Yobe Agric Ministry, ACReSAL Train 178 Extension Workers
By Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu
As part of its strategic approach to revolutionizing agriculture, the Yobe State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources with support from Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), has trained 178 Agricultural Extension Workers selected from across the 17 Local Government Areas in the state.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the two-day workshop in Damaturu, the Commissioner for Ministry of Agriculture, Ali Mustapha Goniri revealed that the training programme was part of the recommendations of the State Agric Revitalization Committee.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Information Officer of ACReSAL, Ibrahim Baba Saleh.
Ali said that extension service delivery is key to effective dissemination of innovation in agricultural practices to the doorstep of peasant farmers.
According to him, Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration has invested a lot in the area of agriculture.
“The State Government has invested well over N15 Billion this year to procure inputs and equipment under the Agricultural Revitalization Programme. These inputs and equipment were distributed free of charge to selected beneficiaries across the 17 LGAs in the state,” the commissioner said.
He added that all the 178 extension workers and supervisors would receive new motorcycle each for easy movement while undertaking their jobs.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Musa Abba Kolere charged the newly engaged extension workers to be good ambassadors of their locality and step down approoriate knowledge to their respective farmers.
On his part, the State Project Coordinator ACReSAL, Shehu Alhaji Mohammed, informed the trainees that ACReSAL in partnership with relevant MDA’s would continue to provide capacity building to the agricultural extension workers to get farmers acquainted with modern techniques and climate-smart agriculture.
He said agriculture is more attractive when it brings more profit and produces less harm to the environment.
The Syndicate reports that resource persons took the participants through different topics including introduction to extension, extension methodology and approach, general extension service characteristics, communication, e-extension service delivery, introduction to farmers field school, and agri- business, among others.
