The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said that one hundred and thirty thousand graduate youths have been employed to offer extension services to farmers across the country.
Chief Ogbeh disclosed this at the 24th Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria, AESON, Annual National Conference in Abuja yesterday.
The Minister, who was represented by the Director of Extension Service Department in the ministry, Mrs. Karima Babangida, said that the youths were engaged under the Social Investment Programme 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 that the graduates were trained and would soon be given tablets to effectively deliver on their mandate.
The minister, however, noted that the country’s extension system was not currently in the best of form to effectively deliver on its mandate hence the reason why government is working towards bringing extension workers back to assist farmers with best practices.
Chief Ogbeh pledged the ministry’s support wherever it was needed to make agriculture take its rightful place in the country to enhance the competiveness of its agricultural products at the global market.
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