Why we establish Radio, TV, says ARCN boss

The Executive Secretary (ES) Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Garba Sharabutu has said the newly commissioned agricultural radio and television stations of the agency are meant to fill the gap of insufficient airtime allocations being given on other stations to air improved technologies news on  agricultural research to farmers.

Prof. Sharabutu said this at the official commissioning of the two communication outfits at the Agency promises last week Monday at Abuja.

The ARCN ES explained that food system positioning of the country needs a strategic communication with  sufficient air time dedicated for research and technologies innovation extension to farmers on regular basis at a very affordable prices saying that high rate of commercial payment in both public and private media organizations are too expensive for any agricultural institutes to cope with.

 Sharabutu pointed that “Before now, the agricultural research system has relied on either national or commercial radio stations. Most of these radio stations are self-sustaining, and always seek for funding through every program we aired, and by the time we computed from all the agricultural research institutes and put up what is needed to actually take the messages to the people that we consider to establish these agricultural television and radio stations for the benefit of farmers’ access to information’’

Commissioning the facilities, Agriculture and Rural Development minister, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar buttressed that the facilities would strengthen research collaborations, and as well provide a platform for timely dissemination of agricultural information and showcasing of agricultural interventions in the country.

According to him “This official commissioning of this world-class facilities comprising of a digital museum and documentation centre for referencing agricultural research information and knowledge, an electronic library, which is to aid research by providing greater access to recent advances in agricultural sciences using the television and radio stations as link to millions of Nigerians with firsthand agricultural information’’

The President, Fishery Association of Nigeria, Otunba Gabriel Ogunsanya wants the facilities to be used to enhance transfer of improved technologies to farmers in the grassroots in the country saying it would enhance food productivity system with transfer of best agronomics knowledge to farmers for practical use.

Otunba Ogunsanya said that the launched of the stations would help to further disseminate agricultural information to farmers adding that lack of it, cum extension workers and access to quality seed have resulted to many of the farmers’ losses in the past years.