By Suleiman Abubakar
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, has unveiled a ₦2.79 billion interest-free loan scheme aimed at transforming 558 young farmers into millionaires across the seven states of Nigeria’s North West geopolitical zone.
Speaking at the National Assembly through his Special Adviser on Policy and Monitoring, Professor Bashir Muhammad Fagge, Senator Barau stated that the initiative—tagged the Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN)—will provide ₦5 million to each of the selected beneficiaries. Three young farmers will be chosen from each of the 186 local government areas in the region.
The scheme, anchored by the Barau I Jibrin Foundation (BIJF) in collaboration with a national financial institution, is designed to revive the North West’s agricultural prominence as the nation’s food basket. Beneficiaries will be guided in cultivating maize and rice, boosting crop yields, reducing food costs, and strengthening food security.
“Food security is a top priority for progressive nations. Without it, insecurity persists at all levels—individual, family, local, state, and national,” Senator Barau emphasized.
The program is set to launch in April, aligning with the upcoming farming season.
