SPECIAL REPORT: After Helping Businesses, Kwara Govt Should Extend Grants, Interest-Free Loans to Conflict-Hit Farmers in Edu, Patigi

By Mohammed Idris shaaba ✔

SPECIAL REPORT: After Helping Businesses, Kwara Govt Should Extend Grants, Interest-Free Loans to Conflict-Hit Farmers in Edu, Patigi

As insecurity continues to disrupt farming activities across parts of Kwara North, particularly in Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas, there are growing calls for the Kwara State Government to introduce targeted financial support to help affected farmers rebuild their livelihoods.

Over the past year, many communities in the two local government areas have witnessed repeated attacks by armed bandits, forcing hundreds of farming families to abandon their farmlands at the peak of the farming season. Residents say the situation has left many households in severe financial distress.

Investigations by NUPEKOTV indicate that numerous farmers invested millions of naira in land preparation, seedlings, fertilizers, labour, and other farming inputs before insecurity prevented them from accessing their farms. While some watched their crops perish, others were unable to harvest due to the persistent threat of attacks.

The consequences have been devastating. Several farmers reportedly lost their entire investments, while others were pushed into debt after borrowing money to finance agricultural activities. Community members also disclosed that some families are now struggling to meet basic feeding needs, while many farmers have been unable to cultivate this year's farms because they lack both financial resources and secure access to farmland.

Against this backdrop, stakeholders and residents are appealing to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to consider establishing a special intervention programme aimed at supporting conflict-affected farmers in Edu and Patigi.

The appeal draws on previous economic intervention programmes implemented by the Kwara State Government.

In 2023, the state expanded the Kwara NG-CARES for MSMEs programme to include nano businesses, enabling thousands of vulnerable businesses across the state to benefit from grants designed to cushion the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and support business recovery.

Similarly, in March 2026, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq flagged off the distribution of ₦350 million in World Bank-supported ACReSAL interest-free loans to empower community groups, women, youths, farmers, cooperatives, and small businesses, with the objective of reducing poverty, strengthening local economies, and promoting sustainable development.

Residents believe these programmes demonstrate the government's commitment to supporting vulnerable groups during difficult times.

They are therefore urging the state government to replicate similar interventions for farmers whose livelihoods have been devastated by insecurity.

According to community members, such support could come in the form of grants, interest-free agricultural loans, subsidised farm inputs, seedlings, fertilizers, mechanised farming support, or other targeted assistance that would enable affected farmers to return to cultivation.

Some stakeholders have also suggested that the state government could establish a special committee or work through credible community-based organisations, traditional institutions, and farmers' associations within Edu and Patigi to identify genuine victims and ensure that any intervention reaches those most affected.

They argue that supporting displaced and financially distressed farmers would not only restore livelihoods but also improve food production, strengthen food security, stimulate local economies, and reduce poverty across affected communities.

For many families, the appeal is about more than financial assistance. It is about restoring hope to people whose only source of livelihood has been severely disrupted by insecurity.

As Kwara State continues to pursue programmes aimed at economic growth and poverty reduction, residents believe that extending similar support to conflict-affected farmers in Edu and Patigi would provide an opportunity for many families to rebuild their lives and return to productive agricultural activities.

Whether through grants, interest-free loans, or agricultural recovery initiatives, community members say timely intervention could help revive farming in the affected areas and contribute to the long-term recovery of Kwara North's agricultural economy.