National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS): - Six Decades of Farmer Education, Farm Broadcast and Agric Technology Dissemination (Continuation Part 2)

 

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, heads of 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.