LAPO empowers farmer with N3.5 billion in 2015 fiscal year

As part of policy geared towards boosting food sufficiency and security, the management of Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) says it empowered over 68,000 farmers with N3,725,424.900 billion in 2015 financial year.

Sabina Idowu -Osehobo, executive director of LAPO gave the hint in a chat with newsmen in Benin-City.

Osehobo said the figure represented 45 percent increase over the sum of N2, 567,269,480 billion disbursed in 2014.

She disclosed that the fund was disbursed under the LAPO Agricultural and Rural Development Initiative (LARDI), a unit designed to energize the Nigerian agrarian economy through the provision of affordable credit and extension services.

She noted that the policy was geared towards improving the general living conditions of rural farmers.

The LAPO executive director also noted that the organization was determined to address the problem of food scarcity in Nigeria through LARDI.

She however listed other objectives of LARDI to include, improve the income, food security and general living conditions of poor rural household’s particularly women-headed households and youths.

While expressing satisfaction with the performance of the organization in agricultural sector, she posited that the sector has over the years suffered serious setbacks due to poor funding, inadequate manpower, government insecurity and poor infrastructure.

IDRIS UMAR MOMOH