The Niger State Government has announced plans to establish a state-owned cooperative bank for agriculture to give smallholder farmers easier and quicker access to soft loans.

Governor Umaru Bago disclosed this on Friday, September 12, 2025, in Minna during the flag-off of the Federal Government’s free distribution of agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers’ associations for year-round farming.

According to the governor, the proposed bank will function as a microfinance institution, providing low-interest loans to agricultural cooperatives and eliminating the bureaucratic hurdles and high interest rates associated with commercial banks.

“The bank will operate as a microfinance bank to provide loans to agricultural cooperatives to reduce the high interest rates charged by commercial banks and the rigorous processes involved,” Bago said.

He further revealed that the state government would provide ₦2 billion as seed capital for the bank’s take-off and encouraged agricultural cooperatives to open accounts with the institution once it becomes operational.

Bago stressed that the initiative aligns with his administration’s agricultural revolution agenda, which seeks to create jobs, boost food production, and improve the livelihoods of farmers across the state.

He added that relevant stakeholders from the Federal Government and the private sector would be engaged to ensure the success of the initiative.

The governor also disclosed that a pilot scheme targeting two million women in agriculture will begin in 2026, under which beneficiaries will be provided with goats, sheep, poultry, crop seedlings, and extension services to enhance agricultural productivity in the state.