FG advocates media and CSOs collaboration to accelerate food security

Amidst efforts to boost food security in the country, the federal government has called on media practitioners and Civil Society to collaborate with agricultural research institutes to scale down research findings to farmers at the grassroots

The call is against the backdrop of the launch of the National Electronic Extension Platform (NEEP) a digital platform aimed at knowledge dissemination, provide real-tim farmer support as well as evidence-based deci

The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) Prof Garba Sharubutu during an interaction with the media and CSOs urged the practitioners to use their platforms to ensure a wider reach to rural farmers.

While commending the NEEP platform launched by the Federal Department of Agriculture Extension, Sharubu pointed out that agricultural research council is central to the all the programs being implemented by the current administration.

While pointing out that ARCN was established to advice government in terms of agricultural research, training and extension services saying the council is central to the implementation of NEEP, National Agricultural Department Fund, and Renewed Hope Agricultural Technology Adoption Programme (RHATAP).

The ES called on the media and the CSOs to form a formidable force in the realization of the multi-disciplinary approach needed to achieving food security in the country..

He said the media needss to go beyond just reporting agricultural issues to sensitizing the farmers on government programs saying their plan is to have Researchers-Journalists-Civil Society- farmers linkage.

He said although the council has been working with a handful of practitioners to monitor their distribution of seeds, grains and fertilizer, but it’s important to monitor how the the farm inputss are biting utilized

The ES said “That is why I emphasized on the journalists -NGO-farmers collaboration so as change the knowledge of farmers, advise them on what seed to plant, because the NEEP platform has all those information, however we need the media to take it to the door steps of the farmers”.

Sharubutu stated that the methodologies of agricultural extension, the conduits through which knowledge, technology, and Innovation flow from research institutions to the farmer’s field-must not remain static while the world advances.

He stated to achieve their mandate, he said ARCN has deployed multiple Innovative mechanisms to bridge the gap between the technologies or modern farming practices emanating from the Research Institutes and the end-users.

He highlighted some of their achievements to include the commissioning of the first ever Nigerian Agricultural Television (ARCN-TV) and Radio in 2021 as well as the Electronic Technology Transfer (ETT)portal where both the experts on various commodity value chain from the NARIS/FCAs, the extensionists and farmers can communicate, exchange voice, data, video access over the phone through telecom value added service provider (VAS).

Sharubutu added that th Council also established an Agricultural Research Museum which serve as one-stop-shop for all the commercializable findings of the NARIS and FCAs.