First City Monument Bank and Mastercard have launched AgroPass, a digital platform aimed at broadening access to finance, markets and agricultural services for smallholder farmers across Nigeria. The platform, developed by Mastercard, links farmers with input suppliers, buyers, lenders, agribusinesses and other participants in the agricultural value chain to strengthen financial inclusion and boost productivity in the sector.
FCMB provided more than 364.6 billion naira in financing to Nigeria's agricultural sector last year and supported more than 196,000 smallholder farmers nationwide, with nearly half of the beneficiaries being women and young people, according to the bank. Obaro Odeghe, Executive Director of Wholesale Banking at FCMB, said at the Lagos launch event that supporting farmers requires more than offering credit. "It is about building connections to finance, markets, technology, knowledge and opportunity," Odeghe said, representing Managing Director Yemisi Edun. "By bridging critical gaps across the value chain, we can help build a more sustainable future for agriculture."
Tara Nathan, Executive Vice President of Growth Segments at Mastercard, said smallholder farmers remain disconnected from services and opportunities despite their central role in food systems and rural livelihoods. "AgroPass is designed to bridge those gaps by connecting farmers to financial services, suppliers, buyers and digital tools that support productivity and resilience," Nathan said. The platform aims to help farmers build stronger businesses, participate more fully in the economy and unlock new opportunities for growth.
For Nigerian smallholder farmers, the platform could improve access to credit and markets while reducing isolation from the broader agricultural value chain, though actual uptake will depend on how widely it is adopted.