By Simpson Global Media News Desk
The Federal Government has called for a fundamental rebuilding of Nigeria’s agricultural extension system, arguing that improving food production will require more than expanding farmland and distributing agricultural inputs.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, made the call on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the Africa Agribusiness Extension Summit in Abuja, where government officials, researchers, agribusinesses, technology companies and development partners discussed how to create a more sustainable system for delivering agricultural advice to farmers.
Kyari said Nigeria could not feed its rapidly growing population by simply putting more land under cultivation.
Instead, he argued that farmers needed reliable information delivered at the right time, including advice on production practices, weather conditions, markets, inputs and emerging risks.
The minister described agricultural extension as infrastructure rather than a collection of short-term projects.
His remarks came as Nigeria's agricultural sector recorded real growth of 4.39 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, up from 2.82 per cent in the same quarter of 2025. Agriculture accounted for 26.15 per cent of Nigeria's real GDP during the quarter.
The latest policy discussion therefore comes at a point when agriculture is contributing more strongly to economic output but continues to face challenges involving productivity, access to finance, climate variability, infrastructure, market access and the availability of professional advisory services.
One of the most significant problems identified by the minister is the widening gap between the number of farmers who need technical support and the number of extension personnel available to provide it.
Kyari said that during earlier periods when Agricultural Development Projects operated at scale with World Bank support, one extension agent served roughly 1,000 to 1,500 farm families.
Today, he said, one extension agent may be expected to serve between 5,000 and 10,000 farmers.
The government is consequently turning increasingly to digital tools, climate information, artificial intelligence and partnerships with private organisations to expand the reach of extension services.
The Extension Problem
Agricultural extension is the system through which farmers receive practical knowledge and technical guidance intended to improve their production.
An extension officer may advise a farmer on when to plant, which varieties are suitable for local conditions, how to apply fertiliser, how to manage pests and diseases, how to conserve soil, how to respond to changing weather and how to reduce losses after harvest.
The system can also connect farmers with researchers, input suppliers, financial institutions, government programmes and markets.
For a country where a large share of agricultural activity is conducted by smallholder farmers, access to such information can be particularly important.
A farmer may have land and labour but still lose potential output because of poor timing, inappropriate inputs, pest outbreaks, inadequate soil management or a lack of information about changing weather conditions.
Extension services are intended to close part of that knowledge gap.
The problem Nigeria faces is scale.
The minister told the Abuja summit that the extension workforce has become too small relative to the number of farmers it is expected to serve.
A ratio of one extension worker to as many as 10,000 farmers makes regular physical visits to individual farms difficult.
No matter how committed an individual field officer may be, there are practical limits to the number of farms that can be visited within a planting season.
That means the problem cannot be solved simply by asking existing personnel to work harder.
It requires additional personnel, better organisation and technologies that allow information to travel beyond physical farm visits.
From Field Visits to Digital Advice
The government's proposed response combines conventional extension work with digital systems.
Kyari disclosed that more than 100,000 farmers in six states were already receiving weekly text messages containing information on expected rainfall and measures intended to protect crops.
The messages are being delivered through cooperation involving the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and private-sector partners.
The initiative reflects a change in the way agricultural advice can be delivered.
A traditional extension system depends heavily on an officer travelling to a farm or meeting groups of farmers.
A digital system can send the same basic information to thousands of farmers almost simultaneously.
This is particularly useful for weather-related information.
If meteorological authorities identify an approaching period of heavy rainfall, dry conditions or another weather risk, information can potentially reach farmers before the event occurs.
The timing can matter as much as the information itself.
Advice received after a crop has already been damaged has limited value.
Advice received before a farmer makes a planting, spraying, fertilising or harvesting decision can potentially influence the outcome.
That is one reason the government is placing increasing emphasis on digital extension.
A New Digital Extension Platform
Kyari also disclosed that the Federal Government is rolling out a digital agricultural extension platform capable of delivering advice through text and voice.
The proposed platform is expected to provide information in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Pidgin, reflecting the linguistic diversity of Nigerian farming communities.
Language is an important component of digital agricultural services.
A technology platform may be technically sophisticated, but its usefulness can be limited if the information is delivered in a form that farmers cannot easily understand.
Voice services can also be important because not every farmer uses a smartphone or has sufficient digital literacy to navigate a complex application.
