to be successful when he/she has 10 children and only one is successful?".
The fact still remains that the Federal Government Agricultural policies for the Nigerian youth are scams and propaganda.
Billions are continuously wasted creating non existing job.
Another one, 99% of the acclaimed beneficiaries are either linked through one connection or the other.
The Federal Government/Agriculture sector has performed woefully considering the amount that has been squandered except you are telling me that 5% in an exam is an excellent mark.

PapaBrowne:
Without bias, this has been the most agriculture friendly government in the history of Nigeria. The interest Nigerians have taken in Agriculture is unprecedented.

I started an Agribusiness firm under this administration and as a direct result of Adesina's policies and we are running business worth millions of dollars in less than 2 years of operating.

If you attended Agra Innovate held last month in Lagos, you would have met with a host of young Agribusiness entrepreneurs who are pushing the limits of Agriculture. Majority of them attest to the fact that GEJ/Adesina's policies remain one of the key motivating factors.

The opportunities in Agriculture have been made more visible by this administration. The recently concluded YABDI you guys held in Ogbomosho is a testament. The fact that we have a very active agriculture board is a testament.

This government might have failed in security, Anti corruption and a host other areas, but to say it has failed in Agriculture would be utterly dishonest.

Hello papa brown,
Good morning, kindly state what or processes involved in accessing any of this government claimed agriculture funds?
I was at the federal ministry of agriculture Ogun state on Wednesday but I was told they know nothing about it. I drove down to lagos same story
Someone should tell us were and what to do.

PapaBrowne:
Without bias, this has been the most agriculture friendly government in the history of Nigeria. The interest Nigerians have taken in Agriculture is unprecedented.

I started an Agribusiness firm under this administration and as a direct result of Adesina's policies and we are running business worth millions of dollars in less than 2 years of operating.

If you attended Agra Innovate held last month in Lagos, you would have met with a host of young Agribusiness entrepreneurs who are pushing the limits of Agriculture. Majority of them attest to the fact that GEJ/Adesina's policies remain one of the key motivating factors.

The opportunities in Agriculture have been made more visible by this administration. The recently concluded YABDI you guys held in Ogbomosho is a testament. The fact that we have a very active agriculture board is a testament.

This government might have failed in security, Anti corruption and a host other areas, but to say it has failed in Agriculture would be utterly dishonest.

Well and rightly stated..

jethro2:
The immigration job scam will always be fresh in the mind of those that lost one relative or the other.
It was swept under the carpet. For a second, imagining if it were to be you or one of your brothers and sisters or probably one of your cousin.
I am very sure what came to your mind immediately is "God forbid" .
The lost souls has no chance or opportunity to think so.
Yet nobody get punished for that. Its business as usual. Its just one of those things.
I learnt people should visit the ministry of agric closer to them to register. What happens to all the other registration we have ever done.
In 2013, I registered for the GES scheme propaganda in Ogun State. I got an SMS to buy cassava cuttings and fertilizers at a certain address.
I went to locate the supposed address but lo and behold, the address is non existing. We searched and searched the whole of Abeokuta but the distribution centre could not be found.
These are just to mention a few. I can keep on and on
The truth remains that our Federal Government are noise makers.

I have no interest in politics,and i am not a card carrying member of any political party in Nigeria with no political undertone or bias.... with what i have seen people benefits and as well benefited from the transformational agenda of Pres. Jonathan in the agricultural sector,i can say he is better off than the previous administration.

Even Fmr Pres. Obasanjo (a farmer) like us have not been able to achieve during his tenure what this man have achieve in the agric sector.

Do you know how many foreign agric establishments,commercial farms, processors that have invested heavily in this sector (you might not be seeing the effect right now but the impact is sure to be felt in 2-3years to come).

This is the first time i will hear someone say the GES scheme is a scam when i have withness the lives of many farmers changed through this scheme.

Since 1999 that we have withness democracy,i can say this government have the best performance in the agric sector.

Although a lot still needed to be done by the government in the agricultural sector and i would not want to.give the FG 100%, it will be shear lies to say this government have not performed in this sector.

