FG Earmarks N450bn As Loans To Farmers

The Federal Government has set aside N450 billion to be given as loans to farmers in the 36 states of the federation, Information Minister, Labaran Maku has said.

Maku made the announcement yesterday at a town hall meeting at the Idris Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna while speaking on the “Good Governance Tour’’.

He said that the loan was part of measures put in place by the Federal Government to boost food production, noting that N3.5 million jobs would be created in the agriculture sector before 2015 while 30,000 people in Niger would benefit from the scheme.

The minister also called for peaceful coexistence among the populace.

He urged politicians to shun impatience when they loose elections but to see politics as a catalyst for development.

The minister urged Governor Babangida Aliyu to intensify efforts in the development of the state.

Aliyu thanked the minister for initiating the “Good Governance Tour’.

He commended the minister for the visit, saying: “the team has seen the deplorable condition of the roads in Niger, “I will leave the federal roads for the Federal Government. It is their responsibility,’’ he said.

Aliyu said that the state had 33,000 work force and that the monthly allocation went into payment of salary while the little remaining was not enough for any meaningful development.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s lottery market can generate over N350 billion for the Federal Government annually if properly harnessed, the Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Mr Peter Igho, said yesterday.

Igho told newsmen in Lagos that the amount was realisable if 50 per cent of the country’s productive class played a minimum of N200 in lottery weekly.

“The lottery market, if properly explored and prudently managed, can fetch a princely N350 billion annually to the coffers of the Federal Government for good causes.

“From the SMS lottery alone, we can generate about N150 billion annually,” said the NLRC boss.

Igho said that lottery money had been used by governments across the world to pursue and achieve national development in infrastructure, healthcare, scholarship as well as transportation and forestation development.

The director general noted that UK Lottery, through Camelot, contributed €750 million to the successful hosting of the just concluded 2012 London Olympics.

He added that in a country like Niger Republic, proceeds of lottery were used to build boreholes while many of the lottery winners were sponsored to perform the holy pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

“In Nigeria, these positive contributions will be felt in such areas as supporting good causes, reduction of unemployment and significant increase in the country’s GDP, “ he said.

He said that lottery activities had not gained acceptance in the country over the years, adding that the commission was working on ensuring its credibility and integrity in consonance with global ethnics and codes.

Igho said that if the sector could create about 8000 millionaires every week and about 200,000 direct and indirect employment when it properly gained acceptance.