Agriculture | |
Agriculture | |
1640 VIEWS | |
![]() | |
PROSHARE | |
PROSHARE |
Wednesday, July 08, 2020 / 11:30AM / Ecobank / Header Image Credit: The Bridge News
Ecobank
Nigeria in its Agric Loan Scheme has restated its commitment to the
Agricultural sector and is supporting over 70,000 farmers with special loans to
increase their capacity and yields during this planting season. This is one of
the bank's initiatives to promote entrepreneurship in the sector and is in
support of the Central Bank of Nigeria's Anchor Borrowers programmes for the
2020 wet season with the Maize Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of
Nigeria (MAGPAMAN).
Head, Agribusiness, Ecobank Nigeria, Mojisola
Oguntoyinbo, announced this in Lagos while responding to media
enquiries on the participation of the bank in the CBN scheme. According to her,
the initiative spreads across the thirty-six states of the Federation and is
one of the several concerted efforts on the part of the bank to support the
government to create an ecosystem that gives small holder farmers access to
funding and the required support to increase food production in the country.
She also noted that the scheme is designed to connect small holder farmers with
processors and off takers within the agriculture value chain.
"We
are creating opportunities in the Agric sector that will help many small holder
farmers expand their business and become worthy employers of labour by adopting
modern farming techniques for the betterment of our economy. We are in
strategic partnership with NIRSAL and some other developmental institutions to
achieve our purpose. We are also partnering the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) in all its intervention schemes and programmes aimed at developing the
sector. Our relationships are generating positive activities across the entire
Agric value chain".
This
comes on the heels of the bank's widely acclaimed Agri-business summit with key
stakeholders, held earlier in the year.
Ecobank
has been actively leveraging entrepreneurship as a strategy to tackle poverty
and growing unemployment, through the creation of relevant platforms. One of
such platforms is the Ecobank Xpress Point, the bank's Agency Banking
proposition which enables Agents carry out financial transactions on behalf of
Ecobank and earn commission on transactions processed. Thousands of Nigerians
have taken advantage of this opportunity to become Xpress Point agents and have
in turn, employed several others, thereby improving financial inclusion and
creating employment opportunities. Xpress Points are in various neighborhoods
across the country and are well positioned to facilitate financial transactions
in the communities which they serve.
Related News
1.
COVID-19: Ecobank
Nigeria Restates Commitment to SMEs and Agric Sector
2.
Ecobank Extends Zero
Charge for Digital Money Transfers
3.
Ecobank Nigeria
Holds 2nd Virtual Graduation Ceremony for Batch 8 Trainees
4.
Access and Ecobank
Nominated for African Bank and Banker of the Year Awards 2020
5.
Global Finance Names
Ecobank Most Innovative Bank in Africa
6.
Post COVID-19
Rebound - Ecobank Nigeria Holds Virtual Graduation Ceremony For Batch 7
Trainees
7.
Ecobank Pledges
Improved Customer Satisfaction
8.
COVID-19: Ecobank
Launches "StaySafeNigeria" Media Campaign
9.
COVID-19: Access
Bank, Ecobank Bank Leverage Online Channels
10.
COVID-19 Pandemic:
Ecobank Encourages Customers to Adopt Digital Self-Service Solutions