The Cross River State Government has opened discussions with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) over a fresh financing partnership aimed at increasing food production, expanding mechanised farming and improving agro-processing across the state.
The move, announced on Tuesday, comes as farmers in the state continue to face challenges including the high cost of farm inputs, limited access to agricultural finance, inadequate mechanisation and poor processing facilities.
The state government delegation, led by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Hon. Dodeye Arikpo, met with the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, at the bank’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
According to the government, the proposed partnership will focus on providing farmers with access to hybrid seeds, tractors and other agricultural equipment, as well as financing for agro-processing.
Arikpo said the government was seeking practical interventions that would enable farmers to increase production, process their crops locally and have better access to markets.
“We cannot talk about food security without equipment, finance and markets. This collaboration is about giving farmers the tools to deliver,” he said.
The Commissioner acknowledged that many farmers in Cross River have remained at subsistence level because of the difficulties involved in accessing modern equipment, affordable finance and processing facilities.
He said the situation had also contributed to the state’s dependence on food supplies from neighbouring states, despite Cross River’s vast agricultural potential.
“Our goal is to reverse that trend. We want Cross River to feed itself first, then supply the region,” Arikpo said.
The proposed arrangement includes a lease-to-own system for tractors and agricultural implements, bulk procurement of certified hybrid seeds and financing for agro-processing clusters across the state’s 18 local government areas.
The government also said women and young people would be given priority under the proposed agricultural financing arrangements.
Arikpo argued that bringing more young people and women into agriculture with the right financial and technical support could simultaneously address food insecurity and unemployment.
For the Bank of Agriculture, its Managing Director, Ayo Sotinrin, said the institution already operates financing windows targeting young people, women and agricultural value-chain operators, adding that such programmes could be adapted to meet Cross River’s needs.
Sotinrin identified farmer aggregation, priority agricultural value chains, market linkages and the development of bankable projects as areas where BOA could provide financing and technical assistance.
The two sides are expected to establish a joint technical team within the next two weeks.
The team will identify priority crops and agricultural value chains in the state, develop appropriate financing instruments, including proposed single-digit loans, and map out requirements for mechanisation and agro-processing hubs.
It will also be expected to establish measurable targets for increased yields and job creation.
The proposed partnership is coming against the backdrop of continuing concerns over agricultural financing and access to farm support in Cross River.
In July, commercial farmers in the state accused the Bank of Agriculture of failing to adequately serve genuine farmers and complained about what they described as neglect of the agricultural sector.
That backdrop makes the latest government-BOA engagement particularly significant.
For farmers, the major question will not simply be whether another agricultural financing programme is announced, but whether the promised loans, machinery, seeds and processing facilities will actually reach those cultivating farms in rural communities.
Cross River is one of Nigeria’s agriculturally endowed states, with significant production potential in crops including cassava, rice, plantain, cocoa and palm oil. Yet access to finance, mechanisation, storage and markets remains a major obstacle to turning that potential into sustained commercial production.
The proposed BOA partnership therefore presents an opportunity for the state to move beyond agricultural announcements and deliver practical support directly to farmers.
The state government says it will also work with cooperatives and agro-industrialists to ensure that financing gets to genuine farmers rather than middlemen.
If successfully implemented, the initiative could reduce post-harvest losses, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen local food supply.
But the real test will be implementation.
For communities across Cross River, particularly rural farming communities where agriculture remains the backbone of household livelihoods, the expectation is straightforward: access to affordable finance, functioning farm machinery, quality inputs, better roads, storage facilities and reliable markets.
Until those interventions translate into higher farm output and more affordable food in local markets, the promise of another agricultural partnership may remain just that — a promise.
The government says its ultimate ambition is to make Cross River self-sufficient in food production and eventually position the state as a major food supplier to the wider region.
Whether the new BOA partnership can finally turn that ambition into reality will depend on how quickly the proposed technical framework moves from meetings in Abuja to tractors, seeds, loans and processing facilities on Cross River farms.
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