Business
Revitalising Agric Extension Services In Nigeria
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
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.
Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.
By: Chinedu Wosu
Chivita| Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.
The Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company in the 2023 year under review.
A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognized commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.
Eelco Weber, Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners. “Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible” he said.
Bola Arotiowa, Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarize themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for mutual success.
“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable. As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our conusmers which in turn will deliver value to them”, Mr. Arotiowa added.
Speaking at the conference, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) products expressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.
Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.
The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.
A global leader in insurance and asset management, AXA Mansard, has supported three female-owned MSMEs with business grants totaling 1.4 million to boost their operations.
This, the company said, is part of its commitment to women and the Medium, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) sector in the country.
The three businesses were successful at the International Women’s Day Pitch Competition, organised in partnership with SME 100 Africa in Lagos.
According to the Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard, Olusesan Ogunyooye, the competition, which is aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, “is another way AXA is demonstrating its commitment to the causes of women and stimulating the MSME sector in Nigeria”.
The business pitch competition received numerous entries from women across different sectors, but after a rigorous selection process, shortlisted participants were selected to participate in the competition.
Ogunyooye said “the programme provided a unique opportunity for women from various works and socio-economic classes to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions in sectors such as food, tech, fashion, and fragrance, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community”.
He stressed the importance of investing in women, saying it is not just the right thing to do, but also aligns with AXA’s purpose of acting for human progress.
He explained that AXA believes the future of women should not be at risk, hence investing in their economic empowerment is a crucial part
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