The Federal Government is targeting 600 small-scale farmers in Niger State for interest-free loans totalling ₦180 million under its FarmerMoni programme, in a fresh effort to boost agricultural production and improve rural livelihoods.
Under the initiative, each eligible farmer will receive ₦300,000, repayable within one year, with repayment scheduled to begin six months after the commencement of farming activities.
Hamza Baba, National Programme Manager of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), disclosed this on Saturday in Minna during the launch of the FarmerMoni enumeration exercise and training of programme desk officers from the state’s 25 local government areas.
Baba said the intervention, implemented through the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), was designed to improve farmers’ access to finance, enabling them to purchase agricultural inputs, expand production and strengthen their earning capacity.
He explained that the programme would cover crop farmers, poultry operators, livestock producers, fish farmers and those engaged in aquaculture.
According to him, the enumeration exercise would involve identifying, registering and verifying eligible farmers to ensure that the loans reach genuine agricultural producers.
Applicants are expected to provide their National Identification Numbers (NIN), digital photographs, biometric information, verified farm locations and details of their agricultural activities. Registration will be conducted through designated GEEP desk officers.
Baba added that GEEP would work with the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) officials and local government authorities to monitor loan utilisation and repayment.
Ibrahim Inga, the Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, described the initiative as an important complement to existing poverty reduction and agricultural development programmes in the state.
He said the involvement of relevant stakeholders would promote transparency and ensure that only qualified farmers benefited.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Investment Programme, Hauwa Mohammed, said desk officers had been provided with tablets to capture farmers’ information and verify their farmland locations.
She explained that the digital registration process would help eliminate fictitious beneficiaries and strengthen accountability in the distribution of the loans.
The FarmerMoni intervention forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to improve access to agricultural financing, strengthen food production and support smallholder farmers.
In March 2026, the Federal Government approved a ₦250 billion facility for the Bank of Agriculture to provide loans to smallholder farmers at single-digit interest rates.
In September, the Nigeria Commodity Exchange and Bank of Agriculture also launched a price guarantee scheme targeting 500,000 farmers in its first phase, with plans to expand coverage to two million beneficiaries.
The Niger State intervention, however, offers a targeted interest-free financing window for 600 farmers, providing additional support for small-scale agricultural producers.
