Cross River Farmers Accuse Bank of Agriculture of Neglect

Farmers in Cross River State have accused the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) of failing to support genuine members, leading to significant neglect by the government. Ilem Nathaniel, a former chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in the state, and Capt Agba Ukel, a retired fish farmer, reported that many farmers have been denied access to credit interventions essential for boosting food production.

Despite repeated applications, they described the application process as cumbersome and frustrating, often requiring farmers to wait for hours without receiving assistance. Nathaniel highlighted that the lack of access to finance, poor infrastructure, particularly bad roads, and weak transport networks have made it difficult for farmers to evacuate their harvests.

He stated that genuine farmers are no longer benefiting from the bank's services, which were intended to support them. In response to these concerns, Johnson Ebokpo, the Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture, announced the establishment of a dedicated unit within the ministry to facilitate access to credit for smallholder farmers.