Nigerians Should Embrace Agriculture for Survival – Abia State Commissioner
Commissioner for agriculture Abia State, Prof. Ikechi Mgbeoji, has urged Nigerians to stop taking agriculture with levity, rather, embrace it with absolute seriousness for survival.
Speaking in Abia State at the opening exercise of the third edition of the nationwide training for agricultural extension workers, organized by the Federal Dept. of Agricultural Extension (FDAE), in collaboration with the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services in Abia, Ikechi tasked Nigerians to do everything possible to overcome the dwindling revenue from oil by diverting its attention to agriculture.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, disclosed that looking at the challenges currently rocking the oil sector, agriculture remains the country’s most viable revenue earner, noting that many states were already struggling to pay salaries because of the irregular allocation from the federation account.
He therefore charged the extension officers to take the training seriously and make the most out of it by getting ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
“Nigeria’s crude is being siphoned on a daily basis by oil thieves and we have been told that it will soon dry up. “These challenges explain why Nigerians should prepare their minds to embrace agriculture in order to survive the post-oil era,” he said.
On his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Muhammad Abubakar, represented by Mr Aloysious Mba, Abia State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, described agricultural extension delivery as “the driver of all agricultural policies and research, which without it, all efforts in the agricultural ecosystem may not realise its intended goals”.
According to him, the training was organized by the ministry to strategically halt the drift in the agricultural extension with the aim of pursuing the economic revitalization agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s agenda
He however pointed out that, over the years, poor funding and unstable policies are some of the factors affecting the fortunes of the agricultural extension system, adding that the system was also hampered by the dearth of personnel and lack of interest by young Nigerians in agricultural entrepreneurship.
Saying, “This situation has affected food production, exposing the country to the dangers of unemployment, youth restiveness and economic instability,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Chief Israel Amanze, the Programme Manager of Abia Agricultural Development Programme appreciated the Federal Government for organizing the training to equip the extension workers.
Noting the expectations of the exercise, Amanze said that participants would become veritable agents between the ADP and the National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike and farmers in the various communities.
He encouraged participants to always make themselves available and accessible to the farmers to be able to know their needs and challenges, which they should in turn report to ADP.
In his words, “You should also be handy to disseminate government’s policies and research findings to the farmers.”
Reiterating, the Director of FDEA, Mr Frank Kudla, said the training was an initiative of the minister to develop a workable programme for the immediate training of 75,000 extension workers together with state ADPs to empower them with skills in the use of extension delivery methodologies and tools as well as the best global practices in the agricultural value chains.
Agro Nigeria