The ability to receive information through basic mobile phones can potentially widen access.
It also allows agricultural agencies to move beyond the assumption that digital agriculture necessarily means smartphone applications.
For many rural users, a text message or voice call may be more practical than a sophisticated mobile application.
More Than 1,000 Digital Extension Agents
The Federal Government is also expanding the human component of the system.
Kyari said more than 1,000 digital extension agents equipped with tablets had been deployed with support from the National Agricultural Development Fund.
The tablets are intended to give extension personnel access to digital tools while working with farmers.
The government also has 774 agricultural desk officers serving across the country's local government areas, according to the minister.
The combination of field personnel and digital systems is significant.
Technology cannot physically inspect every farm.
Farmers may still need a trained person to examine a diseased plant, assess a pest problem, interpret soil conditions or recommend a suitable response to an unusual situation.
Digital platforms can extend the reach of professional advice, but field officers remain important where circumstances require direct observation.
That is why the government's emerging model is not simply a replacement of human extension workers with technology.
It is an attempt to use technology to make a limited human workforce capable of serving more farmers.
Artificial Intelligence Enters the Discussion
Artificial intelligence is also becoming part of Nigeria's agricultural extension conversation.
Earlier in September, the Federal Government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and other stakeholders discussed AI-enabled digital extension as a means of addressing the country's shortage of agricultural advisory personnel.
Officials involved in that discussion said AI could potentially allow one extension worker to support a larger number of farmers.
The ratio of one extension agent to between 5,000 and 10,000 farmers was again identified as a major challenge, compared with a commonly referenced benchmark of roughly one agent for every 800 to 1,000 farmers.
The potential applications are broad.
An AI-enabled advisory service could provide information on crop production, pest identification, weather conditions, fertiliser application and other routine questions.
A farmer could potentially ask a question through a mobile device and receive an immediate response.
But the government is also acknowledging the risks.
Kyari warned that artificial intelligence should extend professional advice rather than replace professional expertise.
The concern is straightforward.
An inaccurate recommendation delivered to one farmer can cause a local problem.
An inaccurate recommendation distributed automatically to thousands of farmers could produce a much larger problem.
The use of AI in agriculture therefore requires systems for verifying information, monitoring outputs and escalating complex cases to qualified professionals.
Climate Information Becomes Central
Weather and climate information is becoming increasingly important to Nigerian agriculture.
Farmers depend heavily on rainfall patterns, particularly in areas where irrigation is limited.
Changes in rainfall timing, intensity and duration can affect planting, crop development and harvesting.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has a statutory role in providing weather and climate information and specifically identifies agriculture among the sectors that use its forecasts.
NiMet's 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction provided forecasts on rainfall onset, cessation, rainfall amounts, length of the growing season, temperature and dry spells for agricultural planning.
The agency has also recently backed a digital agricultural strategy known as AGROW, reaffirming its intention to strengthen weather and climate information services for agricultural productivity, resilience and food security.
The importance of that information becomes clearer when considered alongside the government's extension plans.
A weather forecast sitting on a government website does not automatically help a farmer.
It becomes more useful when an extension system converts it into practical advice.
For example, a forecast about an approaching dry spell can potentially be translated into guidance on planting dates, irrigation, soil moisture conservation or crop selection.
That translation from scientific information into a farmer's decision is one of the core functions of extension.
The Need for Localised Advice
A national agricultural advisory system cannot simply distribute the same message to every farmer.
Nigeria has multiple ecological zones, different rainfall patterns, different crops and different production systems.
A recommendation suitable for a farmer in Kano may not be appropriate for a farmer in Cross River.
Likewise, information designed for a rice farmer may not apply directly to a livestock producer or a cassava farmer.
The Federal Government is therefore proposing a more coordinated system in which farmer registries and extension services can be linked.
Kyari said farmer registries can establish who the farmer is, where the farm is located and what is being grown, while extension services can then provide advice appropriate to those circumstances.
Such a system could move agricultural advice from general announcements toward more targeted information.
A farmer growing maize in one location could receive weather and pest information relevant to that crop and area.
A rice farmer in another region could receive a different set of recommendations.
The technological challenge is to create systems capable of handling that level of differentiation without becoming too complicated for users.
Agriculture's Recent Growth
The push to rebuild extension services comes against an improving set of agricultural GDP figures.
The NBS reported that agriculture grew by 4.39 per cent year-on-year in real terms in the second quarter of 2026.
That compared with 2.82 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025 and 3.15 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, agriculture grew by 17.80 per cent in Q2.
Agriculture contributed 26.15 per cent of Nigeria's real GDP during the quarter.
The sector includes crop production, livestock, forestry and fishing.
Crop production remained the largest component, while livestock recorded particularly strong growth.
According to the NBS figures reported from the Q2 GDP report, livestock grew by 6.92 per cent year-on-year, compared with the overall agricultural growth rate of 4.39 per cent.
The figures provide evidence of increased economic activity in agriculture.
But higher sectoral GDP does not automatically mean that every farmer is earning more money or that food is becoming cheaper.
Agricultural output can rise while farmers continue to face high input costs, transport expenses, financing constraints, insecurity and market challenges.
That distinction is important when assessing the sector.
Growth measures the value of economic activity.
It does not by itself measure household welfare, farm profitability or food affordability.
From More Land to More Productivity
The minister's emphasis on extension reflects a broader shift in agricultural policy.
Increasing production can be achieved in several ways.
One is to cultivate more land.
Another is to increase the amount produced on existing farmland.
The second approach is heavily dependent on productivity.
Better seeds, improved agronomic practices, efficient fertiliser use, pest management, irrigation, mechanisation, soil management and timely harvesting can all influence output.
Farmers need information to use many of these technologies effectively.
A new seed variety may have greater yield potential, for example, but that potential may not be achieved if it is planted at the wrong time or managed incorrectly.
Similarly, fertiliser can increase productivity when applied appropriately but can represent a significant financial loss when used incorrectly.
Extension services provide the link between agricultural research and practical farm decisions.
That link is especially important as Nigeria attempts to increase domestic food production.
Research Must Reach Farmers
Nigeria has universities, research institutes and agricultural scientists producing knowledge about crops, livestock, soil and production systems.
The challenge is moving that knowledge from research facilities to farms.
Agricultural extension is intended to provide that bridge.
The Africa Agribusiness Extension Summit brought together research institutions, government agencies, agribusinesses and technology providers partly to address that disconnect.
The Federal Government is proposing greater coordination among its own agencies, including the National Agricultural Research and Extension Liaison Services, the National Agricultural Quarantine Service and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria.
NiMet is also expected to contribute climate information.
The objective is to reduce the possibility of farmers receiving conflicting messages from different government programmes.
If several agencies operate separate advisory channels, farmers may be left with multiple recommendations that are difficult to reconcile.
A coordinated system can establish common technical guidance and distribute it through different channels.
The Role of State Governments
Agricultural extension in Nigeria is not solely a federal responsibility.
State governments and their agricultural development programmes also play significant roles in delivering advisory services.
Kyari cited recent investments by Jigawa, Kano and Oyo states as examples of state-level efforts to strengthen extension.
He said Jigawa had recruited and trained more than 1,500 additional extension agents and approved 1,185 motorcycles to improve their mobility.
Kano, he said, recruited 1,038 agricultural extension agents and related field workers in 2025.
Oyo has combined physical extension with digital tools, including training agents in digital farmland measurement and improved mapping applications.
These examples illustrate why a national extension strategy requires coordination between federal and state institutions.
Agriculture is locally specific.
State governments are often closer to farmers and local agricultural systems.
The federal government, meanwhile, can establish national standards, technology platforms, research links and funding frameworks.
A functioning extension system therefore requires both levels of government to work together rather than operate isolated programmes.
Lessons from the North-West Training Programme
The latest push is not occurring in isolation.
Earlier this month, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation programme trained 100 agricultural extension specialists from seven North-West states.
The five-day programme, held in Jigawa from September 7 to 11, brought together extension professionals from Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
The participants were trained to help move proven agricultural technologies from research and development institutions to farmers.
The programme identified several of the same structural problems now being discussed at the Abuja summit.
These include the low extension-agent-to-farmer ratio, inadequate funding, logistical limitations and insufficient digital platforms.
Training extension personnel can therefore be seen as one part of a broader effort to strengthen the agricultural knowledge chain.
It is not enough to develop a new farming technology.
Someone must explain it to farmers.
Someone must help them understand whether it applies to their conditions.
Someone must collect feedback from farmers when the technology does not work as expected.
And researchers need that feedback to improve subsequent recommendations.
