By Ahmed Ahmed
Bauchi and Gombe States Stakeholders in Agriculture meet to deliberate on ways to address the existing gaps in Agricultural Extension Service Delivery towards improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the States.
The Stakeholders comprise legislatures , Permanent Secretaries, Programme Managers, Experts Government Officials , Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Media among others.
They advocated for more investment in Agricultural production potential towards economic growth and improved livelihoods policy and implementing unified agricultural extension services for increased productivity and better living standards of small-scale farmers.
They also need not only an enabling policy environment, but relevant and reliable information to make the best of their land and improve their livelihoods.
The meeting was organized under the the framework of the Together Against Poverty (TAP) project, the Civil Society legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) with support from Oxfam held at Crispan hotel Thursday in Jos Plateau state.
The Speaker Bauchi State House of Assembly Abubakar Suleman has called on legislators to develop laws supporting agricultural policies.
He said that lack of good implementation of policies was hindering agricultural development in the country.
The speaker said that involvement of legislators would help to pass back up laws that would aid development.
“We know that if there are existing laws even with changes in government there will be continuity,” the speaker said.
Mr Jafaru Illlehla, Programme Manager Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP) lamented that the adequate extension staff is creating a gap between the extension services and the farmers in the state.
He said the Bauchi state government has concluded arrangements to recruit extension agents to fill the gap.
The Programme Manager also appealed to the legislators and the policy makers to expedite actions to save the plight of smallholder farmers in the state.
Also speaking the programme Manager, Gombe State Agricultural Development Programme, Mr Maina Awan, said that the government had given the programme huge financial support.
He said that small scale farmers were given support in various areas to boost their production within the state to ensure food security.
Mr Chinedu Bassey, the programme Manager, representing Mr Auwal Rafsanjani Executive Director CISLAC said that the organization had conducted several engagements across both states.
Bassey said that the engagement was to advance opportunities for the effective implementation of agricultural development programmes, including the adoption and adaptation (domestication) of the National Agricultural Extension Policy
“With a new administration underway, we believe engagements with relevant returning and incoming state actors are imperative to re-emphasize the importance of and draw commitments and adequate responses/actions
“Towards the adoption and implementation of policies and practices and increasing citizen engagement particularly of women small-scale producers with policymakers,” he said.
