CBN ANCHOR BORROWERS PROGRAMME TO ABSORB 100,000 PERSONS IN ABIA STATE

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state says his administration will continue to place adequate priority on the agriculture sector. Governor Ikpeazu made this known in a message to the commencement of the Central Bank of Nigeria Anchor borrowers programme for farmers in the state.

The Governor who was represented on the occasion by his Deputy, Mr. Ude Okochukwu maintained that Agriculture remained one of the five pillars of his administration’s development. He commended CBN for its contributions towards making the programme a success and urged farmers in the state to take the programme serious.

In a remark, the Commissioner for Agriculture and rural development, Chief Uzo Azubuike, said that the programme had the capacity to absorb up to one hundred thousand qualified farmers in the state. The representative of the CBN, Mr. Camillus Ogbuagu, noted that one of the aims of the programme was to reduce agricultural commodity importation and to preserve the external reserves.

In his contribution, the chairman Project Management team of the programme, Chief Israel Amanze, stated that the Ministry of Agriculture had acquired some tractors and heavy duties machines that would facilitate the creation of farm roads, land preparation and transportation of farm produce from rural areas to the urban. Some of the farmers that spoke with Radio Nigeria expressed joy for being part of the programme.

The programme featured distribution of some agricultural inputs to the farmers by the Governor’s representative.

LAWRENCE NWOKEDI