Extension workers sit at the centre of that process.
Women Farmers and Access to Advice
The Federal Government is also highlighting the need to ensure that women farmers receive agricultural advisory services directly.
Women play major roles across Nigeria's agricultural value chains, including planting, harvesting, processing and marketing.
Yet access to extension services can be affected by distance, social arrangements, digital access and the availability of female extension personnel.
Kyari said women should have greater opportunities to receive advisory information and participate in agricultural decision-making.
The issue is not simply one of representation.
If a significant group of agricultural workers is not receiving technical information, the effectiveness of the overall extension system is reduced.
Digital services may provide one route for reaching women who have limited access to conventional field meetings.
But digital tools must themselves be designed around the realities of rural users.
Access to phones, literacy, language and connectivity all influence whether a digital service can actually be used.
Young People and the Extension Workforce
The government is also looking at agricultural extension as a potential area of employment for young professionals.
Kyari argued that extension could offer opportunities for graduates with backgrounds in agriculture, science, technology and business.
The idea reflects a changing understanding of agricultural employment.
Young professionals do not necessarily have to become farm owners to participate in agriculture.
They can work in extension, data analysis, digital advisory systems, farm mapping, input distribution, logistics, research, mechanisation and agricultural finance.
A modern extension system could therefore become part of a wider agricultural technology economy.
Digital extension workers equipped with tablets are one example.
They can collect field data, communicate with farmers and potentially connect agricultural information with national databases.
If properly designed, such systems could create jobs while also expanding services to farmers.
The Infrastructure Question
Calling extension infrastructure changes how policymakers approach funding.
If extension is treated as a short-term programme, financing may depend on individual projects.
When funding ends, the service can shrink.
Kyari argued that Nigeria needs a system capable of continuing beyond individual projects and donor cycles.
That requires stable institutions, trained personnel, transportation, digital platforms, data systems and continuous professional development.
It also requires maintenance.
Tablets need software updates.
Digital platforms need technical support.
Databases need to be updated.
Extension officers need training as new agricultural technologies emerge.
Weather information must remain current.
And field personnel need transport and communications equipment.
The physical and digital components therefore have to be financed together.
The Danger of Siloed Solutions
One of the challenges identified by agricultural technology stakeholders is the proliferation of separate digital platforms.
Different organisations may develop their own farmer databases, advisory systems, helplines or mobile applications.
Each may serve a useful purpose, but systems that cannot communicate with one another can create duplication.
The result may be multiple registrations for the same farmer, conflicting messages or technology investments that cannot scale nationally.
Extension Africa, one of the organisers of the Abuja summit, described interoperability as an important issue and called for systems that allow different platforms to work together rather than reproduce the same functions independently.
That principle is particularly relevant in a country as large as Nigeria.
A farmer should not have to understand the organisational structure of government before obtaining useful agricultural information.
Ideally, the information should reach the farmer through whichever channel is most accessible.
What Farmers Need From the System
For farmers, the success of the extension reform will ultimately be measured by practical results.
They need information before planting.
They need timely warnings about weather and pests.
They need recommendations that reflect local conditions.
They need guidance on how to use inputs efficiently.
They need information about markets.
They need access to experts when a problem cannot be solved through automated advice.
And they need information that is understandable.
The system therefore has to work backwards from the farmer's decision-making process.
Instead of asking only what information government agencies possess, policymakers need to ask what decisions farmers are making and what information they require to make those decisions more effectively.
That is the logic behind the minister's call for demand-driven extension.
From Supply-Driven to Demand-Driven Extension
Nigeria's traditional extension model has often involved government agencies developing programmes and sending information to farmers.
The government is now advocating a more demand-driven approach.
Under such a model, advisory services would respond to specific needs expressed by farmers and market conditions.
A maize farmer facing a pest outbreak would need different advice from a livestock producer dealing with disease risks.
A farmer preparing to harvest during a period of heavy rainfall would need different information from one preparing for a prolonged dry spell.
Demand-driven extension is intended to make the system more responsive.
It also creates a feedback mechanism.
Farmers can communicate their problems to extension providers, who can then relay emerging issues to researchers, policymakers and input suppliers.
That can help the agricultural system respond more quickly to problems that are appearing on farms.
Food Security Depends on More Than Production
Nigeria's food-security challenge cannot be solved by production alone.
