Minister describes Agricultural Extension Service Bill as game changer in food productivity
The honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu S. Abdullahi, CON, has described the Agricultural Extension Service Bill as a game changer that will revolutionise the agricultural sector and eradicate lingering hunger among the populace.
The bill, which has passed through its first reading on the floor of the House of Representatives, is pushed by stakeholders in the agricultural sector under the umbrella of the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), in collaboration with MasterCard Foundation.
Speaking at the technical update meeting held in Abuja, the minister said the bill is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to ensure that ‘no Nigerian sleeps hungry’.
He offered insights into some key aspects of the bill and pledged the support of the Ministry of Agric towards its implementation and sustainability.
“Our visionary President, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, desires a country where no man or woman goes to bed hungry. This means food should be available all over the place.
“So, how to produce this food is what Extension Agents are designed to help you achieve. Extension Agents are key to how farmers are supposed to operate. And so, to me, the proposed bill will be a game changer, and I think with this, Nigeria will begin to show that we are serious with our Agriculture,” he said.
Also speaking during the event, WOFAN DG, Hajia Salamatu Garba, emphasised that a successful extension service system will not only help farmers, who will produce better results if they receive good extension support, but also generate more people to agriculture, particularly young people.
She said the (WOFAN-ICON2) Project is a five-year intervention which seeks to create decent and sustainable employment opportunities for 675,000 youth between 18 and 35 years old as part of Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works (YAW) strategy with the main goal of ensuring that the young participants living across 10 Nigerian states have improved quality of life.
Hajia Salamatu acknowledged the importance of the extensible bill as part of renewed efforts to boost agricultural development and food production in Nigeria.
Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, state ministries of agriculture, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private sector representatives, scholars, media, women and youth-led agribusiness members attended the meeting.
Proofreading by Gift Luckson, Editor at Neptune Prime.
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