Credit facilities skewed against women farmers – ActionAid

The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has called for action over the non-accessibility of credit facilities for women farmers, especially those in rural areas.

The Food and Agriculture Programmes Coordinator for ActionAid Nigeria, Mr. Azubike Nwokoye, said this on Thursday in Abuja at a round table meeting on “Access to Agricultural Credit for Smallholder Women Farmers”.

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He said this has led to untold hardship and by implication economic loss to them and the nation, as having such loan facilities would enable them boost food production in the country, although they have the capacity to repay the loans at a given time.

Azubike urged relevant authorities to get rid of political farmers who are snatching loans meant for women farmers.

He lamented that before women farmers would even get the loan after undergoing rigorous processes like providing lands and male civil servants at a particular level as collateral and surety respectively, the farming season would even be over.

He urged the federal and state governments to set up an annual special budget line to enable women farmers have access to loans.