The Federal Government, Monday, disclosed plans to increase agricultural extension workforce to 75, 000 along various value chains towards efficient food production and self-sufficiency in the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Nanono, who disclosed this while flagging off the training of extension agents in the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, expressed dissatisfaction over the declining fortunes of the agricultural extension system.
He the development was traceable to decreased funding, policy changes, reduced man-power and lack of interest of young people in agricultural entrepreneurship, which had adversely affected food production and have exposed the country to the dangers of unemployment, youth restiveness and economic instability.
According to him, the training is one of several strategies planned by his Ministry to halt the drift in the agricultural extension system with aim of pursuing the “revitalization agenda of the Nigerian economy by the Federal Government.”
He disclosed that at the inception of this administration, a special committee on the ‘Revitalization of Agricultural Extension Service in Nigeria’ was constituted to, among others, recommend appropriate institutional structures, arrangements and capacity building for the delivery of effective and efficient pluralistic agricultural extension and advisory services in Nigeria using globally acceptable approaches and platforms.
“One of the key recommendations was to build the capacity of youth and existing practitioners in agricultural extension delivery system, exposing and equipping them with best global practices and tools to enable them to deliver with efficiency. “We are taking off in Abuja and all other states in the federation will do the same and they will continue until we achieve our target of 75,000 extension workers over a period of three years.
“We are already at 45,000 extension workers both government and the private. And I think our target is achievable. Most people especially youths take agriculture as not important but you eat and must remember that somebody is producing these crops and we must enable him with agriculture facilities. “So it is very important that the pioneers in the extension service training to take this training seriously and strive also to become farmers, you will be extension workers but in the process become farmers. ALSO READ: Reps, FG push for establishment of medical varsity in Niger
“Agriculture is now becoming more attractive and youth makes up about 75 per cent of our population and therefore if we are going to move forward the youth must make sacrifices and the government must empower youth to go into agriculture and that’s what we are set to do. “So I am hoping that this is the beginning of a new era in the development of extension service in this country.”
