Minister laments inadequate funding of Agriculture Extension in Nigeria

The Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Abubakar has warned that continuous decreased funding of Agriculture extension is putting food production in the country at risk.

Dr Abubakar said this in his address at the opening ceremony of the 3rd batch training of extension agents, in Ilorin the Kwara State capital.

The Minister was represented at the event by the State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, FMARD, Dr.Aliyu Isa Kabir.

He described Agriculture extension as the driver of all agricultural policies and research, without which all efforts in the agriculture ecosystem may not realise its intended goals.

Dr Abubakar blamed the decline in the fortunes of the agricultural extension system on decreased funding, policy changes, reduced man-power and lack of interest of young people in agriculture entrepreneurship, stressing that the factors are affecting food production and exposing the country to the dangers of unemployment, youth restiveness, and economic instability.

He said. “Over the years, the fortunes of the agricultural extension system has declined majorly due to decreased funding, policy changes, reduced manpower, 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.”

Dr Abubakar however, noted that the training which was held in the headquarters of all the 36 States of the federation including the FCT is one of the strategies employed by the Nigerian government to halt the drift in the agriculture extension system with the aim of pursuing the revitalisation of the country’s economy.

“This training is one of several strategies planned by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to halt the drift in the agricultural extension system with the aim of pursuing the revitalisation agenda of the Nigerian economy by the Nigerian Government,” the Minister said.

He urged the participants to take the training seriously, stressing that the training is made to “ build the capacity of youth and existing practitioners in agricultural extension delivery system, exposing and equipping them with best global practices and tools to enable them to deliver with efficiency.”

The Kwara State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Gidado Alakawa lauded the Federal Ministry for putting in a well-structured training programme for extension agents in the state.

He noted that the programme would help in equipping the agents with “skill and contemporary best global practices in the Rice, Cassava, and Livestock (Fisheries). This will in turn enable them to their statutory duties professionally.”

According to Alakawa, ‘‘Kwara State is well suited for the cultivation of Rice, Cassava, and livestock, hence it is the duty of well-trained Extension Agents to disseminate proven, adaptable, adoptable, and affordable farming technologies to the rural farmers.”

He however hailed the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for what he described as his, “unrelenting efforts in ensuring food security for the people.”

Mercy Chukwudiebere