Stakeholders in the Agricultural Sector, under the umbrella of the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) Icon 2 Project, supported by the Mastercard Foundation, on Thursday presented the Draft Agricultural Extension Revitalization Bill to the Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture.
The Executive Director of WOFAN Hajia Salamatu Garba, noted that the stakeholders were able to get to the conclusion of the draft agric extension revitalization bill after moving it from zero to third draft before cleaning up based recommendations they got earlier before presenting it to the Senate.
Garba noted that the Senate will pick it up and invite the Ministry and the relevant stakeholders and they will revisit it before they domesticate it.
She said the bill is not to create controversy, but rather sustain food security in Nigeria.
Furthermore, Hajia Garba explained that WOFAN Icon 2 Project, which is supported by Mastercard Foundation, works through extension services. She said WOFAN is currently working with 675,000 farmers in 10 states in Nigeria and 1500 extension workers
She said extension workers are not properly supported, that is one of the reasons why they are supporting a system which will bring in more extension services, which means once they build the capacity of extension workers, capacity of farmers is also built.
“If we strengthen and prioritize the agricultural extension system, we are going to get it right”, she said.
Professor Ikani Emmanuel, Executive Director National Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Services, Zaria explained that through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, they were able to produce an agricultural extension policy that was passed by the Federal Executive Council.
He said expressed concern that the extension delivery service in Nigeria is unorganised and there is no law backing it.
He explained that through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, they were able to produce an agricultural extension policy that was passed by the Federal Executive Council.
Also, Hajia Maimuna Lawal, Executive Director, Green Pillars Enterprise said the bill made provision to cater for the needs of women in agriculture and also those who are physically challenged.
Hajia Lawal noted that they put into consideration the needs of women and those living with disabilities needs and how extension can reach out to them and also help them improve their own productivity.
