In its quest to bridge the existing gap in the ratio of extension workers to farmers, the Kano State Government has disclosed its readiness to recruit an additional 1,000 agricultural extension officers to help with the dissemination of agricultural information to farmers across the 44 local government areas of the state.
The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), Farouk Kurawa, stated this at an event organized by the Sasakawa Africa Association in Kano while briefing newsmen on the activities of the state government towards food security.
Extension workers offer technical advice on agriculture to farmers through the dissemination of information and the building of capacity for farmers with the use of a variety of communication methods that would help farmers make informed decisions to support their farming and maximize profit.
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The aim is to assist farmers in gaining a livelihood, improving the physical and psychological level of rural families, and influencing the behavior of rural people through education and the exchange of information to foster rural community welfare.
Kurawa noted that when the new administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf came on board on May 29, it discovered insufficient workers in various ministries and the need for urgent recruitment of additional health workers, teachers, and agriculture extension officers due to a reduction in their number as a result of deaths and retirements.
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“When I assumed office, the number of extension workers was about 1,200, which is still the highest in the country. We are recruiting an additional 1,000 people to make it 2,500.
“The objectives of the recruitment are to bridge the gap and make one extension worker available to 500 farmers. This is the plan; we are on course; we included it in our annual projection; and we are determined to recruit,” he said.