I like when people want to prove me wrong to states facts. I still stand on the fact that the federal agricultural stuff are propagandas
What I meant by facts is give me names, figures, places, etc which can be confirmed and not generalize. I am a doubting Thomas. I only believe what I see
Until then, whatever you claim, writes or prove are still propagandas as far as I am concern

Lesgupnigeria:

I have no interest in politics,and i am not a card carrying member of any political party in Nigeria with no political undertone or bias.... with what i have seen people benefits and as well benefited from the transformational agenda of Pres. Jonathan in the agricultural sector,i can say he is better off than the previous administration.
Even Fmr Pres. Obasanjo (a farmer) like us have not been able to achieve during his tenure what this man have achieve in the agric sector.
Do you know how many foreign agric establishments,commercial farms, processors that have invested heavily in this sector (you might not be seeing the effect right now but the impact is sure to be felt in 2-3years to come).
This is the first time i will hear someone say the GES scheme is a scam when i have withness the lives of many farmers changed through this scheme.
Since 1999 that we have withness democracy,i can say this government have the best performance in the agric sector.
Although a lot still needed to be done by the government in the agricultural sector and i would not want to.give the FG 100%, it will be shear lies to say this government have not performed in this sector.

world1:

Hello papa brown,
Good morning, kindly state what or processes involved in accessing any of this government claimed agriculture funds?
I was at the federal ministry of agriculture Ogun state on Wednesday but I was told they know nothing about it. I drove down to lagos same story
Someone should tell us were and what to do.

You have been meeting the wrong govt officials... I think first thing should be to belong to a cooperative, make representations to bank of agric and d rest.

Drive back to Alausa, go to the perm sec of agric' office and ask of Mr. Akiola. He will better inform u.

jethro2:
Every newspaper, radio and whatever medium they could use is all about empowering youth in agriculture.
How many youths has benefitted from the one million programmes that the so called federal government claimed to have created.
We don't need to be told, we want to feel the effect. We want to see the factories/companies that are built, the processors that producing
The Nigeria population is over 160 million, out of which 100 million are youths.
80% of the youth population are either jobless, partially employed, casual workers, arm robbers, arm dealers, prostitutes etc.
Yet, the government is working, spending billions to create jobs that are non existing.
Enough of all this propaganda.
Could you believe that a youth empowerment programme that has been in the closet for several years is just surfacing two months to another election year.
Our youth are so gullible. Just buy sweets for them and they will forget their names. They will always remain the babies.
Obviously we gets the type of leaders we deserve.
Until the youths grow up, let the politicians keep buying sweets for them

You are just talking nonsense.

1) You don't know the number of unemployed but employable youths.
2) Programs such as YEAP (the one you are referring to) require vast amounts of funding and when you are getting such money from the World Bank and other development partners, it takes a lot of lobbying and negotiations, because there are other countries seeking for such funds as well.
3) This is the first time we are having a technocrat as Agric minister. A man who graduated with First Class Honours for his Bachelors, Masters and PhD from Agric Economics, who after having had wonderful stints abroad, came back to Nigeria and has effectively broken the back of the fertilizer racketeering and rice importation which previous agric ministers were all supporting.
4) Effectively checkmated the stranglehold of the Vaswani Brothers on the rice industry in Nigeria by promoting FADAMA rice paddy farming in the core Northern states using state of the art irrigation techniques in those states that have been hammered by desertification.
5) For the first time, we have programs that are targeted at youths in this country. Can you point to any government that has done this in the past? Mind you, I was very much alive and a teenager during Buhari's first time in office from December 31st 1983 to August 27, 1985, and I know everything that happened in that government, including how ministers like Umaru Dikko were given import licenses for importation of rice and other ESSENCOs. Now he thinks some of us have forgotten and he has come again to continue from his misrule. In case you don't know, there was mass jubilation on the streets when he was toppled by IBB because the economy was in ruins.
5) For the first time, funds are being created to help people get into agriculture. Granted, there is problem with access to those funds but the Bank of Industry has recently engaged several companies that will work with business to make their proposals and business structure more bankable, and Bank of Agric is going to do same.
6) I want to ask you: have you ever stepped into any office of the Bank of Agric to know what they have for you? I guess you don't know.
7) Do you know the offices of the 13 river basin authorities in Nigeria? Do you know their function?

