Sola Adeyemo 
The Oyo State government has taken steps to ease the guarantors’ requirement in the ongoing SAfER/ Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State (ACCOS) scheme for farmers.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the Chairman, ACCOS, Sheikh Taofeek Akeugbagold, said the move was in a bid to ensure more farmers in the state have access to agricultural loan schemes.
Speaking with stakeholders in Ibadan recently, he said Governor Seyi Makinde has approved the inclusion of executives of farmers groups to stand as guarantors to interested farmers seeking loans from the State Agricultural Credit Corporation.
“The development will allow executive members of the farmers’ association to stand as guarantors for their group members requesting that the SAfER/ ACCOS Agric loan aligns with Governor Makinde’s commitment to supporting the agricultural sector,” he said.
“We observed that most farmers were not able to access the N1 billion agric loan under the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) due to bureaucratic bottleneck of provision of civil servants working with state government as guarantors, hence Governor Makinde approved the inclusion of farmers groups’ executives to stand in for interested farmers in accessing the facility.
