Afe Babalola splashes N13.2m on farmers, wants agric bank
The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, has rewarded hardworking and outstanding farmers across Ekiti State as part of efforts to encourage farming and support farmers financially.
Babalola who doled out N13.2m to the benefitting farmers, said the yearly gesture was in fulfillment of his dream, and also part of his individual contributions to the ongoing efforts to revitalize farming as well as reduce unemployment in the country.
The ABUAD founder, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday at the grand finale of the 2021 edition of the Annual Afe Babalola Agricultural Expo and UNESCO Youth Empowerment where he distributed cheques to the farmers, called for the establishment of a special agricultural bank by the Federal Government.
Babalola who advised farmers to organize themselves into cooperative societies “to enable them to buy farm implements either with their own money contributed by members or borrow from the Bank if Industry, added, “I am appealing to the Federal Government to establish an Agricultural Bank where farmers can obtain loans at low interest rate with their cooperative societies acting as guarantors”.
He added, “From next year, your farm product will not waste away as we will be buying from you at good prices and even collect from your farm. That will save you transportation costs. I can beat my chest that you and i together have begun agricultural revolution in this country. It was my dream and it has come to reality”.
