Sokoto set to reinvigorates partnership with Flour Mills, earmarks N2bn for Graduate Farmers Scheme

Sokoto State government is poised to bank-roll 1000 graduates in the state with N2 billion rolling loan to enable them to participate in a pilot farming and product marketing scheme that would be supported by the Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), a premier agro-allied products company in Nigeria.

This is as the state reinvigorates its long-standing partnership with FMN with a view to deepening their existing relationship so that farmers in the state would improve on their yield, generate more income, create more jobs so that the state and the country will benefit.

Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state revealed this during a meeting with the management of FMN in the organization’s head office in Lagos on Monday.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Muhammad Bello, and released to journalists in Sokoto on Monday.

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According to the governor, each and every beneficiary of the revolving loan scheme would be expected to cultivate value-chain crops of soyabean, wheat, sesame and other export commodities such as Gum Arabic, hibiscus as well as garlic on a 500 hectares piece of land in different parts of the state.

“Once the graduates are brought on board the traditional farmers will also key into the scheme and expand its scope and relevance,” Tambuwal said.

He said already the state government is working on four major irrigation schemes which it hopes to utilize to fast track the partnership between it and FMN in the drive to produce and market export crops.

In his address during the visit, Chairman of the FMN, John Coumantros emphasized that the company is desirous of further collaboration with the state in areas of soyabean/maize seeds aggregation, green silos aggregation, development of wheat seeds varieties, the blending and distribution of fertilizer.

According to him, ” we are pleased to partner with Sokoto on such a laudable project and we are happy to bring our wealth of knowledge and expertise from executing similar projects in other agriculture-focused states in the country.

“Our strong belief that local agricultural production is the catalyst for Nigeria’s industrial transformation is unwavering. I am delighted that we can work together with the Sokoto State to build a vibrant agricultural sector and continue to promote its seamless integration with industry.

In line with our purpose of feeding the nation, every day we are positive that we will create value for farmers and stimulate diversification in the industrial sector of Sokoto state and Nigeria at large,” he added.