WOFAN seeks passage of agric extension bill, says hands-on training will produce agripreneurs

Founder and Group Executive Board Chair of the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), Dr. Salamatu Garba, has called for the speedy passage of the proposed Agricultural Extension Bill, saying it will strengthen extension services and equip young people with practical skills to drive food security.

Garba made the call while speaking with journalists shortly after the visit of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Maruf Alausa, to the WOFAN–Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) SIBLING (Skills Improvement to Boost Livelihood and Nurture Growth) Project, at Bayero University, Kano.

She said WOFAN and its partners had moved beyond advocacy by establishing a practical model that demonstrates how collaboration between the private sector, government and agricultural institutions can transform agricultural extension in the country.

She said stakeholders in the agriculture sector, two years ago, proposed the bill, which has already passed first and second readings at the National Assembly.

While expressing optimism that the bill will eventually become law, Garba said the SIBLING project is already providing a practical example of the type of extension system the legislation seeks to institutionalise.

“We have started practicalising what we are advocating by creating a partnership between the private sector, public sector and agricultural institutions so that we can perfect the agricultural extension system,” she said.

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She noted that one of the major challenges facing the agriculture sector is the shortage of competent extension workers capable of transferring modern farming technologies to producers.

Garba explained that WOFAN invested in the infrastructure for the SIBLING project, including facilities covering agricultural production, processing, value addition, logistics and waste-to-wealth initiatives.

“The SIBLING project is about Skills Improvement to Boost Livelihood and Nurture Growth. We have provided all the infrastructure and value chains needed to enhance agricultural production,” she said.

She commended the minister for visiting the facility, describing him as a strong advocate of agricultural extension and youth participation in agribusiness.

According to her, his support will further strengthen efforts to secure the passage of the Agricultural Extension Bill.

Garba said the project goes beyond classroom instruction by providing students with intensive hands-on training across multiple agricultural enterprises.

She explained that students are exposed to integrated farming systems, including poultry, fisheries, crop production, mechanisation, waste recycling and fabrication of agricultural equipment.

The centre also trains students to convert agricultural waste such as rice husks into briquettes while exposing them to the fabrication of equipment used in the production process.

She described the Centre for Dryland Agriculture at Bayero University as a true centre of excellence that offers practical learning capable of producing highly skilled agricultural professionals.

Garba expressed confidence that graduates of the SIBLING programme would enjoy strong employment prospects because of their practical competencies.

“As we popularise this concept, industries and employers will begin searching for graduates from this institution because they possess practical skills,” she said.

Beyond paid employment, she said the initiative is designed to produce agripreneurs who can establish their own businesses and create jobs for others.

“Our graduates will not just be job seekers. We are training them to become agripreneurs who can establish their own farms or provide private extension services that are commercially viable,” she said.

She added that students have access to a wide range of agricultural machinery and equipment, including tractors, tricycles for produce transportation, rice cutters, weeders and sprayers, enabling them to acquire practical experience before graduation.

According to Garba, the combination of practical training, entrepreneurship and modern agricultural technologies will contribute significantly to improved food security and sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria.