FG launches national electronic extension platform to boost food security

The Federal Government has launched the National Electronic Extension Platform (NEEP) aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and food security in Nigeria .

BusinessDay reports that the platform was unveiled during the National Agricultural Research Extension Summit, which began on Wednesday in Abuja, with the theme ‘Sustainable Agricultural Extension Service Delivery in Nigeria: The Role of Digital Technology.’

Speaking during the event in Abuja, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, said, “One of the major mandates of the ministry is to ensure food security, which could be achieved by promoting various programmes and schemes that would enhance farmers’ production and productivity.”

The Minister emphasised the importance of leveraging technology to promote agricultural extension services delivery to farmers.

He said, “The NEEP is a digital-based platform designed to enhance and effectively work with the National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) and other relevant institutions in the sphere of agricultural extension systems.

“The platform will augment the low extension agent-to-farmer ratio, provide farmers with access to good and impactful agricultural information in real-time, and bypass the risk of insecurity associated with extension service delivery.”

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Earlier, Deola Tayo Lordbanjou, Director of the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Service, highlighted the significance of agricultural extension services in translating research findings, innovative practices, and new technologies into practical solutions for farmers.

He said the National Agricultural Research Extension Summit was aimed at exploring opportunities for collaboration, identifying strategies for seamless technology adoption, and enhancing agricultural productivity and food security in Nigeria.

“As it is well known, the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension is vested with the mandate to provide leadership, coordination, quality control and assurance for the overall effective delivery of Agricultural Extension Service in the country”, he said.

He noted that the Department had been deliberate and systematic in giving the extension landscape in the country a face-lift through collaborative efforts.

In achieving this, the Ministry has invited all the key stakeholders in the National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) to brainstorm and proffer solutions to the very weak research-extension-farmers-inputs linkage system as well as proper harnessing of available resources (both human and material)

Ogunbiyi Marcus, the Permanent Secretary, in his opening remarks, emphasised the importance of collaboration and effective deployment of digital technology in achieving outstanding outcomes in agricultural extension service delivery.