Rather than people like you to sit in your house making assumptions (how did you come about 100 million figure for unemployed youths..), you should actually take the time to look at what is going on in your country. Those YEAP guys who gave their testimonies at the program launch did not fall from space. They researched, got info and acted on it. You should too instead of blaming a government that has done more for agric than any other govt in history.

hmmmmm Tanoids on duty well done.

Johnnyessence:
hmmmmm Tanoids on duty well done.

My brother, I am not a TANoid. I am not a member of any political party. I only believe in giving credit to whom it is due. In terms of fighting corruption and terrorism, I rank GEJ's government very low. But in terms of youth empowerment and agricultural transformation, I have to award them very high marks.

Those who think Buhari is the messiah we are waiting for are badly mistaken. Money got missing from out coffers when he was petroleum minister. Who has ever probed how contracts were awarded under PTF when he was there? Has he ever declared his assets? Someone who can say Abacha was not corrupt with all the stolen monies being recovered left right and centre cannot be the messiah. When he was Head of State, what legacy did he leave behind for Nigerian youths? I will list some:

a) Buhari stopped the compulsory feeding of Nigerian students in the university.
b) He stopped the building of new hostels in the university.

You want me to name more?

I fully concur! Yesterday, I was at Kaduna Central Market To buy rice and as a patriotic citizen, I demanded for rice milled in the country. None was available! After going round, I have to buy imported one. So where are the rice we produce in this country? The rice that stopped importation of foreign rice? Propaganda!

we ought to know that Gej government is a propaganda government no provision of loans to d farmers during GMB era a lot of local farmers build their houses then so stop spreading ur lies as usual as ur clueless President is behaving at d center Tanoids are thieves.to borrow money from bank of agriculture is a long task we av to sacrifice a lot of things Gej and his excos has embezzle our government treasury which is bad .a lot of prototype is here from our young agric farmers but nothing to show of,it's very worse we av Gej as our president a zoologist that failed to prepare.Gej has failed on every side even in agriculture sector he has failed us.

there a lot of agriculture graduates that come out with second class upper and lower division but place to place to practice their area of specialization only for them to be creating blog site around just to be receiving money in their acct.this is bad and unfair from Gej government. where's d ofada rice nothing to show for it only for them to be scamming about ofada rice production this is bad from them oooooooo. we need young breed in agricultural sector not d looted old belly people we av in agriculture sector only for them to embezzle our treasury acct they will surely give acct to God on what they do when they were in government.

brixton:



You have been meeting the wrong govt officials... I think first thing should be to belong to a cooperative, make representations to bank of agric and d rest.

Drive back to Alausa, go to the perm sec of agric' office and ask of Mr. Akiola. He will better inform u.

OK.
Well am a kingmaker in Agri-Business and I have thousands of result to show for it. Cooperative is for starters not for someone like me am into bigger agric projects that involved over 100 youths that why am looking for the right source.

@stagger.
Must you take swipes at people before passing your point across.
I appreciate you using some decorum when quoting me or dont.
Not all people take to been trashed or derided
Thank you

stagger:

