News in Brief:
– Nigerian agriculture experts urge policymakers to bridge the gap between development programs and intended beneficiaries.
– They also stress that knowledge sharing and modern technology adoption is crucial for achieving food security.
Agriculture experts in Nigeria have urged policymakers to ensure that development programs reach their intended beneficiaries, highlighting the issue of ‘elite capture’ hindering the impact of many initiatives.
Speaking at a training program on modern agricultural research, Professor Olubunmi Omotesho of the University of Ilorin further stressed the need for effective knowledge dissemination to local farmers.
The professor harped on the importance of food security and called for continuous capacity building and adoption of modern technologies in agriculture, according to a coverage of the event by a local media outlet.
Echoing these sentiments, Dr. Oluyemi Akande, Provost of the Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Owerri, highlighted the institution’s annual human capacity development program as a contribution to tackling food security challenges.
Additionally, he spoke on the need for effective training and its vital role in boosting agriculture, while ensuring food security. Akande stated that training is part of education, “we donât joke with human capacity development.” He added that it was the reason why the institution organised annual trainings.
Furthermore, he aligned his thoughts with others who believe agriculture is a way out of Nigeria’s food security challenges. Dr. Akande opined the need for Nigerians to ‘go back’ to agriculture to solve thecountry’s food needs. He finally noted the significance of collaboration across various departments and sectors, in effectively addressing food security issues.
