A REPORT ON THE BANK OF AGRICULTURE FARMERS LOAN SENSITIZATION SEMINAR

THEME: “Unlocking Opportunities for Agricultural Growth.”

The DPat Co-operative Union oversees numerous co-operative groups spreading across several rural and urban communities in the FCT, especially in Gwagwalada Area council. Through this platform, DPat Foundation has consistently helped to link rural women, youths and farmers to access financial facilities from government agencies and relevant institutions. It was on such ground and in furtherance of its objective of empowering the grassroots that the Foundation recently organized a seminar to sensitize rural farmers on the Bank of Agriculture’s farmer’s loan application process and benefits.

The seminar on the sensitization of farmers on the farmer’s loan application process and benefits, which was organized in collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), took place in Gwagwalada on the 10^th of April, 2025. The event was attended by several guests and dignitaries from the Bank of Agriculture itself, the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), to mention a few. Farmers who have indicated interest and applied for the loan were present in their numbers. About twenty groups from several rural and suburb communities such as Dobi, Dukpa, Ibwa 2, Anagada, Quarters Ward, Gwagwalada, to mention a few, were present at the event.

In her welcome address, the president and founder of DPat Foundation thanked the officials of the Bank of Agriculture for their continuous confidence in DPat Foundation and for their supports and partnership over the years. She explained the core purpose of the BOA farmer’s loan programme and earnestly appealed to the farmers to judiciously use the money for the purpose for which it will be given. She reminded them that this is a loan which must be paid back and not a grant. She said that even if one member of a group defaults in repaying the loan when repayment is due, it will hinder the rest of the group members from obtaining further loan from the bank.

Mrs. Ardey went memory lane to intimate guests and participants at the events that DPat Foundation has recorded many milestones over the years in its quest helping and empowering and linking the populace at the grassroots levels with relevant government agencies for empowerment in the form of soft loans or grants. According to her, many individuals through the DPat Foundation’s platform and cooperative union have benefited from such loans and grants in the past and even in recent times.

Speaking on the process and the benefits of accessing the farmer’s loan, one of the BOA officials present, Mr. Isaiah Ohaba, spoke intensively on the purpose of the loan, emphasizing that the farmer’s loan is meant to assist farmers to maximize outputs thereby contributing to food security, household and national economy. Mr. Ohaba gave a brief overview of the purpose and mission of the Bank of Agriculture. He said that the bank which was established more than fifty years ago, and which is the largest agricultural financial institution in Nigeria, has helped empowered farmers at various levels and consequently contributed to food security and national economic growth enormously in the past five decades.

He urged the farmers not to use the loan to acquire more wives or to build house but to strictly use it for agricultural purpose while assuring them that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that the loan is made available to them timely enough to use as the raining season has almost arrived.

Mrs. Amina also, an official of the Bank of Agriculture, threw more light on the scheme. Speaking partly in Hausa language in order to make the message clearer and more understandable to the local farmers, she pointed out the differences between grants and loans. According to her, unlike grants that are not to be paid back, the farmer’s loan is a loan and it must be repaid back with interest. She therefore earnestly urged the farmers to ensure that they use the money strictly for the purpose for which it will be given, which is farming. The quests and speakers also welcomed questions, observations and contributions from the audience whose doubts and reservations were thoroughly addressed.

Mr. Bala Tsokwa from Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), in his speech as a representative of the agency at the event, gave interesting information about the activities of the Abuja Enterprise Agency. According to him, the agency is there to attend to the needs of MSMEs, business people and farmers at an advisory level. He revealed that the agency has carried out several community development projects and as well has continued to work in partnership with other relevant government agencies to help small businesses. He encouraged the audience to take advantage of the services of the agency that are designed to help them in their business endeavours. Abuja Enterprise Agency is a major and longstanding partner of DPat Foundation whose supportive roles have brought major benefits to members of the DPat Cooperative Union in such areas as technical supports and grants.

The guests were later conducted round the exhibition stands of the farmers. The farmer further received advises on how to improve on their businesses at personal levels from the guests who visited their stands one after the other.