You are just talking nonsense.
1) You don't know the number of unemployed but employable youths.
2) Programs such as YEAP (the one you are referring to) require vast amounts of funding and when you are getting such money from the World Bank and other development partners, it takes a lot of lobbying and negotiations, because there are other countries seeking for such funds as well.
3) This is the first time we are having a technocrat as Agric minister. A man who graduated with First Class Honours for his Bachelors, Masters and PhD from Agric Economics, who after having had wonderful stints abroad, came back to Nigeria and has effectively broken the back of the fertilizer racketeering and rice importation which previous agric ministers were all supporting.
4) Effectively checkmated the stranglehold of the Vaswani Brothers on the rice industry in Nigeria by promoting FADAMA rice paddy farming in the core Northern states using state of the art irrigation techniques in those states that have been hammered by desertification.
5) For the first time, we have programs that are targeted at youths in this country. Can you point to any government that has done this in the past? Mind you, I was very much alive and a teenager during Buhari's first time in office from December 31st 1983 to August 27, 1985, and I know everything that happened in that government, including how ministers like Umaru Dikko were given import licenses for importation of rice and other ESSENCOs. Now he thinks some of us have forgotten and he has come again to continue from his misrule. In case you don't know, there was mass jubilation on the streets when he was toppled by IBB because the economy was in ruins.
5) For the first time, funds are being created to help people get into agriculture. Granted, there is problem with access to those funds but the Bank of Industry has recently engaged several companies that will work with business to make their proposals and business structure more bankable, and Bank of Agric is going to do same.
6) I want to ask you: have you ever stepped into any office of the Bank of Agric to know what they have for you? I guess you don't know.
7) Do you know the offices of the 13 river basin authorities in Nigeria? Do you know their function?
Rather than people like you to sit in your house making assumptions (how did you come about 100 million figure for unemployed youths..), you should actually take the time to look at what is going on in your country. Those YEAP guys who gave their testimonies at the program launch did not fall from space. They researched, got info and acted on it. You should too instead of blaming a government that has done more for agric than any other govt in history.

world1:

OK.
Well am a kingmaker in Agri-Business and I have thousands of result to show for it. Cooperative is for starters not for someone like me am into bigger agric projects that involved over 100 youths that why am looking for the right source.

what is this one talking abt? if u are so big as u say, every bank will be struggling to give u money. They will come to you and be falling on top each other to give u loan. Ur bank statement must be SPEAKING.

@Papabrowne, Jethro is a nairalander i admire so much in agric thread cos he is sincere and has no product to sell to u except its his harvest. For him to voice this out means it is really paining him. I work in a bank and know how some agric loans go. They go to established farmers and not to upcoming guys most time. Though some of the loans are backed up by FG, the bank still has to secure itself incase of default. Also, the interest rate is almost as high as commercial loans. If govt is serious in agric, the rate shld not be more than 15%.
Then for the co-operatives, wen i see d amt some of these ppl are given, i laugh. what can 100k to 200k do for me? This is after several protocols for govt to disburse d money. And some political parties hijack this process. They make it impossible for u to get if u are not a member. When i wanted to start my plantain plantation, i was surprised dt govt staff in agric dont even know much abt it and couldnt advise me well. Bt am happy dt they like knowledge, they became my friends and call me from.time to time to know how my plantains are doing. These are extension workers am taking abt. Is govt not supposed to train and retrain them and keep them up to date? Make i just shut my mouth for now.

Papabrowne, what is the way forward cos what we want is solution. From your post, u have benefitted immensely from this dispension on.agric. How do young farmers tap into this.What are the available loans from fgn and state govt.

NB- personally i dont have any loan issue cos my employers can grant me 2m and spread it for me at mpr rate. I have already started making plans on.establishing my farm. Register it with cac, open an sme acnt wi the docs and channel all proceed and expense via the acnt so dt when i go for any agric loan in any bank, i will have a stand. Am also making plans to make other collateral available.

@Jethro, plz if u are close to Lag, walk up to first bank or fidelity bamk.and ask them of their agric desk. discuss wit the officer. keep us posted.

another point noted from stagger-
walk up to bank of agric or bank of industry and make enquiries.

I can attest to bank of agric cos the tractors, ploughs, harrows and other farming machines my dad bought then for his farm was via a loan from bank of agric. I cannot state if there was any collateral or equity contribution as at dt time and cannot ask him cos he is late. Also note he was still in civil service and a part time farmer when he took the loan. He later went into full time agric and died in d hand of one of his tractors. tragic shaa.

I think bank of industries is.mostly for smes, schools etc but u can go ahead and ask if they have agric desk.

mercylicious:
another point noted from stagger-
walk up to bank of agric or bank of industry and make enquiries.

