The Federal Government is seeking a $1.2bn external borrowing from Brazil to finance agricultural programmes in the 2021 budget. The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, who appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance in Abuja on Tuesday to defend the budget proposed by her ministry, made this known.

Ahmed disclosed that the Federal Government sent a request to the National Assembly to approve the loan from the Brazilian government to address issues in the agriculture value chain as Nigeria.

Ahmed also said the Federal Government would acquire 100,000 hectares of land in each state for food production, adding that link roads would be built in such locations to provide access for farmers to move farm produce to markets and reduce post-harvest losses.

Chairman of the committee, Mr James Faleke, had asked the finance minister about diversification of the economy.

Responding, Ahmed said, “For borrowing to improve industry, we are before the parliament. I request for the approval for loan that we call the Green Imperative Programme which is for loan of $1.2bn from the Brazilian government.

“It is a programme that is addressing the whole of agricultural value chain from mechanisation, production, processing and selling. It is meant to lend to businessmen for tractors, plants at all levels.”