Nafisa Murtala Ahmed
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has called for the speedy passage of the Agricultural Extension Services Revitalisation Bill to strengthen agricultural productivity and modernise extension services in Nigeria.
Senator Kyari made the call while speaking with Nigerian journalists covering the 20th Africa Food Systems Forum, AFS 2026, in Kigali, Rwanda.
He said the outcomes of the forum align with Nigeria’s agricultural policy priorities and the objectives of the proposed legislation.
The Minister noted that the theme of the forum, “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience,” reflects the need for Nigeria to invest in food systems capable of achieving food security, creating employment and building resilience to climate change.
Senator Kyari said agricultural extension remains critical to improving farmers’ productivity, promoting technology adoption and transforming the sector from subsistence farming into a competitive agribusiness industry.
He disclosed that the Agricultural Extension Services Revitalisation Bill has passed first reading in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, stressing the need for urgent legislative action to facilitate its passage.
The Minister identified technology adoption, improved seed systems, climate-smart agriculture, digital transformation, data management and stronger collaboration among farmers, researchers, development partners, financial institutions and the private sector as key areas requiring attention.
He recalled his call at the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week in Abuja in July 2025 for stronger partnerships among governments, researchers, development partners, the private sector and farmers to accelerate agricultural development.
Also speaking, rhe country director WOFAN-ICON2 Project, Dr. Salamatu Garba, expressed support for the proposed legislation.
She said WOFAN is among the co-sponsors of the Agricultural Extension Services Bill and has been working with stakeholders, private-sector partners and farmers’ clusters to strengthen agricultural extension services in Nigeria.
Dr Salamatu, said the major themes of AFS 2026, including investment in agri-food systems, youth empowerment, women’s inclusion, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture, are consistent with the priorities of the proposed bill.
She confirmed that the bill has passed its initial legislative stages in both chambers of the National Assembly, while public hearing and other legislative processes are still outstanding.
The WOFAN-ICON2 country director appealed to the Agriculture Minister to support efforts to fast-track the legislation, expressing confidence that its passage would strengthen extension services and address some of the challenges confronting farmers across Nigeria.