CBN governor urges graduates to take advantage of anchor borrowers scheme

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele has fresh graduates to take advantage of the facilities offered by the apex bank such as the Anchor Borrowers Program and the NIRSAL MFB AGSMEIS lending program for activities that will result in progressive gains for them and the country at large. Anchor Borrowers CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele The CBN Governor made the remark while delivering the joint convocation lecture of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi 23rd-25th joint Convocation Ceremony, with theme: Jumpstarting the Agricultural Revolution: The CBN experience. Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi also conferred Honorary Doctorate Degree on the CBN Governor. Gov. Emefiele reiterated the need for diversification of Nigeria’s economy; highlights Bank’s effort at checking high food prices. He tasked varsities, research institutes to promote research that would enhance yields per hectare by farmers and reduce other constraints faced by farmers. The CBN boss urged graduands to take advantage of the facilities offered by the CBN such as the Anchor Borrowers Program and the Agri-Business/Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme for activities that will result in progressive gains for them and the country at large. The NIRSAL MFB AGSMEIS is an initiative to support the Federal Government’s efforts and policy measures for the promotion of agricultural businesses and small/medium enterprises (SMEs) as vehicles for sustainable economic development and employment generation “CBN can provide a commercial outlook to research breakthroughs on improved seeds by ensuring a guaranteed market through off-take of seeds for adoption by our farmers under the ABP”, he said “The seed industry is a multi-billion dollars investment, and this offers a low hanging fruit in a potential collaborative effort between the CBN and the University Community” – Gov. Emefiele Gov. Emefiele encouraged graduating students to leverage the knowledge they have gained towards applying it in supporting further growth of Nigeria’s agricultural sector given its immense opportunities.