WIAF KOGI STATE, NATIONAL PRESIDENT COMMENDS CBN, URGES WOMEN AND FARMERS TO ACCESS AVAILABLE FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
The National President of the Women In Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited (WIACF) Kogi State, Dr. Esther Audu, has commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its continued efforts to sensitise Nigerians on available financial opportunities capable of improving livelihoods, supporting businesses and strengthening agricultural production across the country.
Dr. Audu made the commendation during the CBN Fair held at K-Galaxy, Lokoja, where students, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), business men and women, government officials, farmers and women were sensitised on the various opportunities available through the financial sector. She described the fair as an important platform for bridging the information gap between financial institutions and Nigerians who need funding to grow their businesses and livelihoods.
She urged participants to take advantage of the opportunities being provided by the CBN through approved online banks, mortgage banks and other commercial banks, stressing that access to appropriate financial services could help individuals and businesses expand their operations, create employment and contribute to the economic development of Kogi State.
The WIAF President particularly encouraged farmers to embrace farming as a year round business rather than limiting agricultural activities to the traditional farming season. She said that with access to affordable financing, improved seedlings, modern farming techniques, irrigation and other agricultural inputs, farmers can increase production, improve their income and contribute significantly to food security in the state and Nigeria at large.
Dr. Audu also commended the ongoing E-Networks Pay initiative, noting that the approval for women in agriculture to benefit from its soft-loan opportunities represents an important development for women farmers in Kogi State.
She said access to loans at zero or low interest rates would enable genuine farmers to expand their farms, purchase inputs, employ labour and increase their agricultural output without being subjected to the burden of excessive interest charges.
She, however, appealed for more deliberate and sustainable financing opportunities for women, particularly women farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs. According to her, empowering women economically has a direct impact on the wellbeing of families because women often reinvest their earnings in food, education, healthcare, businesses and the general welfare of their households.
“Give women access to affordable loans and you are not only empowering an individual; you are strengthening an entire family. We need more funding opportunities that will enable women to build businesses and farms that can sustain their families and make them economically self-sufficient,” Dr. Audu said.
She further called for stronger collaboration between the CBN, commercial banks, government agencies, cooperative societies and farmers’ organisations to ensure that financial opportunities reach genuine beneficiaries, especially those at the grassroots.
She urged women and farmers to form credible cooperatives, keep proper financial records, seek reliable information and utilise every approved funding opportunity responsibly.
Dr. Audu assured that the Women In Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited (WIACF) Kogi State, would continue to sensitise its members and position them to benefit from legitimate government and financial-sector interventions. She said the federation would also continue to promote agriculture as a viable business capable of creating wealth, reducing unemployment, strengthening families and contributing to food security.
She therefore urged women, farmers, youths, NYSC members and other participants at the CBN Fair not to allow the information received at the event to end with the sensitisation programme, but to take the next step by approaching approved financial institutions, understanding the requirements and applying for opportunities for which they qualify.
The WIAF President expressed optimism that with sustained support from the CBN and other stakeholders, increased access to affordable finance would unlock the productive potential of women and farmers in Kogi State. She reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to partnering with relevant institutions to ensure that women in agriculture are not only beneficiaries of financial interventions but become stronger contributors to food security, economic growth and the development of their communities.
