Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has inaugurated a board for the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF) in Abuja.
Speaking at the inauguration on Tuesday, Cardoso said the
inauguration signals “a new dawn” for agricultural financing in the country,
describing the ACGSF as one of Nigeria’s oldest development finance programmes
and a critical tool for transforming the sector.
He also said the agricultural sector must no longer receive
“business-as-usual” financing if Nigeria is to achieve food security and
sustainable economic growth.
“Agriculture contributes over one-fifth of our GDP and
employs nearly two-thirds of our working population, yet it receives less than
five percent of banks’ lending,” Cardoso said.
“This longstanding financing gap has constrained the
potential of millions of Nigerian farmers.
“The inauguration of this Board, therefore, comes at an
opportune time as we embark on a bold new chapter in agricultural finance. It
is a reassertion that we will no longer accept business-as-usual; instead.”
The CBN governor noted that since its creation in 1977, the
ACGSF has encouraged banks to lend to farmers by guaranteeing up to 75 percent
of agricultural loans.
However, he said the current realities including climate
risks, insecurity, extended value chains, and the rise of agritech require the
scheme to evolve.
Cardoso said the strengthened ACGSF, whose share capital was
expanded from N3 billion to N50 billion under the amended 2019 Act, must move
from simply guaranteeing loans to actively driving affordable credit to
farmers, cooperatives, and agribusinesses.
‘TARGET WOMEN, YOUTH, UNDERSERVED FARMERS’
The CBN governor urged the new board to prioritise financial
inclusion, particularly for smallholder farmers, women, and young people who
face the highest barriers to credit.
“Nearly 60 percent of rural women do not use mobile
internet, limiting their access to emerging digital services,” he said.
Cardoso further called for partnerships with microfinance
banks, cooperatives, and fintechs to design suitable products.
He said innovations such as group lending, agent banking and
digital credit systems should be deployed to ensure that lack of collateral or
location “is no longer an insurmountable barrier” to obtaining financing.
‘USE DATA, SATELLITE IMAGERY TO TRACK LOANS’
Proposing solutions to delayed loan repayment, the CBN
governor called for stronger oversight of guaranteed loans through real-time
monitoring tools such as satellite imagery, digital dashboards and data-driven
evaluations.
“Every naira guaranteed must deliver real value on the farm
and in the marketplace,” Cardoso said.
He added that rigorous monitoring will help track the impact
of loans on productivity and farm incomes, while identifying risks such as
rising defaults in specific regions.
Cardoso said the government’s “Renewed Hope” agenda places agriculture at the centre of Nigeria’s growth and poverty reduction strategy, noting that smallholder farmers who account for 80 percent of producers, remain the backbone of food production.
He urged the newly inaugurated board to help reposition the
ACGSF as the “cornerstone” of the country’s agricultural transformation.
“With today’s inauguration, we have renewed our commitment
to a prosperous, food-secure Nigeria,” he said.
“The task ahead may appear daunting, but our determination
to succeed is stronger.”
Cardoso pledged the full support of the CBN to ensure the
board delivers on its mandate.
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