By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria.
The Vice Chancellor Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Professor Ibrahim Garba has described Agricultural Extension as a major driver of development in many sectors of Nigeria’s economy which needs to be planned and involve stakeholders to streamline it.
Prof Garba stated this at the 2016 National Agricultural Extension Review and Planning Meeting held at NAERLS/ABU Zaria.
Represented by by Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Professor Ezra Bako Amans, the VC said he believed that effective agricultural extension is a sure strategy in charting ways out of the economic recession through agriculture.
According to him, there is no better time to discuss Nigeria Agriculture than now as some of the recent news about food security in Nigeria paint gloomy pictures of poverty and hunger.
Prof. Garba said government has embarked on the training of one hundred thousand graduates on agricultural extension service under the agricultural component of the N-Power programme.
In his welcome address, the Director NAERLS Professor M K Othman said the main objective of the meeting is to harmonize their extension and research activities.
He said they are hosting a National Farmer Help Line Centre through their e-extension platform with a bid to reach out to a larger member of farmers on real time extension activities.
The Director appealed to all stakeholders to brainstorm and make input on how to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness for better extension delivery services come 2017.
