FG restates commitment to smallholder farmers

By Austine Agbo Emmanuel

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its drive to empower smallholder farmers through the Renewed Hope GEEP 3.0 FarmerMoni scheme, emphasizing that the intervention is a recoverable loan rather than a grant, designed specifically to bolster national food security.

During a sensitization program for the North-West Zone held in Jigawa State on Thursday, Assoc. Prof. Badamasi Lawal, National Coordinator and CEO of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), clarified the financial architecture of the scheme.

Represented by the National Programme Manager of GEEP, Hon. Hamza Baba, Lawal stated that the program provides a “structured financial support system” for registered and revalidated beneficiaries.

To ensure long-term sustainability, the agency is integrating the “Jigawa Model,” combining credit with cooperative groups, veterinary support, and market linkages, to ensure that the funds translate into measurable agricultural output.

The FarmerMoni GEEP 3.0 framework represents a mechanical transition from Social Welfare to Productive Credit.

By utilizing a 6–9 month moratorium followed by a structured repayment window (3 months for short-cycle commodities like poultry and 6 months for longer-cycle crops), the government is aligning the loan cycle with the biological reality of the Agricultural Value Chain.

This ensures that farmers are not pressured to repay funds before they have harvested and sold their produce.

The use of the GEEP Dashboard for real-time monitoring and evaluation is a critical “Transparency Mechanism,” designed to prevent the “Ghost Beneficiary” syndrome that has historically plagued large-scale social interventions.

Furthermore, the synergy between the Federal initiative and Governor Malam Umar A. Namadi’s investments in tractorization and irrigation in Jigawa creates a “Complementary Infrastructure” that maximizes the utility of the FarmerMoni credit.

When a farmer receives a loan in an environment where high-quality inputs and machinery are already accessible, the Return on Investment (ROI) is significantly higher.

For NSIPA, the primary mechanical challenge lies in “Repayment Discipline.”

By emphasizing that the funds are recoverable, the agency is fostering an Agro-Entrepreneurial Culture, where smallholder farmers are treated as business owners capable of growing their enterprises and contributing to the broader goal of national self-sufficiency.