Editorial: Let the Governors take extension services seriously by funding

 

The funding disposition of many if not all states' Governors to food security is the point of concern in this editorial, even in the instances of increased budgetary allocations by the Federal Government ( FG) to the governors every month.

With these increased monthly allocations, no governors had any reason not to properly fund agriculture and agro-related matters towards sustainable food security and job creation to make more wealth and foreign earnings.

All this will be a mirage if there is no proper channel of modern technologies transfer to the rural farmers through these departments of Agricultural Development ( ADPs) that must be properly funded.

And also, the renewed hope of food security in Nigeria will amount to a cloud without rain if the state governors do not intentionally fund a system of technology transfer to rural farmers for the best agricultural practices to enhance food security in the country.

For over two decades, the complaint about the deplorable conditions of most ADPs in the country has been a major issue without any proactive solution, as rural farmers are yearly denied the best agro technologies and training just because state extension officers cannot perform accordingly due to improper funding.

The two recently held annual agricultural research farming review activities of the previous years by the major Institutes, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, and IAR&T, Ibadan, showed how stakeholders pathetically lamented over almost zero performance of these sensitive departments to food security, thereby calling on the governors for proper funding to achieve best agronomic practices.

We need to remind our Governors of the irreparable impact of climate change challenges to farming activities that require climate-smart technologies, which cannot be achieved without the involvement of extension officers from these ADPs

The stakeholders at the annual agricultural research activities review at the different events of IAR and IAR&T  jointly called on the states' governors to harness the potential in agriculture to create more jobs through ensuring the right tools and inputs in the hands of farmers through extension officers that are well funded to effectively perform their duties.

Doing this will impact positively in agricultural practices of rural farmers towards sustainable food security, and the dividends of democracy will also be obvious in the country.