The Federal Government has began training of 40 extension agents in Katsina State on extension tools, methodologies and selected Agricultural value chains.
The training is being supervised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Declaring the event open on Thursday in Katsina, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud, described the training as timely.
The minister, represented by Malam Suleiman Muhammad, the Director of the ministry in Katsina, said the development of agricultural extension services in the country predated Nigeria’s Independence, about 120 years ago.
“Since then, agricultural extension has metamorphosed from one stage to another, asserting its importance in rural and semi-urban development, food and job supply for the fast growing population, especially in emerging economies like Nigeria.
“Agricultural extension delivery is the driver of all agricultural policies and research, without which all efforts in the agricultural ecosystem may not realize the intended goals.
“Over the years, the fortunes of the agricultural extension system has declined majorly due to decrease in funding, policy changes, reduced man-power and lack of interest of young people in agricultural entrepreneurship.
“This situation has affected food production, exposing the country to the dangers of unemployment, youth restiveness and economic instability,” the minister said.
According to him, the training is one of several strategies planned by the Ministry to halt the drift in the agricultural extension system with the aim of pursuing the revitalization agenda of the Nigerian economy by the Federal Government.
He said that at the inception of this administration, a special committee on the revitalization of agricultural extension service in Nigeria was constituted.
He said it was 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.
He said that the committee was mandated to use globally acceptable approaches and platforms for executing its assignment.
“One of the key recommendations was to build the capacity of youth and existing practitioners in the agricultural extension delivery system, exposing and equipping them with best global practices and tools to enable them to deliver with efficiency.
“The Ministry has selected resource persons who will bring their expertise and experience to bear in this training and also well prepared technical reference materials, to ensure that you will receive the best.
“This training is the first in a series of batches that will empower you with knowledge that will enhance service delivery to farmers both in terms of production practices and equipment for technical support.
“It is the desire of President Muhammad Buhari to see that our agricultural extension delivery system meets global competitiveness to ensure that we have adequate food for our population and some to augment our foreign earnings,” he added.
In his response, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, the Katsina Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Agriculture, commended the federal government for the training of the extension workers.
Represented by Dr. Abba Yakubu, the Special Assistant to Katsina Gov. Aminu Masari on Agriculture, the deputy governor said such was part of the state government’s restoration agenda.
“It may interest you to know that when we came to power in 2015, we met only 103 extension workers in the state, but we were able to increase their capacity to 361 now.
“In each of the 361 wards we have in Katsina, we have one extension worker, and we have the plans before the end of our tenure to increase them to three per ward, making 1,083.
“The extension workers we posted across the state, we gave them brand new motorcycles to ease their movement, and also logistic support to carry out their assignment effectively,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries to make proper use of the experience garnered to train other extension workers, who were not privileged to participate in the training. (NAN)
