Agricultural extension experts in Nigeria have emphasized the importance of incorporating artificial intelligence and other technological innovations into their practices to achieve food security. This call to action was made during the 29th Annual Conference of the Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria (AESON) held at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA).
The conference aimed to bring together extension professionals and academics in agricultural extension to exchange ideas and advance the field. AESON President, Yusuf Idrisa, highlighted the need to revitalize and harness technology’s potential through efficient utilization of resources for the full exploration of e-Extension services. This would significantly boost various aspects of agriculture.
Idrisa commended the National Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAGS) initiated by the federal government but emphasized the importance of AESON’s involvement in the program for more tangible results. He also suggested strengthening the research extension linkage by increasing the number of extension personnel across agricultural development programs and associated agencies in states.
In Nigeria, agricultural extension services provide farmers with technical advice and necessary inputs to support their agricultural production. Extension agents are responsible for disseminating new ideas developed by research institutions. The Vice-Chancellor of FUTA, Adenike Oladiji, acknowledged that challenges like low adoption of modern technology, low productivity, and inadequate storage facilities have persisted in Nigeria’s agriculture sector for decades.
