By Musa Baba Adamu
The Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN) has yet to commence full operations due to funding challenges affecting its partner agency.
Chairman of the initiative, Professor Bashir Fagge Muhammad, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin.
Peoples Daily reports that BIARN, unveiled in March 2025 by the Deputy Senate President in partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), is designed to drive agricultural development in Nigeria’s North West and attract young graduates into farming.
The programme targets the empowerment of 558 youths with loans ranging from N1 million to N5 million to support rice and maize cultivation across the seven states in the zone.
It aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly on food security and youth employment.
Despite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the initiative and BOA, implementation has stalled due to cash flow issues at the partner institution.
According to the statement, the list of successful applicants will be released once the funding concerns are resolved.
Applicants have been urged to remain patient as the BIARN board works with BOA management to address the situation.
The statement also commended the Bank of Agriculture for its commitment to the initiative and efforts to overcome the funding constraints.
The initiative is expected to boost food production, create employment opportunities for youths, and reposition agriculture as a key driver of economic growth in the North West region once it becomes operational.
