e-Extension for farmers soon says NAERL boss

*  100 workers already trained for operations

The Executive Director, National Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Office (NAERLS) Prof.  Mohahammed Uthman

Agricultural extension services via phones and internet is set for launching, very soon. This was disclosed by the Executive Director, National Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Office (NAERLS) Prof.  Mohahammed Uthman in Zaria, recently.

The National Farmers’ Help Line according to Prof. Uthman is meant to transfer technologies to farmers through a call in interactions that could save huge agricultural losses at all the value chains, and the centre would be launched next month (June).

Othman  explained that the project which was commissioned by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Chief Audu Ogbeh  earlier on, was already being pre-tested adding that about 100 newly employed staff have already gone through training that would ensure effective operation of the centres across the nation.

He explained that the emergence of the e-extension became imperative as a result of the need to reach farmers on one-on-one interactions, for immediate intervention on any mishap or disease outbreak from any farms, before the situation gets out of hand.

 The NAERLS boss pointed out that ‘’the evolution of social media has given a paradigm shift from traditional media, its coverage is wider, faster and at low cost to farmers so there is need to combine the two towards a better transfer of improved technologies and market information to all our farmers across the states of the federation as five electronic extension centres will be fully operational next month to attend to the questions and needs of farmers in an interactive form on phones”.

The Head of Department, e-extension/ Coordinator of the NAERLS National farmers’ help line, Prof. Bashir Sani also told Foodfarmnews that  Global System for Mobile Communication ( GSM) would help in creating wealth and job for the youths and women, and also fulfil government’s dream of repositioning the economy from oil to agriculture.

He said the multiplier positive effect of the centre would be great to agricultural productivity towards food security and export through meeting global standard that would be accepted as farmers are exposed to more improved technologies, market opportunities and prices.

He commended the efforts of the management of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) through the Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh whose support for the centre has been of great help saying there was need for more funding for the centre, reason so as to be able to give sustainable services in the face of challenges like epileptic power supply necessitating the use of diesel to power generators adding that ‘’ funding is improving, but the recurrent cost of running the centre is high as a result of generator use, therefore government must give more support for sustainability.”

Continuing, he said: ‘’Also there is need for constant training of the workers in view of technologies dynamics so as to be abreast of time in term of technical capacity in the use Information and Communication Technology ( ICT) that will make the centre effective both locally and internationally for the purpose of training the trainers.’’

Food Farm News’ visit to the centre showed that pre-test work had already started as calls were being received from different states and enquiries on challenges being faced by farmers on different aspects of agricultural practices answered.

Checks showed that the centre, set to interact with farmers in five major languages of Yoruba, Hausa, Ibo, English and Pidgin is present operating skeletally handling about 30 calls at a time. And other locations are in Ibadan, Badeggi, Niger-State, Porthacourt, Umedike and Zaria is the national hub centre.