The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof Garba Sharubutus speaks of plans to make all research institutes productive. He also speaks on the plans for the new farming season. COLLIN NNABUIFE brings excerpts.
WHAT are the plans for farmers this new farming season?
We have two seasons, we have the dry season, we have the wet season, for us in Nigeria, and especially in the northern part of this country, the wet season starts from March, depending on the location, and as you go upwards, the commencement of the season gets delayed, but by March, people should have already been sensitised and getting ready for all their materials and for dry season farming, immediately, by October in some parts of this country, they have already started, especially those that rely on the river bank for their own family.
As a research institute, we did an evaluation of the performance of the livestock system in the last farming season, and that is, in summary, the 2024 farming season, and we came up with a good number of observations. And number one, the long spell that was witnessed in that season, brought about the inability to control a lot of grasses. We have weeds that have actually interfered with the growth pattern of most of our crops.
We have also observed that we’re able to record some good harvest, because when the rains came back, they came back very heavily, to the extent that there was little compensation for the slow rates of growth. But what we have made up our mind to do now is to try and involve most of our research institutes, especially the extension unit of our research institutes, to actually be on hand, especially for the crops of their commodity. The agricultural research system in Nigeria is such that the research institutes have specific mandate crop so and because we are spread all over the country, each of the researchers, should get its extension unit to actually advise on our findings and what needs to be done to get the farmers to align with the recommendations that are contained. For every seed that comes from our research institute, there is an instruction on how to prepare land, how and when to seed, how and when to apply fertilizer, how and when to control weeds, and then right up to the harvest season.
So, what we have done now is to sensitise our various research institutes with this specific mandate crop to be up and doing, to make sure that we don’t have a delay in planting, or we don’t plant too early. Moreso, we are also working very closely with the extension department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. They have just launched a platform called the national e-extension platform. The e-extension platform is meant in such a way that our people will be able to respond even on your handset, they’ll be able to respond to whatever observation is being raised on the farm, and then more so the platform in itself, that is the national electronic extension platform in itself, has also made provision for us to be able to observe the weather pattern in the country. So that was launched, and our advice is that farmers will try as much as possible to align themselves with what is happening, let them be in constant contact with the extension agents that are spread all over the country.
What is the update on the outreach centres and adopted villages?
We have made provision to make sure that the outreach centers, as well as the adopted villages and schools are functional. You recall when we had an interaction with you that we provided some extension learning materials for them to be able to reach out. The advice, as it is by the minister, is that he wants to see those centers very active, because the centers already have the televisions, they have the screen, they have the videos, they have the e-extension teaching materials. A monitoring and evaluation team has now been constituted, we have also set up a program, we call it the renewed hope agricultural technology adoption program, with a coordinator, with all their staff, it has already commenced work, their responsibility is to look at the level of adoption of all those technologies that were developed by our various research institutes.
What level are we now in the aspect of commercialization of research and innovations?
As it is now, the amendment of our Act has made provision for the establishment of spin-off companies by all our research institutes. And as of now, already, the minister has approved for all our research institutes to commence. Individually, they have written for permission as is provided by the law to make sure that they commence work. Actually, they are supposed to commercialize their own innovations, if you believe that the seed you have produced is viable enough, then you can also use your spin-off company to propagate those seeds. And as you propagate those seeds, you should be able to take them to the farmers. Now our belief is that a little investment by the institute that has generated that technology together or in conjunction with a private company, will be able to sell those products, rather than allowing them to just hang on the shelf.
So as it is all, the research institutes have their own spin-off companies already. Some are good seeds. For example, in Umudike you have umudike seed, if you go to Badegi, they have their own seed and then Vom, the vaccines are already there. So rather than our research institutes and colleges getting involved in commercial purposes, we felt it was going to divert their attention. So, the best thing there is to let the spin-off companies which are independent, but integral part of the research institute, undertake this responsibility. With that, the belief there is that we will be able to commercialize most of our products, we will be able to take our products to the doorstep of the farmers, and then if there is anything wrong with them, we’ll be able to have that observation, because no institute will like to waste money on any product that they think is not going to be viable. So, this is where we are, and a good number of them all started selling their seed already.
The ARCN has embarked on construction of new buildings, can you tell us the purpose of these structures?
From the time I came on board, we have about four new structures that have come up. The first one was the one that we commissioned in 2022 that is housing the ARCN and television and radio. The ARCN radio has an outreach that is very vast, where our presence is felt in about 44 countries, including the UK, the USA and African countries. We have a wide reach now for the television, we are on YouTube, we’re trying to be on Instagram.
We have a museum which will serve as an area for documenting most of the research findings in the various agricultural research institutes. It also provides accommodation for about 24 members of staff. This has drastically reduced the congestion in the previous building that we have, especially that before 2022 most of the staff were crammed together in offices. Assistant Directors, you have four or five of them in an office which does not speak well, and then it does not even give a good attraction and visibility.
Then we have our Resource Center. The Resource Center also has a provision for our store, and then it has a provision for where we are going to raise mice and guinea pigs of non-identity, so that our research institute that wants to use experimental laboratory animals can have it, that is coming up. And then, of course, it provides offices for the resource persons. Then the third one is, of course, the veterinary clinic that has a provision for a pharmacy, an examination room, x-ray room, surgical record room. We did that deliberately because we want to target our students that come here for industrial attachment, when they come here, if they are in animal science, medical laboratory technology, science laboratory technology, veterinary laboratory technology, or veterinary surgeons, they should be able to have access to hands-on demonstration of what they are learning. We believe that we should be able to attract students for industrial attachment here.
Attached to the Veterinary Clinic, because it’s a fish pond. We also have an aquaponic, all of which are meant to train people or students who come here on industrial training. We are also having a program right now to begin to train retiring civil servants. They are also permitted to come here and observe how these things are done so that by the time they establish their own they will be able to monitor what is happening on their farm.
Now the other structure, which is the main one, is a five-storey building. The idea behind that building is that it will serve as a corporate headquarters, that will be where the executive secretary will be, the director of administration will be there, the bursar will be there. And it will also have four compartments that will accommodate our international partners, so that will provide accommodation for them here. So, whatever they are doing will be made known to us. And then instead of them staying in isolated places, at least, we will pull ourselves together. Whichever partner wants to be accommodated here, we felt that we should be able to give him that accommodation so that at least they will be comfortable.
What are your future plans for genetic improvement of animals, and seed improvement?
The creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development has further challenged the research system that falls under the livestock department, to actually begin to think in line of improving the breeds that we have. What the developed countries are doing is to make sure that they improve on the genetic makeup of their various animals. And by doing so, you will have so many threats put together, disease resistance will be there, productivity will be there.
The challenge now is on two agencies: one is the National Animal Production Research Institute and the National Veterinary Research Institute. They are not going to stop there. We had a discussion with the minister for livestock development, from our discussion with him, he has challenged us, and he said he will not take it lightly with any agency that is under him if they slow down so and I know that for zeroing down on each species of animal, it means that we should not be able to undertake that mandate of genetic improvement of our local breeds, so that at least we will have a combination of all these factors.
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