USAID Markets, RUFIN Sign MoU On Training

Determined to train farmers on the promotion of crops and entrepreneurship development, USAID Markets has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rural Finance Institutional Building programme in Abuja recently.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director of USAID Markets, Mr. Tim Drewitt said that the organisation was committed to work with RUFIN for mutual benefits.

He described the MoU as the beginning of mutual relationship between the two organisation adding that USAID Markets would give adequate training support to RUFIN.

Also speaking, the RUFIN National Coordinator, Mr. Azeez Musibau said that the training would assist farmers to promote their crops such as Maize, millet, sorghum and cassava among others.

Mr. Musibau thanked USAID Markets for the collaboration, saying that RUFIN looked forward to speedy implementation of the training programme as contained in the agreement.

He promised to make available to USAID Market update of the activities of RUFIN within the frame work of the MoU to enhance the success of the project.

According to him RUFIN Mr. Musibau disclosed that RUFIN has registered more than 3,000 farmers in 12 states adding that the beneficiaries would be trained in batches within the life span of the MoU.

Over 3,000 farmers in the 12 participating states including farmers’ artisans and processors among others.

The Coordinator advised farmers to work as team to enable them to access credit facilities from financial institution and Micro-finance banks in the country.

It was gathered that RUFIN is being implemented in 12 state of six geo-political zones over a seven year period with assistance from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

It was designed to improve the performance of non-bank rural finance Institutions to enable them to develop sustainable rural Micro-finance Institutions (RMFs) in the programme participating state.

The objective of the programme is to improve the income, food security and general living conditions of poor rural households particularly women, youths and physical challenged in the state .