Bauchi state has recorded zero percent in terms of access to government agricultural insurance scheme, a report released at the state level dissemination on community participatory assessment of government expenditure on small holder women farmers access to government agricultural insurance services in Nigeria has revealed.
WikkiTimes gathered that Bauchi State is one of the seven states in Nigeria that recorded zero percent in the federal government agricultural insurance scheme from 2014-2018.
The program Which was organised by Fahimta women and youth development initiative in collaboration with Actionaid indicates that, out of the seven states of Bauchi, Gombe, Kwara, Kogi, Ondo, Ebonyi, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, only 17 cooperatives and groups from 3 states of Kogi, kwara and Ebonyi got insured within 5 years that were assessed.
The report attributed the failure to low level of sensitization and awareness about government agricultural insurance, lack of knowledge on how to access GAI.
Other factors, the report indicated are, poor publicity of NAIC activities and non-compensation by NAIC to SHWF who were insured and suffered losses as some of the challenges bedeviling the success of the program.
The objective of the assessment was to hold government at all levels accountable for the poor state of agricultural insurance uptake in Nigeria, particularly as it relates to the smallholder women farmers.
In his response at the event, branch manager NAIC office Bauchi, Mohammed Bello noted that, although his organization has only one operational office in the state, a lot has been achieved in reaching out to farmers to access their facilities.
On the issue raised by some participants as to whether any farming group have ever accessed their facility, Mohammed Bello said, in 2018, his office has facilitated the payment of over N18million to farmers across the state who incurred losses as a result of flood.
According to him, last year under RIFAN, his organization has also disbursed N18.5million in Bauchi from across the local governments.
He Added that, at the moment NAIC Bauchi office is processing the payment of over N16million.
“it is true that we are lacking in giving the requisite publicity of our activities.
Plans have reached advance stage to reach out to farmers through the use of conventional media especially here in Bauchi”, Bello said.
In her remark, the state coordinator of small holder women farmers, Hajiya Marka Abbas, thanked Fahimta women and youth development initiative and the Actionaid Nigeria for the opportunity given to them.
She promised the commitment of her group to ensure the success of the project.
Representative of federal and state ministry of agriculture, Npower, state ministry of budget, CSOs, Academia and the Media were all in attendance during the event.
