Stakeholders from various agricultural value chains have charted the way forward for the new Nigerian government policy on agricultural extension services, developing strategies for improving extension service delivery in the country.
Speaking during the one-day summit held in Abuja on the new policy, the Executive Director of the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), Hajia Salamatu Garba, said the stakeholders are taking up the policy so that everyone will understand it to ensure successful implementation at all levels.
While noting that the policy comes with the rights of farmers and opportunities, Hajia Garba said WOFAN will further contribute to the implementation of the policy by joining hands with relevant bodies in translating it into three or four local languages so that the people for whom it is meant will have a clearer understanding of how the policy will help in enhancing food security in Nigeria.
She further noted that the policy is also in line with what the Mastercard Foundation is doing in its Young Africa Works (YAW) strategy, which aims at enabling 30 million young people in Africa, especially young women, to secure employment they see as dignified and fulfilling.
The WOFAN ED added that as part of the YAW strategy, the foundation will deepen its engagement in uplifting the living conditions of ultra-poor people, including those who are physically challenged, to better proffer support for the economic aspirations of young people between the ages of 18 and 35 and identify priority sectors for their growth.
She said the strategy will include working with all stakeholders—research institutions, policymakers, financial institutions, and farmer organisations to build their capacity with vocational training and access to simple agricultural equipment so that they can equip young people with the skills employers need.
Furthermore, Hajia Garba stated that the vision of the Mastercard Foundation aligns with that of WOFAN in improving the capacity of extension workers as such, putting all partners on the same page.
The business manager of WOFAN, Mr Taiwo Olawale, explained that the Mastercard Foundation and WOFAN are working to improve the lives of 627,000 people in a 5-year project branded as WOFAN-ICON2.
He further reiterated that the Mastercard Foundation’s vision of uplifting the status of these people and giving them a sustainable capacity that will make them live a fulfilled life on their own aligns with WOFAN’s business model.
Areas that the new agricultural policy addresses are challenges such as reviewing the ratio of extension workers to farmers.
As is obvious, at present there is an estimate of one extension worker for about 10,000 farmers in Nigeria, but with the WOFAN ICON2 project, it is one extension worker for 15 groups, and each group is made up of 30 people. So, you see, we have bridged the gap that the new agricultural policy is also proposing.
‘Another problem is that there are fewer women in extension service, so we are trying to change that as well by engaging 80% of the total extension workers to be females.
The WOFAN-ICON2 project, in addition to building the capacity of the farmers and processors, is providing targeted farmers with agricultural tools and improved seeds approved for the seed council and fertilisers.
The ICON2 project also delivers its input way ahead of the season, in January, before the rains. As such, it aligns with the new agricultural policy proposed and is in line with the Mastercard Foundation’s efforts to ensure rural farmers access timely and quality input.
The Chairman of the WOFAN Technical Advisory Board on Policy Change and Advisory Services, Professor Sani Miko, said funding is critical in the area of extension services.
Professor Miko, who noted that youths and women must be considered in the area of extension services, said the private sector is needed to tackle the opportunity and complement the efforts of the government.
”We need to key in the private sector to tackle that opportunity and resources to complement the government effort.
“This is one of the biggest opportunities we have, and I know there are some pessimistic people who keep saying the farmers are not ready to pay for extension service, and it’s not true because we have seen where farmers pay for services”.
”Now that we have a policy on the ground and the enabling environment, and the private sector is there, what is left now is to coordinate it”, he further added.
In his contribution, the Executive Director, National Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), Professor Emmanuel Ikani, said the policy is a guideline of action that the content is going to bring about positive changes.
He said the policy is looking at harmonising extension service delivery with a focus and not just anybody doing it anyhow. So, there will be a unit that will be coordinating and regulating the strategies in our country.
He further said that because the “extension worker-to-farmer ratio in Nigeria is very low, this is very unhelpful. There is a need to use ICT to reach out to farmers on time using electronic media such as radio and mobile services.
“So what we are suggesting is that whatever any private individual is doing, whether it is crop production or export of commodities, a certain amount should be dedicated to a fund in agriculture to be used to fund extension”.
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