Agriculture
State Govts, Stakeholders Meet On Agric Extension Bill
Following the need to strengthen the extension service system in Nigeria, stakeholders including Commissioners of Agriculture, Permanent Secretaries in State Ministries of Agriculture and some key Heads of government agencies on Wednesday met on the updated Draft Agricultural Extension Service Delivery Revitalization Bill.
According to the stakeholders at the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN-ICON) Project, this move will be a pillar to economic growth and livelihood improvement in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of WOFAN, Hajia Salamatu Garba, at the Stakeholders meeting, said there are Commissioners of Agriculture from 11 states present, some Permanent Secretaries and value chain key players to look at agricultural policy and translate it into bill hoping that it will be passed by the National Assembly.
She said a lot of research works have been done but they have not been translated into action, “we need all the inputs we can get from various stakeholders to make a successful bill so as not to be turned down.
“We have reached a stage where we look indepthly at the agricultural policy and translate it into a bill which we are hoping to pass to the National Assembly”, Salamatu said.
Salamatu further said the reason for involving stakeholders was for them to claim ownership of the bill, “that is why the commissioners are here and the suggestions of the technical committee on agriculture and the three tiers of government is needed.”
Also, the Commissioner for Agriculture in Kebbi state, Maigari Dakingari, said “ Nigeria is passing through a shortage of food, the Agricultural Development Projects (ADPSs) before made agriculture successful because of the type of extension services delivery they provided.
“Now the problem agriculture is having is poor funding, there is need to improve on this. We need to allow private extension services to play and contribute to the agricultural sector and boost food sufficiency,” he said.
He pledged the support of the state government to domesticate the bill and ensure its speedy passage.
In the same vein, the Commissioner of Agriculture from Bauchi State, Professor Simon Yalams, advocated capacity building and inclusiveness to promote the agriculture sector.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Cross River State, Johnson Ebokpo, said Nigeria has about 70 percent of farmers that cannot meet up 50 percent of food demand in the country.
Ebokpo said the problem of Agriculture in Nigeria is extension, adding that in the United kingdom, extension service has legislative backing. He stated that the effect of not having a clear legal framework around the extension service delivery was apparent.
According to him, extension bridges the gap between research and the farmers “in terms of funding and other forms of resources required to drive extension in Nigeria we will continue to face food insecurity challenge.”
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
