FG employs 130,000 graduates as extension workers

Audu Ogbeh, the minister of agriculture and rural development, says 130,000 graduate youth have been employed to offer extension services to farmers across the country.

The minister disclosed this at the 24th agricultural extension society of Nigeria (AESON) annual national conference in Abuja on Monday.

Ogbeh, represented by Karima Babangida, the director of extension service department in the ministry, said the youth were engaged under the social investment programme (SIP) of the federal government.

According to him, extension service needs to be revamped to strengthen the government’s agricultural development process, especially in the commodity value chains.

He said the graduates were trained and would soon be given tablets to effectively deliver on their mandate.

“Extension service has a crucial role to play in reviving the agricultural sector in the country,” he said.

“Our country has enormous potential for agricultural development.

“Besides production, support is also given to other value chains with processing equipment to farmers to add value to their produce and make more money.

“Farmers’ knowledge and skills need to be improved and enhanced to improve their commodities across all the value chains to facilitate improved agricultural productivity in the country.

“This is where extension services are required, in addition to strengthening the capacity of farmers to boost their productivity.”

The minister, however, noted that the country’s extension system was not currently in the best of form to effectively deliver on its mandate.

“This is why the government is working towards bringing extension workers back to assist farmers with best practices,’’ he said.

Ogbeh pledged the ministry’s support wherever it was needed to make agriculture to take its rightful place in the country, to enhance the competitiveness of its agricultural products at the global market.