By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria
The National Agricultursl Extension Research and Liason Services (NAERLS) in collaboration with FGN/IFAD/Value Chain Development Programme, have trained 102 Women and Youths on Rice and Casava on the use of ICT for virtual meeting and training (Zoom and Google meeting).
The training took place at (NAERLS) Conference Hall, the aim, to empower them with the knowledge and skills on how to become digital extension facilitators.
Declaring the training open, the Executive Director of NAERLS, Professor Emannuel Ikani advised the participants to make use of the knowledge they were provided on good agronomic practices as farming is now a business oriented.
Prof. Ikani stressed the importance of increasing productivity, livelihood, and food security through boosting farming activities in the country.
The objective of the training is to enhance the capacity of the women and youth and to deliver e- extension services to smallholder farmers in their respective states.
Giving an overview of the training, Mr. Musa Dalang of (VCDP) has applauded the turn out of the participants and the initiative of the training.
Mr. Dalang emphasized the importance of the training as the women and youth are expected to share their knowledge with the farmers in their communities for them to benefit others.
He urged them to ensure that they involve grass-level farmers in their activities during the span of production and tasked them on the need for increased intentional gender mainstreaming of the training.
Various topics related to e-extention and digital extension were discussed at the five days training of women and youth from nine states.
The participants gained new knowledge and skills on dry and raining season farming and improved their confidence and motivation to apply what they learnt in their farms and communities.
Some of the participants expressed appreciation for what they described as an apt and timely training programme.
The 102 participants made of 61 male and 41 female were drawn from nine states, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Cross River, Benue, Anambra and Niger.
