By Moh Bello Habib
Zaria
The federal government has released N200 million this year for SASAKAWA project with view to boosting production.
The Agricultural Extension Transformation Agenda (AETA) Team Leader, Professor Tunji Arokoyo, disclosed this at the opening of a maiden meeting between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and SASAKAWA held National Agricultural Extension and Liaison Service (NAERLS), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, yesterday.
He said the money was meant to purchase motorcycles for extension workers, Hilux vehicles for each state apart from other activities that would actualise the success of the programme.
“The programme will make impact within the short possible time to change the face of agriculture in Nigeria,” he said.
Arokoyo urged the communities on SASAKAWA and governors across the country to take the programme seriously.
Also speaking, the Country Director, SASAKAWA, Dr Sani Miko, said they wanted to build capacity through adult learning approach.
“We try to increase agricultural productivity through training and establishment of demonstration and strengthening capacities of farmers and state extension system.”
Miko called on extension state coordinators to be committed and honest to pave way for total success of the programme.
Speaking earlier, the Director, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Dr Mustapha Falaki, had said that the meeting was organised to deliberate on possible ways the project would cover the entire country.
Falaki explained that the programme started in Kano and Kaduna states as pilot.
