The Kogi State Government has launched the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) loan disbursement scheme under the ACReSAL project, a partnership with the World Bank aimed at addressing climate change challenges and supporting community agricultural efforts.
At the flag-off ceremony, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo expressed his appreciation to stakeholders and emphasised his administration’s commitment to agricultural development.
Governor Ododo, during the event, noted that within five months, his administration had implemented various initiatives to enhance agricultural productivity.
These agricultural productivities, according to him, include the provision of agricultural machinery for mechanisation, agricultural inputs, training, and capacity building for farmers.
The CRF loan disbursement prioritises women, with 70% of the beneficiaries being female, while each cluster group of farmers received $25,000.
The Governor, however, urged beneficiaries to utilise the loan judiciously, stressing that its purpose is to support their agricultural endeavours and improve their livelihoods.
Ododo added that the loan would boost agricultural practices in the catchment areas, leading to increased food production and security.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Jibril Abu, emphasised the importance of collaboration for progress, as outlined in the SDGs’ 17 thematic areas, and commended Ododo for his leadership and commitment to the development of the state.
The beneficiaries, in their separate remarks, expressed their gratitude to Governor Ododo for the unprecedented prompt payment of salaries, especially the recent payment of June salary before the Sallah celebration festival, saying it’s the first of its kind for the workers of the state civil service.
They maintained that the salary had resulted in numerous positive economic benefits to people’s living standards.
While thanking the state government for the opportunity, the beneficiaries assured Governor Ododo of their determination to make good use of the loan.