I can attest to bank of agric cos the tractors, ploughs, harrows and other farming machines my dad bought then for his farm was via a loan from bank of agric. I cannot state if there was any collateral or equity contribution as at dt time and cannot ask him cos he is late. Also note he was still in civil service and a part time farmer when he took the loan. He later went into full time agric and died in d hand of one of his tractors. tragic shaa.

I think bank of industries is.mostly for smes, schools etc but u can go ahead and ask if they have agric desk.

Thank you my brother. The issue is a lot of us just stay at home, don't research, don't ask questions in the right places, and simply assume that nothing is happening. You cannot believe that someone stopped me at Millennium park the day the venture capital fund was launched after coming back from State House, asked me what the large crowd was gathering for, and he was told that these were YouWIN past and present winners. The next question from him was a bombshell: "please what is YouWIN?"

That just sums up the whole package. I would advise the OP to go to the Bank of Agriculture and ask what is happening. There are several grants being given to farmers from international agencies like USAID. In 2009/2010, Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) was in Nigeria and they intervened in 3 cassava-based industries in Abuja and Nasarawa state. There are programs like these everywhere. IITA is developing new seeds that give better yields and resist disease better. Many of these seedlings are being given out free under several state programs.

BOA also gives out loans, some of them not in cash but in form of payment for mechanization tools like tractors and farm machinery. The various state Agric Development Programs are training farmers on new techniques of farming.

OLAM Nigeria is buying sesame from farmers in Nasarawa state at a guaranteed price, ensuring these farmers have a ready market for their products.

MARKETS Nigeria is working in 24 states to develop the main crops cultivated in those states and bringing in partners to buy them from farmers and give them guaranteed market. They have an office in Abuja. Has the OP ever gone there to ask questions?

I can go on and on and on. So many things happening. Yet the OP and his cohorts will be complaining. They want Oga Jonah to personally come to their houses and put money in their hands before they will say ohh, GEJ is working.

God has used GEJ to put opportunities for youths more than ever before in Nigeria, but WE HAVE TO DO OUR PART AND DO SOME WORK IN SEARCHING FOR THESE THINGS AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEM.

Nobody can spoon feed you. Do your own share of the work around here.

mercylicious:


what is this one talking abt? if u are so big as u say, every bank will be struggling to give u money. They will come to you and be falling on top each other to give u loan. Ur bank statement must be SPEAKING. .

Banker olodo,
Did I talked about BANK LOAN in any of my post?
I said I have an agribusiness program that involves youths which I will like to push into the new federal government agricultural scheme if only the initiative is real. Simple!!! I wonder when Nigeria will be stable with people like you who give impulsive responses without fully understanding the subject matter.

world1:


Banker olodo,
Did I talked about BANK LOAN in any of my post?
I said I have an agribusiness program that involves youths which I will like to push into the new federal government agricultural scheme if only the initiative is real. Simple!!! I wonder when Nigeria will be stable with people like you who give impulsive responses without fully understanding the subject matter.

world1 post= 29045367:

OK.
Well am a kingmaker in Agri-Business and I have thousands of result to show for it. Cooperative is for starters not for someone like me am into bigger agric projects that involved over 100 youths that why am looking for the right source.

King maker dt does not want to join co-operative. Stay there. Keep looking for the right source .

Very soon u go know say e.no.easy to get palace guard job. Make your body no dey deceive you. You get body no mean say ur wallet big. quit ur arrogance. I assure u, it will wont take you anywhere.

Arrogance and overbloated ego plus salesman equals empty pocket.
Think abt dt.

In my opinion, this administration has really improved d agrcultural sector than prevoius administrations. @ stagger, u are very right in ur write up cos I found out same thing after going to both state and federal ministries of agric. But more needs to be done in d sector. As for the cooperatives such as cassava growers association, with conjunction with bank of agric there is still massive fraud. Monies meant for grass roots farmers don't get to them, @ least dis is what is happening here in Benin city. GEJ has tried but more needs to be done. @jethro lot of youths are not actually intrested in farming that is what I noticed in our country today, we all looking for white collar jobs.

