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NAERILs, Director. Prof. Ilu
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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.
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