FG Warns Against Malpractices In Akwa Ibom Farmers’ Loan Scheme

The federal government has warned enumerators and local government desk officers handling the selection of beneficiaries for its FarmerMoni interest-free agricultural loan scheme in Akwa Ibom State against malpractices, urging them to ensure that only genuine farmers benefit from the programme.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, gave the warning in Uyo during the flag-off of the enumeration exercise for FarmerMoni beneficiaries and training of local government desk officers at the State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

Represented by the South-South Zonal Coordinator of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Mr Akanimo Effiom, the minister said the success of the scheme depended on the integrity of field officers responsible for documenting eligible farmers.

He urged the enumerators to provide accurate data and conduct the exercise with honesty, diligence, transparency and professionalism.

“The enumeration exercise is a critical stage in the successful implementation of FarmerMoni. It will help us identify genuine farmers, collect accurate information, and ensure that eligible beneficiaries are properly documented,” he said.

Doro said the training was another step in the federal government’s efforts to support farmers, strengthen grassroots livelihoods, promote food security and improve the economic well-being of rural communities.

He explained that GEEP, under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), was designed to provide accessible financial support to petty traders, market women, artisans and smallholder farmers through its various interventions, including FarmerMoni.

According to him, the initiative is intended to improve grassroots farmers’ access to financial support, boost agricultural productivity and contribute to national development.

He said the programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises economic empowerment, poverty reduction, food security, job creation and inclusive growth.

The minister urged local government desk officers to understand the programme’s guidelines, maintain proper documentation and communicate effectively with beneficiaries, stressing that the selection process must be fair, credible and free from favouritism.

In her remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Princess Emem Ibanga, said rural farmers in the state faced challenges, including inadequate finance, poor access to quality farm inputs and insufficient support to expand their farms.

She said the difficulties particularly affected women farmers, young people entering agriculture, farmers in remote communities, persons with disabilities and households dependent on seasonal production.

“When these farmers are overlooked, the consequences reach beyond the farm,” Ibanga said, adding that families faced greater food and income insecurity while local markets lost supplies and communities had fewer opportunities to prosper.

She said FarmerMoni was intended to expand access to financial support for eligible smallholder farmers.

Ibanga added that the initiative aligned with the state’s efforts to achieve food security and sufficiency through agricultural development programmes under Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda.

She urged enumerators and desk officers to ensure that the exercise was transparent, inclusive and accountable, giving farmers in rural and hard-to-reach communities a fair opportunity to be considered for the scheme.