By Amaechi Agbo

In its quest to ensure effective production of food for the Nigeria populace, the federal government has flagged off the training of 1, 100 extension agents nationwide

The minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono flagged -off the training and deployment of Extension Workers across the 36 States of the federation and the FCT on Tuesday.

Speaking during the flag off exercise held at the FCT Agricultural Development Project (ADP) headquarter, Gwagwalada, Abuja, the minister said the exercise is part of the Federal Government’s effort to promote Agriculture Extension services with the aim of improving productivity of crops, livestock and to ensure food security in the country.

“Agricultural extension delivery is the driver of all agricultural policies and research, without which all effort in the agricultural ecosystem may not realise its intended goals.”

He noted that the fortunes of the Agricultural Extension system has declined majorly due to decreased funding, policy changes, reduced man-power and lack of the interest of the youths in Agricultural entrepreneurship the country. He added that this situation has affected food Production exposing the country to danger of unemployment, youth restiveness and economic instability”.

Nanono explained that an earlier committee on the revitalization of Agricultural Extension Service in Nigeria had been constituted to recommend appropriate institutional structures, arrangements and capacity building for effective and efficient pluralistic Agricultural Extension and advisory services in Nigeria, using globally acceptable approaches and platforms.

He reassured the trainees that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development through its technical department, “the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension has selected Resource Persons who will bring their expertise and experience to drive the training and also well prepared technical reference materials, to ensure that you receive the best”.

The minister also urged the trainees to take the training seriously, stating that “by the time you finish this training you will regard yourselves not only as an Extension worker but also as a farmer that will contribute his quota to the Gross Domestic Product of this country.”

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary , Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Mr. Ernest .A. Umakhihe, represented by the Director, Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Services, Engr Frank Kudla, said that the current situation posed by Covid-19 has brought new challenges to food supply and youth employment. He added that an effective ADP system will disseminate and transfer the needed technologies for productivity enhancement and Rural income generation for youth farmers, consequently, stemming the challenges of food supply and employment in the country.

In his remarks, the Regional Coordinator for the training in the North-Central States and a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sir Oloche Edache, thanked the Minister for the laudable initiative to train more extension workers and improve efficiency. He assured that the resource persons in the states across the zone will ensure that the participants received the best training .

The total of 1100 extension agents are being trained in this first batch of the training comprising 30 from each state of the federation and the FCT.

The training exercise is a train- the -trainer approach and the extension agents are expected to step down the new innovations acquired to the farmers in their communities.