From Our Correspondent
The Federal Government says it is partnering with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to deliver impactful extension services to smallholder farmers in Nigeria.
TheNewsZenith reports that the partnership also seeks to improve livelihoods, productivity, profitability and market access to smallholder farmers in the country.
Agriculture Minister, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, announced the partnership move at the National Impact Workshop, on Wednesday, in Abuja.
The workshop is on Innovative Market-led extension service delivery.
TheNewsZenith reports that the workshop’s theme is: “Innovations in Market-Led Extension Service Delivery in Nigeria”.
The exercise is a collaborative effort between the ministry and the USAID Feed the Future Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity.
Dr Deola Lordbanjour, the Director of Extension Services in the ministry represented the minister.
He described agricultural extension services as strategic vehicles for delivering effective and innovative solutions to the doorstep of smallholder farmers.
“Without efficient, impactful and responsive pluralistic agriculture extension, we cannot transform agriculture to make Nigeria food-sufficient.
“The impact of this collaboration spans new business solutions, enhanced business growth and job creation for both youth and women.
“It will also boost access to market for MSMEs and farmers,” Lordbanjour said.
He said the partnership had identified business solutions for the smallholder farmers.
It also integrated innovative private extension delivery approaches in the National Agricultural Extension Policy and Agricultural Extension Teaching Manual.
According to the minister, the documents will serve as reference materials for future projects in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
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Also, Jean–Pierre Rousseau, Director of Winrock International, USAID, highlighted the importance of extension service to farmers.
Rousseau said the entrepreneurship, ingenuity, and innovation coming from MSMEs demonstrated how private sector extension services are being delivered to impact food security.
“How do we transform agriculture in Nigeria to achieve food sufficiency?
“This is particularly disturbing when our extension system relies on a ratio of one agent serving 10,000 farmers.
“The heart of our solution lies in Nigeria’s remarkable spirit of entrepreneurship.
“Extension activity, alongside our partners at the Federal Department of Agriculture Extension, has harnessed this spirit to transform extension services,” the director said.
According to him, over 311 MSMEs are serving as change catalysts by bringing innovation, information and productivity enhancement inputs and services to the doorstep of over two million smallholder farmers.
He said the programme rolled out input credit models through the MSMEs. This has generated over 95 per cent repayment rates.
It also facilitated the flow of over N67 billion in financing to smallholder farmers, he added.
Rousseau expressed confidence that Nigeria could become a powerhouse of innovation in smallholder service delivery.
Earlier, Mr Ayodele Olawumi, the Head of Division, Field Extension Services in the ministry, said the mission of the extension department was to provide effective and efficient extension and advisory services to all categories of farmers.
“Our collaboration with the USAID Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Extension activity has empowered MSMEs to deliver impactful agricultural practices to smallholder farmers.
“It is also enhancing their productivity and income,” TheNewsZenith quotes Olawumi as saying.
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