The Jigawa State Government has set aside N3.3 billion as loans for its civil servants under its Agricultural Support Programme.

Governor Umar Namadi, on Monday, flagged off the disbursement of the loan in Dutse, the state capital.

At the ceremony held at the premises of the state’s Agricultural Distribution Company (JASCO), Mr Namadi said the initiative aims to address food security, grant economic empowerment, and improve the lives of civil servants in the state.

“While supporting the efforts of participating civil servants to feed their families and provide them with additional means of livelihoods, the program is part of our overall agricultural transformation initiative aimed at achieving food security and economic diversification for Jigawa State and the Nation in general,” the governor said.

“The strategy involves not only getting more people participating in agricultural production but bringing more land under cultivation. This initiative is a testimony of our administration’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of our workforce and the overall development of our dear State”, Mr Namadi said at the event.

He said the programme will cushion the prevailing economic pains in the country, characterised by rising food prices which have eroded the purchasing power of workers’ salaries.

“There is no doubt that the soaring cost of food items has placed an enormous burden on our people, particularly our workforce, who earn a fixed income. This we are doing (is) within the context of our overall agricultural transformation agenda.

“It aligns with our broader vision of transforming Jigawa State into an agricultural hub, and we believe by encouraging workers to participate in farming, we are contributing to increased food production, reduced reliance on food imports, and the overall development of our rural economy,” Mr Namadi said.

The governor said for the current farming season, the programme targets rice, sorghum, millet, and sesame production.

Also, Mr Namadi said the programme will seek to provide targeted support in the form of cost inputs supply and soft cash loans for farm operations to cover the cost of labour and other farm management expenses.

“The package comprises N250,000 for millet, sorghum, and sesame, which will cover the cost of inputs consisting of 3 bags of NPK and 1 bag of Urea per hectare and provision of assorted chemicals and pesticides with the balance of the money provided to cover the operational cost.

“For those cultivating rice, the package is up to 500,000 Naira to cover the costs of 6 Bags of NPK and 3 bags of Urea per hectare and assorted chemicals and pesticides and cash balance to cover the cost of other farm operations”, the governor added.

Mr Namadi said the programme targets all the civil servants in the state but phase one of the programme covers over 8,430 civil servants in both the state and local government services and about 400 public and political officer holders.

“It is important to point out that the government intends to institutionalise the Jigawa Workers Agricultural Support Program as a Revolving Loan to be implemented during all planting seasons – both rain-fed and irrigation.

“Accordingly, to effectively sustain the Program just as we have the Car and Motor Vehicle Loans for Civil Servants, the initial funding provided for the implementation of the Program must be safeguarded at all costs.

“I, therefore, urge all beneficiaries of the programme to abide by its conditions. Critical among these is utilizing the inputs package and funds to be provided for intended purposes and ensuring that repayment is done as and when due,” the governor stated.

First of its kind, beneficiaries speak

One of the loan beneficiaries, Rukayya Abubakar, said the initiative is the first of its kind in the history of the state, and commended the governor for the intervention.

“We commend the governor because the initiative also benefits women civil servants in the state. When you empower women, you empower the whole world.

“The initiative will surely upgrade families’ fortunes; we are going to engage labourers, pay for labour, consume what we farm and sell part of it and use the money for the benefits of the household,” Mrs Abubakar, a state civil servant, said.

The Director of Management Service, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Ali Sa’adu, said the repayment process encouraged him to apply for the loan.

“I will apply the fertiliser and chemicals appropriately and repay the loan as conditioned,” Mr Sa’adu said.

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“We were given two ways of repaying the loan; a beneficiary can repay the loan either in full after harvest or gradually deducted from his/her salary for others to benefit.

“This is the first of its kind in the country. It will encourage civil servants to be punctual and return to their farms after working hours. When you have food at home, you will have the energy to do what it means to improve your living conditions,” the civil servants said.