ABUJA – Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, has stated that without efficient, impactful and responsive pluralistic agriculture extension services, Nigeria cannot transform her agricultural sector and achieve food security.
Kyari stated this on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the National Agricultural Extension Service Impact-sharing Workshop, jointly organised by the USAID Agricultural Extension Activity and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Abuja.
Kyari, represented by Dr. Deola -Tayo Lordbanjou, Director, Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Services in the Ministry, explained that the Agriculture Extension Service is a strategic vehicle for delivering innovative, effective and innovative solutions to the doorsteps of Nigerian smallholder farmers.
He explained that his Ministry in the last four years has collaborated with the USAID Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Extension Activity to improve extension and advisory services for increased food productivity and income generation for over two million smallholder farmers in Nigeria.
While commending the USAID Extension Activity for enhancing the capacity of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to provide most impactful agricultural practices to smallholder farmers, the Minister pointed out that since 2020, that both parties have collaborated and promoted the MSME-led extension services delivery.
According to Kyari, “The parties have jointly identified several most impactful agricultural practices as business solutions for the farmers, trained MSMEs and through coaching, transformed them into extension delivery firms.
“The parties also jointly promoted market aligned business solutions through the Agricultural Development Programmes and the States’ Ministries of Agriculture, to resolve systematic challenges in extension services for smallholder farmers.
“This partnership, therefore, not only identified business solutions for the smallholder farmers, but also integrated innovative private extension delivery approaches in the National Agricultural Extension Policy and Agricultural Extension Teaching Manual.
“The impact of this collaboration spans new business solutions, enhanced business growth, and created jobs for both youth and women while boosting access to market for MSMEs and farmers.