By Yakubu LAAH InvestAdvocate
Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-Mainstreet Bank Limited Monday said it has earmarked N20 billion to support farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in agricultural business at the on-going 35th Kaduna International Trade Fair.
Kabir Usman, head, agricultural desk of Mainstreet Bank at an interactive session with the media at the lender’s stand, said following the recent flag-off of the 2013/2014 dry season support programme, by President Goodluck Jonathan, the bank has committed to growing its lending portfolio from N10 billion in 2013 to 20billion in 2014.
“Mainstreet Bank through its commitment to the federal government agricultural transformation agenda and the growth enhancement support (GES) initiative has successfully mobilised fertilizer agro-dealers, farmers, suppliers and seed companies to create an effective distribution mechanism that eliminates middlemen and the attendant corruption, which existed in the input distribution chain,’’ Usman said.
The Mainstreet Bank head, agricultural desk commended the organisers of the fair for focusing on the theme, “Agricultural Transformation for Industrial Development: Public Private Partnership (PPP) Approach”.
According to Usman, through PPP, skills and resources of each sector (public and private) are shared to assist agro allied industries develop to their full potentials.
‘’This, clearly reveals the important role the private sector is expected to play in ensuring the development/industrialisation of the agricultural sector in Nigeria,’’ he said.
He noted that Mainstreet Bank has over the years been a proud partner of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA); organisers of the International Trade Fair.
Usman affirmed that the bank considers this year’s fair unique given its focus on promoting agricultural enterprise and by extension job creation and food security.
On the federal government’s agricultural mechanisation scheme, Usman explained that Mainstreet Bank is supporting the establishment of 80 agricultural equipment-hiring centers across the country. Each of the centres would be equipped with five (5) units of tractors, five units of power tillers, and various harvest and post-harvest equipment.
The Mainstreet Bank head, agricultural desk further expressed optimism that at the end of the year, the bank would have impacted directly on over one million farmers across the country especially in the northern part where the bank’s presence is dominant.
Usman thanked the bank’s customers in Kaduna and neighbouring states and urged exhibitors, participants and customers at the fair to feel free to approach the Mainstreet Bank’s stand and interact with its team of experienced personnel who are waiting to offer them the bank’s full range of banking services including the electronic banking products and services.
Mainstreet Bank is one of the leading financial institution in the federal government’s GES scheme.
