FEC Approves N 1.37 Billion e-Wallet Contract for Seed and Fertilizer Distribution, Sidelines “Political Farmers”

The Federal Executive Council has awarded a N 1.327 billion two-year contract for the implementation of a system called e-Wallet meant for farmers in the country.

The e-Wallet system is a more efficient way of getting agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizer to the end-user, Nigerian farmers, by bypassing corrupt middlemen and what the Agric minister, Akinwumi Adesina calls “political farmers”.

The approval for te e-Wallet system contract was given by vice-President Namadi Sambo as President Jonathan was in attendance at the World Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea.

The e-Wallet system would involve government distributing the inputs directly to the farmers by alerting them on their GSM handsets. The agric minister said the ministry has a database of 3.5 million farmers, 75% of them use mobile phones.

He said, “So far we have generated 3.5 million of farmers in rural areas am not asking about urban rich area and we would continue to update that data.

“We found that 75 per cent percent of farmers in the rural areas have phones and so we are moving into that electronic wallet. Here is he the system works, the farmers will get their alerts about the allocation for seeds and fertilizers, they will go to the agro dealer otherwise known as the input sjop in their own village and they will send that information to the agro dealer, seeds and fertilizers suppliers are also on the electronic platform.

“The farmer is getting a subsidy of 50 per cent and the farmer will pay the balance of 50 per cent, then collect their seeds and fertilizers and the transaction is completed and no money has changed hands.”

The FEC also said N 27 billion has been earmarked for fertilizer and seed subsidies in the country.

Commenting on this, the minister of Agriculture said, “Subsidy is supposed to be for the poor, not for the rich. In this year the FG growth enhancement support will be N13.5 billion for fertilizer and the state will be N13.5 billion. Government will continue to subsidized but for the poor.”