On several occasions,
agriculturalists have stressed the importance of extension services to food production.
They insist that as Nigeria aspires to become one of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020; pragmatic efforts ought to be made to boost farming via the adoption of agricultural extension services.
However, the Federal Government is somewhat conscious of the usefulness of agricultural extension services in plans to improve the country’s food production.
Prof. Tunji Arokoyo, National Team Leader, Agricultural Extension Transformation Agenda, said that efforts were underway by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to revive agricultural extension services.
“The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, is passionate about extension services and he is making frantic efforts to revive the dying extension services in Nigeria as a key to agricultural transformation,’’ he said.
He said that agricultural extension workers were the bridge between farmers and research institutes, adding that they also functioned as the link between farmers and the government.
“This is because they play a key role in disseminating information to and from both sides for enhanced agricultural production,’’ he said.
Arokoyo said that agricultural extension services involved the provision of educational services to farmers in the wide range of agricultural enterprise.
“So, agricultural extension services encompass all activities carried out by extension agencies to create positive change in the farmers’ living standards through increased productivity and enhanced income,’’ he said.
Drumming support for the provision of quality agricultural extension services, Dr Mohammed Khalid-Othman of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said that although agricultural extension services in Nigeria had been somewhat inactive, their importance could never be undermined.
“Extension services are suffering from a number of constraints such as underfunding, ageing and dwindling staff arising from low employment rate and retirement of the old staff.
“Presently, life is being injected into the agricultural extension services through various strategies and programmes championed by the Federal Government,
“For the first time, the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension was established in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“The department is responsible for policy formulation and coordination of agricultural extension activities,’’ he said.
In the same vein, Malam Sani Miko, the Country Director of Sasakawa Africa Association, a Geneva-based international agricultural development organisation, said that his organisation was collaborating with the Federal Government to revive agricultural extension services in Nigeria.
“This collaboration will facilitate the free flow of information about new technologies from researchers to grassroots farmers.
“It is the responsibility of extension workers to convey information from government and researchers to farmers on how to improve agriculture in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Miko said that the capacity of the extension workers would be built through seminars, workshops and other means, with the hope that they would convey the message to farmers.
“We want to teach the farmers how and when to cultivate their farms; how to use improved seeds; when and how to apply fertiliser; when and how to harvest.
“We will connect them with banks where they could obtain loans; we will ultimately connect them with markets where they can sell their yields at higher profits,’’ he said.
However, Miko observed that many extension service workers were not satisfied with the job because they possessed qualifications, which they thought could not take them beyond Salary Grade Level 14 in the civil service.
He, nonetheless, said that the challenge was being addressed via an arrangement between the organisation and Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, to enable Higher National Diploma holders among the extension workers to obtain degrees from the university within a specified period.
“This will give maximise their job satisfaction and it will also encourage them to work harder,’’ he noted.
Mr Daniel Jacob, the Director of Agricultural Services in the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Project, who underscored the need for more agriculture extension workers across the country, observed that the extension workers were inadequate.
“For instance, the ratio of extension workers to farmers in Kaduna State used to be 1:1,500; however, the present ratio stands at 1:3,240.
“This is grossly inadequate and highly disturbing because the World Bank-recommended ratio stands between 1:800 and 1:1,000.
“Unfortunately, the number of extension workers we have is on the decrease, while our population is on the increase,’’ Jacob added.
In view of this shortfall, experts underscore the need for private-sector participation in the funding and delivery of agricultural extension services so as to meet the needs of the farmers.
They argue that agricultural extension services have been dominated by the Agricultural Development Programme in Nigeria for a long time.
The experts insist that the traditional extension services, linked with production objectives and blanket recommendations, can no longer meet the farmers’ expectations.
They stress that pragmatic efforts should be made to encourage the private sector to provide agricultural extension services, while the government can play a strategic role by identifying gaps in the provision of such services.
Although many observers laud this suggestion, they nonetheless, call for the adoption of pragmatic strategies to change the orientation of agricultural extension workers, as part of efforts to improve their service delivery.
All the same, they concede that structured private-sector participation in agricultural extension service delivery will consequently boost agricultural production in the country.
Lawal is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Mohammed Lawal