The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, says 130, 000 graduate youths have been employed to offer extension services to farmers across the country.
The Minister stated this during the 24th Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria Annual National Conference in Abuja.
Ogbeh, who was represented by the Director of Extension Service Department in the ministry, Karima Babangida said that the youths were engaged under the Social Investment Programme of the Federal Government.
According to the Minister, extension service needs to be revamped to strengthen the government’s agricultural development process, especially in the commodity value-chains.
On his part, the Director-General, Raw Material Research and Development Council, Hussaini Ibrahim, said that there had been a decline in the extension services in the country, leading to low productivity.