Those asking that we go to Bank of Agric, have you tried it? The cooperative i belong to have been processing loan at BOA for over a year now, no disbursement. Though we are at the last stage where they asked us to provide guarantors that are indegenes and not members of our cooperative! If we get that, they disburse. How can a serious farmer process a loan for over a year. When he get the money, which farming season will he use the money for?

mercylicious:

@Papabrowne, Jethro is a nairalander i admire so much in agric thread cos he is sincere and has no product to sell to u except its his harvest. For him to voice this out means it is really paining him
@Jethro, plz if u are close to Lag, walk up ito first bank or fidelity bamk.and ask them of their agric desk. discuss wit the officer. keep us posted.

Thank you for the votes of confidence.
I dont want to start mentioning what and where i or we as a group has been to seek for assisstance in our farm projects cause you ve said it all.
The government/banks dont assisst start ups. The funds that are released is in the hands of their cohorts that are not in agriculture.

In 2009, the federal governments released two hundred billion naira for agriculture. Yes, people took the loans but majority are fabricated farmers.
How many upcoming or rural farmers have the collateral to access 2billion which is the gauge for the loan?
How many of those that access the loan produce or process agricultural stuff?
Like i said earlier, I am a doubting thomas.Not until when i see an upcoming, rural, or youth farmer that says "I am an evidence. I can testify" . I still say the federal government agricultural projects is the biggest scam of the century.

Hmmm. Will comment ltr

According to the article published by Punch, Federal Government had released a total of N234bn for 307 agricultural projects across the country (4th paragraph)

The report also revealed that agricultural credit to farmers in the month of July 2014 declined by 22.3 per cent when compared to the level in the preceding month (8th paragraph)

Twenty Deposit Money Banks participated in disbursing the funds. UBA, Zenith Bank and First Bank of Nigeria are the first three banks with the highest disbursements.

The banks, according to the CBN, disbursed a total of N41.8bn, N38.1bn and N26.8bn for 35, 24 and 68 projects, respectively.

The apex bank said, “At the end of July 2014, the total amount released by the CBN under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme to the participating banks for disbursement stood at N234.3bn for 307 projects/promoters.”

It stated that a total of N1.144bn was guaranteed to 6,652 farmers under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme in July 2014. (9th to 12th paragraph)

Source: http://www.punchng.com/business/non-oil-export-revenue-drops-by-34/

From the report above, and the feedback from people not captured in the loan facility, it can be deduced that either the sector is too grossly underfunded or the funds released is being mismanaged.

If about 7,000 people can be reached in July alone with 1.144bn, it implies ave. of 84,000 farmers might be reached in the year. Also, the funds made available to each of the farmer can also be averaged at N160k (1.144bn/7000) per farmer.

N234bn ($1.5bn) may be too small to meet the demand in the Agric sector.

A basic truth we all understand is that government revenue has been grossly impacted by the price drop in crude oil which can also threaten availability of more funds in the new year.

Other survival strategies/means need to be adopted to surmount these challenges e.g. use of cost effective and latest technologies; cluster agriculture, realistic and prudent financial structures, angel investors, etc

Despite propaganda, the growth rate of the agric sector have been in decline since 2008, only growing this year compared to 2013. The fact was obtained from National Bureau of Statistics and CBN annual report. the figures are given below.

Year Growth Rate
2000 2.95%
2001 3.88%
2002 4.25%
2003 6.47%
2004 6.50%
2005 6.70%
2006 7.40%
2007 7.20%
2008 6.00%
2009 5.90%
2010 5.60%
2011 5.60%
2012 3.97%
2013 4.50%

If really the agric sector is funded and govt interventions are working, the growth rate won't be going down.

Please I want to know the offices of the River Basin Development Authorities. I need to locate the one that covers Abia state. Thanks.

[quote author=stagger post=29041364]

You are just talking nonsense.

1) You don't know the number of unemployed but employable youths.
2) Programs such as YEAP (the one you are referring to) require vast amounts of funding and when you are getting such money from the World Bank and other development partners, it takes a lot of lobbying and negotiations, because there are other countries seeking for such funds as well.
3) This is the first time we are having a technocrat as Agric minister. A man w