The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Wednesday began a three-day training for 50 agricultural extension agents in Edo for effective service delivery.
Declaring the workshop opened, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar, said the training became necessary due to the importance of extension service delivery in the revitalization agenda of Nigeria’s economy by the Federal Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop focused on agricultural value chains in cassava, rice and poultry as well as effective extension service delivery.
The minister, who was represented by the federal Director of Agriculture in Edo, Wellington Omoragbon, described agricultural extension delivery as a driver for all agricultural policies and research, without which all efforts in the agricultural ecosystem would not realize the intended goals.
“Over the years, the fortitude of the agricultural extension system has depleted due to decreased funding, policy changes, reduced manpower, and lack of interest of young people in agricultural entrepreneurship.
“This situation has affected food production, exposing the country to the danger of unemployment, youth restiveness, and economic instability.
“This training is one of the several strategies planned by the ministry to up the skills in the agricultural extension system with the aim of pursuing the revitalization agenda of Nigeria’s economy by the Federal Government,” he said.
Abubakar said one of the key recommendations of a committee set up on the revitalization was to build the capacity of youth and existing practitioners in the agricultural extension delivery system.
This, the minister said, would expose and equip them with best global practices and tools to enable them to deliver with efficiency.
Earlier, Dr. Mohammed Bello, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said the intervention was geared towards revamping interest in agriculture through extension services.
Represented by Veronica Okoties, an Assistant Director in the ministry, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to build their capacity and knowledge base on the value chain.
Also in his remark, Peter Aikhumobhogbe, the Permanent Secretary, Edo Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said Gov. Godwin Obaseki, has approved the employment of 50 extension agents to improve extension service delivery in the state.
He noted, however, that only 24 had been employed due to a lack of qualified applicants, calling on youths with requisite qualifications to apply.