Increased access to credit and improvement in farming leading to prosperity and food security for farmers, communities, and the country at large would be the major focus of discussion at the forthcoming edition of Nigerian Farmers Radio, the Pan-Nigeria agribusiness-related radio show initiated by Sterling Bank in partnership with Mastercard Foundation.
The program is conceptualized to ensure that farmers who operate in remote locations reduce the risk of missing out on new opportunities such as the single-digit interest Sterling Women and Youths in Agriculture Finance (SWAY AgFin) solution developed and distributed in partnership with Mastercard Foundation to help increase the output and profitability of agribusiness by making much-needed capital available to entrepreneurs.
The radio program which would be broadcast in major Nigerian languages, including Pidgin English, to meet diverse demographic needs would also touch on issues relating to product-to-region mapping and the benefits in the entire agriculture value chain.
Speaking on the significance of the program, the Chief Executive Officer, Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman explained that radio remains the most potent communication tool for getting information across to those in rural farming communities.
Suleiman noted that the program would allow young farmers to know and understand a new product solution, SWAY AgFin, which has been made available for them at an affordable rate owing to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For 2021, our approach will be to assess region-specific value chains to maximize impact, the value of an investment and deliver solutions tailored to the most active and valuable produces in the region. Take, for instance, the value chain focus for the Northeast and Northwest sub-regions will be maize, rice, and sesame with the delivery language as Hausa while the value chain focus for the South West will be aquaculture and poultry with the delivery language as Yoruba”, he added.
The Farmers’ Radio would address any challenge by bringing useful and relevant topics that will improve productivity to farmers. The topics for discussion would be region-specific with solutions proffered to address all challenges farmers are likely to encounter.
