Members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly have unanimously adopted the prayers of the motion appealing to the Executive Arm on the need to absorb agricultural extension workers trained in Abuja to support poverty reduction in the state.
The adoption followed the motion moved by the Member representing Hardawa Constituency, Hon. Babayo Muhammad, appealing to the Executive Arm on the need to absorb all the agricultural extension workers earlier trained in Abuja at the inception of the administration to support poverty reduction in the State.
While leading debate on the motion, Babayo Muhammad said that the Nigerian agricultural sector has encountered several challenges particularly, decreased funding, policy changes, reduced manpower and lack of interest of young people in agricultural entrepreneurship.
Similarly, changes in average temperatures, rainfall, climate extremes, growing infestation of pests and related diseases precipitated by climate change, limited adoption of research findings and technologies, high cost of farm inputs among others posed a great challenge to the integrity of the country’s agricultural system.
According to him, in the efforts to address these challenges, the Federal Government of Nigeria revitalized agricultural extension services to support small-scale agriculture, eradicate poverty and achieve national and household food security in which the Federal Government trained thousands of agriculture extension workers.
He added that, the trainees were drawn from all the local government areas in the country to assist in building farmers’ agricultural knowledge and skills on modern agriculture and mechanized farming by changing farmers’ attitudes as well as promote community development through human and social development, facilitate access to markets and work with farmers’ towards sustainable natural resources.
Babayo Muhammad emphasized that the training is important to Bauchi State because it represents a good opportunity for the trained extension workers to grow their knowledge base and improve the State’s agricultural sector.
“And in the long run, increase its internally generated revenue which is in tandem with the commitments of Bauchi State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad,” he said.
According to him, “No doubt, the Bauchi State Government has demonstrated some zeal to support agricultural development through gradual upward reviews of its agriculture budget annually.”
The Lawmaker stressed that, “Nonetheless, the State is yet to maximize its agricultural production potential towards economic growth and improved livelihoods, for several reasons, including policy and practice limitations in implementing unified agricultural extension services for increased productivity and better living standards of small-scale farmers.”
“With limited extension workers for small-scale farmers, Bauchi State farmers received limited guidance and training in technology adoption and application of inputs, resulting in low productivity, reduced export opportunities and threaten livelihoods. There is currently a ratio of one extension worker to five thousand households in Bauchi State.”
The Members therefore urged the House to call on the Executive Army, to place a premium on Agriculture in order to ensure food security and eradicate poverty, absorb agricultural extension workers trained in Abuja to assist small-holder farmers to address the many challenges of agricultural production in the State.
“The Ministry of Information be mandated to sensitize small-holder farmers on adopting efficient and sustainable agricultural practices to improve productivity and livelihood of farmers in the State.”
In his contribution, the Speaker, Abubakar Sulaiman, who presided over the plenary, said that the best way to reduce poverty in Bauchi State is through farming, thus, the motion was timely and important.
Musa Wakili Nakwada representing Bogoro Constituency said that about 80% of citizens of Bauchi State are farmers, what they need is guidance to improve their farming.
He added that farmers are getting it difficult to know the best way to use chemicals and fertilizers in their farms.
Musa Nakwada recalled that, years back, there were many extension workers in the State but now they are nowhere to be found, hence the need to absorb the trained extension workers and employ more.
Also contributing, Majority Leader, Hon. Tijjani Muhammad Aliyu Azare representing Madangala Constituency, said that the motion was not only timely but very important because of the role the service play in improving agriculture.
According to the Majority Leader, if care is not taken, in the next two years, Bauchi State will not have good administrative and other officers because people are retiring and there is no replacement stating that the State civil service is suffering because of shortage of manpower.
According to him, “Someone will retire and there will be no replacement and no recruitment of workers in the State. We will wake to find one day, there is no experience worker in the State.”
He therefore requested that a prayer should be added to the motion that the State Government should lift embargo on recruitment of civil servants by allowing recruitment of civil servants, employ low cadre civil servants and do replacement for middle cadre employees.
He noted that it is not too much for the government to embark on this exercise because it is doing other activities that add no value to the society and spending huge amount of money on them.
Tijjani Aliyu further stated that recruitment of civil servants in the State will reduce poverty and insecurity.
Baballe Abubakar Dambam representing Dambam/Dagauda/Jalam Constituency, said that in his Constituency, there are only two agric extension officers and the situation is creating low productivity in agriculture in the Area.
While seconding the prayers of the motion, he explained that the Country is moving from agriculture for food to agriculture for wealth, thus extension workers should be employed and trained.
The members after the debate, unanimously adopted the motion as amended and adjourned to Tuesday, 25th April, 2023 as moved and seconded by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader.
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