Agriculture
has contributed a great deal to the sustenance of Nigerian economy since
independence; unfortunately, the discovery of crude oil has relegated it to the
background. Low level of agricultural mechanization technologies have made
agriculture unattractive among the youths who form the larger percentage of the
nation’s workforce resulting in the loss of glory of the sector.
Despite
the efforts of Government, agricultural research development institutions and the
academia to reverse the low agricultural mechanization indices in Nigeria,
these indigenous technologies are faced with low awareness and patronage.
The
National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) whose mandate is to
develop adaptive and innovative agricultural mechanization technologies is
championing the drive and has recorded very modest achievements over the years
in this area. However, there is a lacuna between the indigenously developed
agricultural mechanization technologies and its adoption by the end users.
It
was on this premise that NCAM organized the second batch of the stakeholders’
meeting with Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) Managers and Directors
of extension from fifteen (15) states comprising Akwa-Ibom, Cross River,
Rivers, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe,
Taraba and Enugu States. Various research institutions across the country also
participated actively in the meeting. Others in attendance were Cassava Growers
Association (CGA), the academia and the Publisher of Food Farm News, Abuja and
other press men to capture the event.
The
meeting made the following observations, that there is: -
1.
Inadequate funding
for effective research, development and extension delivery;
2.
Grossly inadequate
extension personnel for effective service delivery
3.
Inadequate facilities
and training for extension workers;
4.
High cost of
procuring and maintaining available agricultural mechanization technologies by
farmers;
5.
Weak synergy between
researchers, extension officers and farmers on the promotion and
commercialization of proven agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs) in
Nigeria;
6.
Lack of
sustainability of extension service delivery structures;
7.
Problem of land
fragmentation due to the existing land tenure system
8.
Non enough proven
agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs) that are gender friendly;
9.
High preference for
imported agricultural machineries;
10.
Weak synergy between
National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization and Federal Department of
Extension on agricultural mechanization extension
services;
11.
Lack of commitment,
political will and poor agricultural mechanization extension policy
implementation by the government; and
12.
Lack of functional
agricultural mechanization policy in Nigeria.
At
the end of the deliberations, the followings were recommended to address the
identified observations: -
1.
There should be adequate
budgetary provision and prompt release of funds for efficient agricultural
mechanization research, development and extension service delivery;
2.
Qualified agricultural
mechanization extension officers should be recruited on regular basis to
interface between the research and development institutions and end users;
3.
Training and re-training
of extension personnel should be carried out on regular basis;
4.
Government should
introduce subsidy on finished agricultural mechanization technologies as it is
been done for fertilizers, seeds, etc.;
5.
Synergy between
researchers, extension officers and farmers on the promotion and
commercialization of proven agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs)
should be strengthened through Research Extension Farmers – Input Linkage
Systems (REFILS), agricultural technology field days and Monthly Technology
Review Meetings (MTRMs);
6.
Sustainability
arrangements should be factored into existing extension service delivery
structures;
7.
ADPs in the 36 states
and the federal capital territory should be custodian and commercialization
partners of NCAM proven agricultural mechanization technologies;
8.
Farmers should be
encouraged to form cooperatives/clusters to collectively access needed agricultural
mechanization technologies;
9.
Research institutions
should improve on the ergonomics of their technologies to make it more gender
friendly;
10.
Need for attitudinal
change by all stakeholders as well as a government policy to enforce the
adoption of indigenous technologies are recommended.
11.
Proposal to establish
Agricultural Mechanization Coordinating Unit (AMCU) under the Engineering and
Mechanization Division of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development should be considered.
12.
The government should
put in place and implement the agricultural mechanization policy in Nigeria to
drive and sustain the sector.
COMMUNIQUE DRAFTING COMMITTEE
S/No.
|
Name
|
Organization
|
Designation
|
1.
|
Dr. B. A. Achem
|
IFAD-CASP
|
Chairman
|
2.
|
Engr. Prof. J. O.Olaoye
|
University of Ilorin
|
Member
|
3.
|
Engr. Dr. I. C. Ozumba
|
NCAM
|
Member
|
4.
|
Dr. M. O. Sunmonu
|
University of Ilorin
|
Member
|
5.
|
Mr. H. C. Nnadi
|
Imo ADP
|
Member
|
6.
|
Engr. Dr. O.A.Ogunjirin
|
NCAM
|
Secretary
|
7.
|
Engr. O.O. Opadotun
|
NCAM
|
Secretariat
|
8.
|
Engr. Iorpev, Terhemba
|
NCAM
|
Secretariat
|
9.
|
Mr. Nwosu, Caesar
|
NCAM
|
Secretariat
|
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