The federal government of Nigeria has inaugurated the Committee for the Extension Manual Review, to promote effective and efficient extension services  delivery and produce a harmonised copy for evaluation and validation.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Ezeaja Ikemefuna, the Chief Information Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Saturday.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, while inaugurating the Committee said the initiative would facilitate the impactful practices of effective service delivery to the agricultural value chains into the current extension training manual.

Umakhihe said the ministry, through Agricultural Extension Services is partnering with USAID FtF Extension Activity, Rural Resilience (Mercy Corps), Winrock International Farmer to Farmer (F2F) Programme, to achieve food and nutrition security, improve quality seeds and boost production.

He said that the committee would recommend Manpower training for Agricultural Extension Services Personnel, to improve extension services in the agricultural sector and streamline policies toward achieving quality seedlings and increase in food production.

Earlier, the Director, Agricultural Extension Services, Mr Frank Kudla, said that the technical review team was composed from the Developmental Partners like USAID, Sasakawa Africa,

the Federal University of Abeokuta, National Roots Research Institutes, among others.

“These are tested agricultural extension services professionals and experts in public and private sector,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the Committee, the Sasakawa Africa Country Director, Prof Sani Miko, assured that it would work assiduously to achieve its set objectives for food sufficiency, improved quality seedlings, increased production and boost the economy.

The terms of reference of the committee include a review of the existing extension training manual and incorporate innovations and proven ideas that would  enhance its efficiency.

Others are to produce a harmonised copy for evaluation and validation , incorporate corrections and produce a final copy after validation and make recommendations on who should be trained, using the manual.