Heifer Nigeria has launched a Finance Leasing guarantee scheme that gives farmers access to innovative Solar-powered Irrigation Pumps (SPIPs) which help all-year-round farming regardless of weather conditions.
At the launch of SPIPs Finance Leasing Project in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Country Director of Heifer in Nigeria, Dr Lekan Tobe, explained that the irrigation technology utilizes solar energy to power the pumps, eliminating reliance on traditional energy sources and cutting down farmers’ operational costs.
According to him, Heifer’s SPIPs Finance Leasing Project would provide smallholder farmers with access to new irrigation technology to support their farming throughout the year in order to enhance their capacity to increase their productivity, earn increased income, and improve their livelihoods.
Tobe described the project as an innovative and “promising sustainable alternative to conventional electricity and diesel-based pumping systems. It offers the advantages of efficiency, convenience, reliability, and cost-effectiveness and can transform agriculture in Nigeria.”
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According to him, Heifer’s focus encompasses farmer’s access to the market, innovation, new technology, and leveraging partnerships to scale up which leads to higher productivity and enables farmers to earn decent livelihoods while caring for the earth.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Kehinde Jokotoye, commended Heifer’s support for farmers, which she said would lead to food self-sufficiency in Nigeria. She assured that the state’s partnership with Heifer and others would continue.
She added that the Ogun State government has set aside large farm settlements across Ogun State, and provided fertilizers and a stand-by fund to support farmers and other groups in the state.
The Founder of Nimsy Agro Solar Concept, and inventor of the SPIPs, Onimisi C. Atere, explained that the new farm tool has empowered farmers to farm three times in a year and embrace sustainable farming.
He added that with SPIPs, farmers would be able to save up to 40 per cent on farm expenses enabling them to earn more.
According to him, deploying SPIPs would increase food security, create employment and skills transfer, and encourage a greener agriculture system.
Saheed Gambari, a farmer from Opebi, Odeda Local Government described Heifer’s facilitated SPIP project for farmers as a divine intervention that has empowered him to be productive and farm profitably and realize his farming dream.