Guinness Nigeria Plc. has launched its agriculture scheme tagged “Grow with Nigeria” which will empower millions of small holder farmers in the country as well as help the Federal government’s effort to drive agricultural development and economic diversification.
Baker Magunda, Managing Director, Guinness Nigeria said the scheme was to further demonstrate commitment to the Federal Government’s policy on diversification and local content, the growth of the agricultural value chain as well as that of the small holder farmers who form an integral part of our business.
He said that over the last twenty years, Guinness Nigeria has consistently sourced all its core ingredients such as sorghum and malt extract locally through the various local raw material chains but that the launch was to further take the patronage to a higher dimension.
“Currently, our local content sourcing is 75 percent,” Magunda said, “and we plan to increase this significantly within the next couple of years.”
He said these partnerships have enabled them to develop an ecosystem of private sector players creating value that impact smallholder farmers directly.
He sad that in 2018, Guinness Nigeria partnered with 5, 121 smallholder farmers across eight states of Nigeria. These farmers were provided access to finance, certified seeds, unadulterated inputs, mechanization, training on good agronomic practice and basic book keeping, supplier credit process, extension support and access to market.
He said with this intervention, Guinness Nigeria was able to leverage on the collaboration as provided by the respective partners in the ecosystem to improve the livelihoods of these farmers by moving them from subsistence level to full economic inclusion.
With investments in Agriculture, local manufacturing and backward integration, the Guinness Nigeria Local Raw Materials (LRM) initiative, has benefited over 6,000 subsistence farmers, rural traders and various stakeholders in the production value chain.
Officials say that the LRM initiative despite its current focus on rural subsistence farmers is helping to create value in local markets, strengthening state and national economies, improving agricultural systems, enhancing food security, and boosting supplies of sustainable raw materials that meet global standards.
Guinness Nigeria is in partnership with CBN, Stanbic IBTC, OCP Africa, AFEX Commodity and OXFAM in ensuring the success of the initiative.
In attendance at the launch were, Audu Ogbeh; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Olukayode Oluwole, Head, Agric Credit Support Division development Finance Department CBN; Andrew Mashanda, Executive Director Corporate and Investment Banking Stanbic IBTC; Ambassador. Sunday Dogonyaro, Non-executive Director Guinness Nigeria, Farmers, Vendors amongst others.
Speaking on the initiative, Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Audu Ogbeh commended Guinness Nigeria on this laudable initiative.
“When Guinness began buying sorghum from local farmers many of us realized that this was a revolution that started ahead of its time,” he stated.
According to him, the logic of buying raw materials from local Farmers has seen wealth being moved into the rural areas instead of out of the shores of Nigeria, “because every time you import anything, you are importing poverty and exporting wealth and dangers not visible.
“I am very proud of Guinness Nigeria and I urge other manufacturers to do same,” Ogbeh noted.
Guinness Nigeria is a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories.
Stanbic IBTC Bank the financial partner of the initiative reassured farmers of its commitment to providing financial solutions that will help them and their businesses grow through its agriculture desk.
The bank has injected over 50 billion naira into Nigeria’s agricultural sector and this is one of the largest investments recorded in the sector so far.
At the event, Farmers who performed well for the 2018 farming season were also recognized and rewarded for their effort.
Yoila Hanabi, the winner was presented with a Threshing machine worth N750, 000. Hajara Barau and Atiku Abdulahi; the first and second runners up were presented with bags of fertilizer.
Onyinye Nwachukwu, Abuja
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