The Federal Government has called for a shift from supply-driven agricultural extension services to a demand-driven system that provides farmers with verified information based on their specific needs and market requirements.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, made the call on Wednesday at the Africa Agribusiness Extension Summit, where stakeholders discussed the development of sustainable agricultural advisory infrastructure across Africa.

Kyari said the development of extension infrastructure must begin with an understanding of farmers, their needs and the markets for their produce.

“We need to look at the infrastructure we are talking about. First, we need to look at the knowledge. Because it is the knowledge that leads farmers to whatever you call extension. Then you need to look at the farmers themselves. Who are the farmers? If you don’t take note of who the farmers are, pay attention to who they are, what they do.

“No matter how much strength or knowledge, you are only transmitting it against the wind. If our farmers are not ready to listen to you, you will only suffer in silence. So that is why I brought in the leg of the farmers. Then the next one is to talk about the market. And I am driving my thesis in one direction. Whatever we do for the extension system, we must develop a demand-driven extension system.”

According to the minister, agricultural extension infrastructure must be anchored on farmers’ demand rather than simply supplying information.

“And the infrastructure we are talking about must be anchored on that premise. In essence, the infrastructure must be a demand pool infrastructure. We have been dealing with supply.

“There is information overload as we have it today. Another danger is artificial intelligence. Now, people can create phantom farms. Produce phantom knowledge and give you phantom realities. How do you deal with that? And that is why the idea behind the demand pool extension infrastructure is critical,” he said.

Kyari said farmers seeking information should be connected with verified and certified extension agents to reduce the spread of inaccurate agricultural information.

“Because the man who is making the demand now knows exactly what he is looking for. All you need to do, as I have already seen the extension Africa doing, is to now create verified, certified, available, and accessible agents, extension agents, that this demand side can actually link up to anytime they want to have information.

“In that manner, the man who is making the demand is going to get genuine information. And genuine information provided repeatedly, on and on, builds trust. The moment trust is built, the system is now going to have integrity. And the integrity is what will reinforce the other infrastructure that you are talking about.”

The minister stressed that extension services could not be effectively developed without a functional market for agricultural produce.

“Now, the demand pool is not possible if the market is not available, if the market is not accessible, and if the market is not developed. Today, there is a massive demand for some commodities produced in Nigeria, looking at the export market. Sesame seed is one; hibiscus is another.

“Now, these commodities, the market is already demanding them. And the tendency for most of us Nigerians is to rush into that market, wanting to just take the opportunity and cash in. And many people who have done that, with the wrong information, with the wrong knowledge base, have had their fingers burnt. Negative feedback loop. And this is where the danger is,” he said.

Kyari said farmers needed to understand market requirements before going into production, particularly for export commodities.

“If you have to develop anything, extension, information, or material, it must be done from this market side. Who are the people who are demanding this product? What do they want? What exactly will make them reject your product? That should be the beginning. And what kind of money is available? Millions of dollars are available.

“That is enough inspiration. But how do you get or crack open these millions of dollars? It is by supplying the kind of product that they want. Not the product that you think you have. That is where the problem comes in. So for me, this mindset is what the next breed of extension and advisory services must begin to crack. And that is why I find it very innovative that this summit is being joined by agribusiness and extension.”

He added that effective extension services should begin from the point where farmers select their farm locations and continue through land preparation, application of inputs, weeding and other production processes.

“If you do that, you are now going to make it possible for the farmer from day one, when he is going to select his farm location, to know the good agricultural practices that he must abide by. The land preparation, the pre-emergence applications that he has to do, post-emergence, weeding, and all the other processes that make the production go seamlessly,” Kyari said.

He also identified traceability as an important requirement for accessing agricultural markets. “Remember, traceability is a core component of what markets are demanding. Now if you do this, and from your extension angle, you have already provided the snippet of information, reduced to an understandable level, then you will now be able to get the farmer taking interest,” he said.

The minister said Nigeria’s agricultural advisory infrastructure must take into account the country’s diverse agroecological zones. “We are looking at building sustainable agricultural advisory infrastructure for Africa; these are the imperatives we need to look at. Today, food security is our number one national policy. And like you all know, it has been constitutionally enabled and empowered.

“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been amended to make food security part of the directive principles of state policy. Where every citizen is guaranteed food security as a right. So that itself is guaranteed. And guaranteed for whom? For more than 200 million citizens who must eat,” he said.

Kyari said Nigeria’s large arable land and diverse agroecological zones presented significant opportunities for agricultural production but required tailored information for farmers. He added, “So there’s a lot to be done. And if you put this against the background of 83 million hectares of arable land, across different agroecologies, Nigeria has one of the most sophisticated agroecologies. The Sahel, the Savannah, the Sudan Savannah, the Guinea Savannah, the forest, the mountain, the mangrove, and a variant of all of them in some areas.

“All of these demand different ways of doing agriculture. And the kind of information you package for different farmers is what determines their success. And so as you talk about developing the infrastructure, you need to understand the foundation upon which that infrastructure must rest. The foundation is already guaranteed for you. Nigerian agriculture is here to stay.”

The minister also disclosed that the curriculum for diploma and Higher National Diploma agricultural programmes had been reviewed to increase practical training. “Now the second layer is the knowledge base. As a matter of fact, I know when you look at the federal colleges of agriculture, they were actually established to serve as extension arms of the Agricultural Research Institute. Where new technologies are directly taken to these colleges.

“And this explains exactly why at the Federal Institute of Agriculture and Food Security, when we came on board in 2023, we realised the curriculum in which our agricultural students are trained is obsolete and needs a review. And that has now been reviewed in partnership with the Federal Institute of Education. The curriculum for diploma and HND in all agricultural courses has been massively reviewed. In such a manner that practical work is now going to attract 70% of the course content. Because that is what you need. So that itself is another element of the infrastructure,” he said.

Kyari, however, said mechanisms were needed to verify agricultural information before it reached farmers and establish accountability for the provision of wrong information. “And as this knowledge is being distilled, prepared, so that farmers can have access. Who certifies it? Who ensures that the wrong information is not given to the farmer? And if you give the farmer wrong information, is there going to be consequences for that action? I think these are issues that we need to look at. The policy is one thing, but practical implementation on the ground is another,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to keep farmers and their farms at the centre of efforts to develop agricultural advisory infrastructure. “And as you develop this sustainable system, you must remember all of this. But overall, the main subject, the main object should be the Nigerian farmers. And the farms in which they work. Because if we don’t do the right thing, in terms of even the farm infrastructure, you will not be able to get farmers achieving the kind of things you are talking about.”

Using cassava production as an example, the minister said Nigeria’s position as the world’s leading producer did not necessarily translate to high productivity per hectare. “Today, Nigeria is the world number one producer of cassava. We produce over 63 million metric tonnes of cassava.

“But then, at what productivity per hectare? The national average is about 7. Those who give fire, maybe 9, 10. However, reported varieties have claimed to produce up to 50 metric tonnes per hectare, isn’t it? And some countries are producing up to 25 tonnes per hectare. Now, what is different? It is in the knowledge that is made available to this farmer, how he prepares his land, when he prepares it,” he said.