Date: 2021-02-01

Director, Department of Agric Extension, Federal Ministry of Agric and Rural Development, Professor Musa Jamila, has tasked the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin, Kwara State, to mass produce some of locally designed agric tools and machines.

Speaking at the yearly conference of Agricultural Extension workers, aimed at charting a new way in Agric mechanisation, research and development, Jamila said: "Nigeria, no doubt, has many gifted engineers and fabricators in the field of agricultural mechanisation. But the major problem has been getting the equipment to end users at affordable prices.

"We are here to improve on what had been done before, aside ensuring new technologies are put to use across Nigeria. This is government's desire and we must see to its full implementation."

Lecturers from major public, private universities and polytechnics, and Nigerian Institute for Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) officials were also at the event.

In his address, NCAM Executive Director, Dr Yomi Kasali, said the institute, over the years, had been involved in transfer of technology through extension officers and it will continue to play key role in Nigeria's quest for food security, poverty reduction and development.

The NCAM boss urged government to conform to World Bank's recommendation of one extension worker to 800 farmers, noting that Nigeria's scale of 1:3500 farmers is too poor to make meaningful impact in the agric sector.