Evaluation of Farmers’ Exposure to CBN COVID -19 Agricultural Loan Information for Food Security in Otuoke, Bayelsa State
- January 10, 2022
- Posted by: rsispostadmin
- Categories: IJRISS, Mass Communication, Social Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue XII, December 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186
Gideon Uchechukwu Nwafor PhD1, & Blessing Onyinyechukwu Umunnah2
1Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus
2Department of English and Communication Studies Faculty of Humanities,
Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State
Abstract
Access to agricultural information and its dissemination among large scale farmers are critical to ensuring food security and adequacy, particularly in Nigeria being the most populous African country and the poverty headquarters of the world according to a United Nations ranking. The novel coronavirus outbreak in 2019 has likely aggravated the consequences of insufficient food availability and circulation in Nigeria, resulting in food shortages and a decline in agricultural product production. To this end, the Nigerian government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) inaugurated the COVID-19 relief fund loan aimed at ameliorating the financial difficulties faced by large scale and prospective farmers in carrying out their farming business. Farmers in Otuoke, Bayelsa state, were used as respondents in this study to assess farmers’ access to and dissemination of CBN COVID-19 relief fund agricultural loan information. The major objectives are to ascertain farmers’ level of awareness of the CBN COVID-19 relief fund agricultural loan and their major channel of receiving the information as well as determining how their level of access to the loan information was significant in obtaining or not obtaining the loan. Based on Knowledge Gap Theory of Communication, the study adopted the survey research design in conducting the research with a sample size of 400 drawn using Taro Yamane’s formula. Findings revealed that farmers in Otuoke, Bayelsa state are exposed to the CBN COVID-19 agricultural loan information resulting in a high awareness level among farmers and their major channels of receiving information were seminars, workshops and interpersonal communication. However, it was discovered that the majority of the farmers could not obtain the loan because of their inability to comprehend the information on how to apply for it online thereby hampering the objectives of the government initiative to address food security in the area. The study recommends that, that the government domesticates the process of addressing food security through loans and other intervention funding so that local farmers can benefit from it and alleviate poverty.
Keywords: Farmers, Exposure, COVID -19, Agricultural Loan, Information, Food Security
Introduction
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in 2019, undoubtedly exacerbated the implications of inadequate food availability and circulation in Nigeria resulting in food shortage and reduction in the production of agricultural products. In the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria which triggered hunger as a result of instability in agricultural production, the Federal Government of Nigerian introduced various agricultural loan schemes for different categories of farmers through the Central Bank of Nigeria. Accordingly, in March 2020, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced the ₦50 billion soft loan to MSMEs whose economic activities have been significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
