NAERILS FORUM National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS): - Six Decades of Farmer Education, Farm Broadcast and Agric Technology Dissemination

NAERILs, Director. Prof. Ilu

Any day the history of Nigerian Agricultural research development extension is written, it will be incomplete without a rich chapter on the indispensible role played by NAERLS in stimulating productivity, awareness creation, and sensitization on the many diverse interrelated fields of agriculture. NAERLS has this humbled beginning starting from Regional enclave overseeing extension research and liaison services for the defunct Northern Nigeriagovernment spreading to all the nooks and crannies of the present day 19 Northern states; representing the sudan, sahelian, northern and southern guinea agro ecological zones, respectively. NAERLS has created for itself a name and a reputation that is synonymous with field of agriculture in general and particularly the extension component. 

It is such a common household name because of its many strategic outreach programmes on Radio,TV,Cinema as well as the pivotal role in coordinating such unique agricultural events like agricultural shows, field days and field training that has come to be the hall mark of T&V system.It is indeed to the credit of the founding fathers of NAERLS that coupled the vision of the pioneering staff who through hard work and dedication navigated the path and established road map, which has come to be the NAERLS of today- a national, regional as well as a global player in Agricultural extension system.

A background understanding of NAERLS will introduce readers to the many issues on Nigerian agriculture and the perspective to be considered in analyzing its history. It is only then that the reader will appreciate agricultural development and the forces shaping it fortomorrow’s agricultural research and extension services.

Located in the middle of the main Campus of Ahmadu Bello University, NAERLS is sandwiched between the faculties of Veterinary medicine, Engineering and Agriculture from where it discharges its national mandate of agricultural extension delivery services

Historical Background 

NAERLS started as an extension outfitof Institute for AgriculturalResearch (IAR), Samaru in the late 50s  to undertake extension delivery services to the farmers of then Northern part of the Nigeria. By 1962, Ahmadu Bello University was established, IAR was transferred to the university as one of the university based Institutes and Centres.

A resolution by agricultural expertsin the late 50s to support the growth of the Nigerian economy through improved agricultural practices based on the collection, collation and dissemination of proven technologies was what transformed the extension outfit of IAR to Research and Liaison Section (RLS).By 1963, RLS became Extension Research Liaison Services(ERLS) to serve the entire northern Nigeria in the area of agricultural extension and liaison services.

 

In 1975, a statue- Ahmadu Bello University Governing Council Statue 19 gave ERLS autonomy; that was the end of the waning period under IAR.Thus, another letter was added to its name, the institute became Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (AERLS).

Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) were reorganized in 1987, which led to the transformation of AERLS to a national Institute with a national mandate as. NAERLS.This new toga gave the institute the national mandate to cover extension services for the entire nation.

Today, NAERLS is the only full pledged National Institute with agricultural extension mandate in the country. This unique institute has staff members with matrix duty schedules in extension, research, training and teachingof farmers, extension personnel as well as undergraduate and post graduate students in relevant faculties of the University.

Administrative Structure and Operation

NAERLS is headed by an Executive Director who controls the institute administration with a deputy director, two assistant directors, an institute secretary,headsof programmes, departments and units. NAERLS has more than one thousand employees distributed into Academic, Non-Academic and Technical categories.

Basically, NAERLS carries out research in technology development, transfer, adoption processes and extension methodology, tools methods and strategies. It collaborates with other research institutes in Nigeria and outside the country to conduct subject matter research. The institute also coordinates the production of television, radio, and documentaries on agricultural activities. It coordinates national/zonal agricultural capacity building targeting farmers, policy makers, investors, students, extension personnel and corporate bodies. NAERLS has consistently been known for its field problem identification and reporting especially by international organizations, government agencies, private investors who are ready consumers of its extension materials (journals, bulletins, guides, television and radio programmes.

In order to cover Nigeria better, NAERLS strategically operates six (6) zonal offices. The North East Office is in Maiduguri; the North West in Kano; the North Central in Bedeggi, Niger State; the South Westin Moor Plantation Ibadan, the South East in Umudike, Enugu State and the South-South (which came up in 2013) is operating from PortHarcourt.

For internal operation, the institute functions under six thematic programmes (four research and two extension training and outreach). They are: Agricultural Performance and Evaluation; Agricultural Extension Researches; Agricultural Economics, Policy and Resource Management, Agricultural Communication Research; Agricultural Extension Training and Outreach and Library Documentation and Information Resource programmes. 

Above these programmes are professional departments which include: Agric Media; Agricultural Extension and Economic Planning; Agricultural Engineering and Irrigation; Crop and Forestry; Food Technology and Rural Home Economics and Livestock Fisheries. Overall, the programmes and departments work in collaboration with specialized units such as: Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Adopted Village and Outreach Centres; Printing Press; Skill Acquisition and Development Center’ Farm Broadcast Studios (Radio & TV); Web and Multimedia and Information Communication Technology. The operational relationship goes further to engage some service support units, these are: the Public Relations Protocol and Advancement; the Transport and Transportation; the Residence Procurement/De Process; the Work andMaintenance; the Resident Internal Audit; the Staff Canteen; the Security and the Store Unit.

To date, NAERLS has had ten directors. The tenth director (current) Ismaila Ilu is an Agricultural Economist who has served the institute in numerous capacities. Ilu was the Assistant Director, Extension, Training and Outreach with the immediate past administration. 

The institute has contributed immensely to the development, promotion and adoption of best practices like the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), Community- Based Agric Extension Approach, (Warehouse Receipt System, many labour saving devices (irrigation/ Grand nut oil processing machines), production and distribution of more than 3 million copies of agricultural publications and  more than fifty completed research reports.

The Vision

To be the foremost institute for agricultural extension research and capacity development for effective service delivery increased agricultural productivity, sustainable agricultural growth and wealth creation.

Mission

Develop, collate, evaluate, disseminate agricultural technologies and conduct research in agricultural extension methodologies and policy; and provide leadership in capacity building of stakeholders to meet the present and future agricultural and development challenges of the country.

Information is supplied by the office of the Assistant Director, Extension, Training and Outreach; this is the maiden edition and additional window for NAERLS toinform and engage the public on agricultural extension and research matters in Nigeria.

Contacts:Dr. M. K. Othman, (Assistant Director)

mkothman@gmail.com, +2348065571637

National Agriculture Extension and Research Liaison Services

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Ahmadu Bello University

P.M.B 1067, Zaria, Kaduna State Nigeria.