COMMUNIQUE THAT EMANATED FROM THE VALIDATION WORKSHOP OF STAKEHOLDERS ON THE WAY FORWARD TOWARDS EXTENSION OF NEW INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA HELD AT THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION (NCAM) ON WEDNESDAY, 20TH JANUARY, 2021.

 

The call for Nigeria to diversify from oil has now become imperative in the face of dwindling economy that has been driven by crude oil, however in the face of declined production and low cost of crude oil, the utilization of other sources of energy such as renewable, solar, hydro, wind, etc., have taken the centre stage. These coupled with the global pandemic (COVID-19 Pandemic) necessitated the need to diversify the economy to the agricultural sector which has the potential to mitigate food insecurity. For agriculture to run as a business, mechanization becomes inevitable. The National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) has recorded modest achievements in the development of technologies to address mechanization needs of small and medium scale farmers in Nigeria.

Despite NCAM’s achievements, majority of the farmers expected to benefit from the developed technologies are not aware of their existence. This revealed a lacuna in the area of extension of the developed technologies. The adoption of NCAM and other locally developed technologies is rated low thus the need to address these problems.

It was on this premise that NCAM organized two (2) stakeholders’ workshops in 2019 and 2020 to fashion a way forward TOWARDS EXTENSION OF NEW INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA. Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) Managers from twelve (12) states (Sokoto, Kaduna, Oyo, Nasarawa, Benue, Kano, Ogun, Niger, Ekiti, Katsina, Kwara, Osun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)) on 16^th July 2019 and Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) Managers and Directors of extension from fifteen (15) states (Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Taraba and Enugu States) on 28^th January, 2020 participated in the workshop. Research and tertiary institutions across the country were also in attendance at both meetings as well as Cassava Growers Association (CGA) and All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) including members from media houses.

In a bid to harmonize the recommendations from the previous stakeholders’ workshops, a validation workshop was held on the 20^th January, 2021 at NCAM,where all the state ADPs, representatives of tertiary institutions and relevant government agencies participated. The harmonized and validated observations and recommendations are summarised below.

The meeting observed the followings, that: 

1.           there are various technologies developed to address mechanization needs of small and medium scale farmers in NCAM, of which some are ready for uptake by end users;

2.           the high cost of fabrication materials has negative impact on the overall cost of finished products thereby making it unaffordable to the end users (farmers);

3.           there is dire need of raw materials for effective production of AMTs;

4.           there are insufficient proven agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs) that are gender friendly;

5.           there exists high preference for imported agricultural machineries;

6.           there are gross inadequate frontline technical extension personnel to disseminate developed agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs);

7.           there is weak linkage between research, extension and farmers on the promotion and commercialization of proven agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs);

8.           there is lack of synergy among agencies and tertiary institutions involved in the development of AMTs thereby making standardization a herculean task for NCAM;

9.           despite the fact that there are some proven technologies, there has been very low level of commercialization of such agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs);

10.        ADPs as critical stakeholders are not adequately aware of the on-shelf agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs) developed in the Centre and the country at large;

11.        there is inadequate funding for effective extension delivery, this is also reflected in poor remuneration and motivation of extension personnel;

12.        lack of legal framework is inhibiting NCAM to enforce her mandate to standardize and certify local and imported agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs);

13.        there is no updated database of agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs) in the country;

14.        the cost of publicity and extension of agricultural mechanization technological especially through the media (print and electronic) is very high and prohibitive; and

15.        there is inconsistency in policy implementation due to lack of functional agricultural mechanization policy in Nigeria.

 

At the end of the validation meeting, the followings are hereby recommended to address the identified observations: -

1.        there should be attitudinal change by all stakeholders as well as a change in government policy to enforce the adoption of indigenous technologies: through follow up, demonstration, motivation and subsidy on agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs);

2.        the three tiers of government in Nigeria should introduce subsidy on finished agricultural mechanization technologies as it is been done for fertilizers, seeds, etc.;

3.        Government owned steel industries should as a matter of priority be revamped as a way for making raw materials for fabrication of AMTs readily available and affordable;

4.        research institutions and fabricators should improve on the ergonomics and aesthetic of their technologies to make it more gender friendly and attractive;

5.        production and extension of low-cost technology tools by NCAM for rural farmers in order to reduce the drudgery inherent in their daily farming activities should be supported;

6.        qualified agricultural mechanization extension officers (Extension Agricultural Engineers) should be recruited on regular basis to interface between the AMTs research and development institutions;

7.        there should be partnership between the private sector and research & development institutions in the area of commercialization of proven technologies: through identification and collaboration;

8.        synergy between researchers, extension officers and farmers on the promotion and commercialization of proven agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs) should be strengthened through re-engineered Research Extension Farmers – Input Linkage Systems (REFILS), agricultural technology field days and Monthly Technology Review Meetings (MTRMs);

9.        NCAM needs to identify stakeholders in AMTs; Research & Development Institutions, Farmers’ Group, Agricultural Machinery Fabricators, Industrialists; and facilitate commercialization workshop on proven AMTs with focus on Quadruple Helix Model;

10.     training and re-training of extension personnel on AMTs should be carried out on quarterly basis by NCAM in collaboration with NAERLS;

11.     there should be adequate budgetary provision and timely release of fund for efficient agricultural mechanization research, development and extension service delivery in order to come up with adequate AMTs, enhance capacity building and motivate the extension agents;

12.     NCAM should be empowered by law to enforce her mandatory roles of standardization, certification, monitoring and enforcement of application only approved and certified Agricultural Machinery in Nigeria either locally produced or imported;

13.     NCAM should identify and collaborate with stakeholders in the agricultural mechanization sector and provide the leadership role to synchronize their activities in order to enhance regular update of database of AMTs across the country;

14.     a legal framework should be put in place to allow NCAM deliver on her mandates on extension of agricultural mechanization technologies through subsidized cost of airing extension technology services by the broadcasting stations, this will assist in reaching out and extending relevant technologies to the farmers and agripreneurs: through advocacy visits to print and electronic media houses; and

15.     formulation and implementation of the agricultural mechanization policy in Nigeria by relevant stakeholders (Engineering and mechanization division of the Federal Department of Agriculture, NCAM, NIAE, Universities, other R&D institutions) to drive and sustain the sector should be fast tracked by the government.

 

HARMONIZED COMMUNIQUE DRAFTING COMMITTEE

S/No.	Name	Organization	Designation
1.	Engr. Prof. J. O. Olaoye	University of Ilorin	Chairman
2.	Prof. M. M. Jaliyah	NAERLS, Zaria	Member
3.	Engr. Dr. I. C. Ozumba	NCAM, Ilorin	Member
4.	Engr. Dr. O. A. Ogunjirin	NCAM, Ilorin	Secretary
5.	Engr. O. O. Opadotun	NCAM, Ilorin	Secretariat
6.	Engr. Iorpev, Terhemba	NCAM, Ilorin	Secretariat