Food must also be stored, transported, processed and distributed.
A farmer can produce a large harvest and still earn little if there is no reliable market.
Post-harvest losses can reduce the amount of food reaching consumers.
Poor roads can increase transportation costs.
Limited storage can force farmers to sell immediately after harvest.
Processing gaps can limit value addition.
Extension services therefore need to connect with the rest of the agricultural value chain.
A farmer's decision to grow a crop should ideally be informed not only by agronomic conditions but also by market opportunities.
This is why the Abuja summit involved agribusinesses and other private-sector participants alongside government and research institutions.
The objective is to build an advisory system that recognises agriculture as a business as well as a production activity.
Financing Remains a Separate Challenge
The Federal Government's extension strategy cannot solve every obstacle facing Nigerian farmers.
Access to finance remains a major issue.
A Central Bank of Nigeria official, Dr Michael Ononugbo, said on September 30 that weak agricultural infrastructure, inadequate research funding and other structural problems were contributing to farmers' difficulty in accessing finance.
The observation highlights the interconnected nature of Nigeria's agricultural problems.
A farmer may receive excellent technical advice but still lack the funds to purchase recommended inputs.
Another farmer may obtain financing but struggle to transport produce to market.
A third may have adequate production but lose income because of inadequate storage.
Extension is therefore one component of a larger agricultural system.
Its role is to make farmers better informed and more technically capable.
Other institutions must address credit, infrastructure, markets, mechanisation and security.
The Climate-Smart Dimension
Climate variability is adding another layer of complexity.
Nigeria's agricultural calendar is closely connected to rainfall.
Changes in rainfall timing or the occurrence of unusually long dry spells can disrupt production.
NiMet's 2026 climate information is designed partly to help agriculture adapt to these risks.
The agency's forecasts include rainfall patterns, growing-season length and dry-spell information, all of which can support farm planning.
The Federal Government's extension reform provides a mechanism through which such information can reach farmers.
This is especially important because climate information has little value if it remains accessible only to technical agencies.
The challenge is converting forecasts into decisions.
Farmers need to know not simply that rainfall may be above or below normal, but what that means for planting dates, crop selection, soil management and harvesting.
Extension officers can help interpret that information.
Measuring Whether Reform Works
The government will eventually need clear measures for determining whether the new extension strategy is working.
The number of extension agents trained is one measure.
The number of farmers reached is another.
Digital platform registrations can provide additional data.
But these indicators do not necessarily demonstrate agricultural impact.
More important measures could include changes in adoption of recommended practices, productivity, farm income, crop losses and farmers' access to markets.
The system should also track whether women, young farmers and remote communities are being reached.
If a digital platform reaches 100,000 farmers but most are concentrated in areas that already have strong services, it may not close the country's extension gap.
The quality and distribution of coverage therefore matter as much as the headline number of users.
Building a National Agricultural Knowledge Network
The direction emerging from the Abuja summit is toward a national agricultural knowledge network.
Such a network would connect farmers with extension agents, researchers, weather experts, government agencies, technology companies and markets.
The idea is to make information move in both directions.
Government should provide farmers with technical information.
Farmers should provide government and researchers with information about what is happening in the field.
Researchers should turn that feedback into improved recommendations.
Technology providers should develop tools around real agricultural needs.
Market participants should provide information about demand.
If these relationships operate effectively, extension becomes more than an information-delivery service.
It becomes part of the agricultural decision-making infrastructure.
What Happens Next
The Federal Government has indicated that coordination will be a priority.
Kyari said he had approved a steering committee to harmonise extension initiatives across the ministry and relevant agencies.
The committee is expected to involve organisations including NAERLS, the National Agricultural Quarantine Service and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, with NiMet contributing climate information.
The ministry is also supporting the development of a broader institutional framework.
Officials said an agricultural extension bill is currently before the National Assembly, although the latest summit discussions did not establish when or in what form the legislation would become law.
The outcome of those processes will determine whether the proposed reforms become permanent features of Nigeria's agricultural system or remain a collection of initiatives.
A Critical Test for Food Security Policy
Nigeria's agricultural sector has recorded stronger growth in 2026, but maintaining that momentum will require more than favourable statistics.
The country needs farmers to become more productive.
That means knowledge must reach farms.
The latest extension debate is therefore closely linked to the wider food-security challenge.
If an extension officer serves thousands of farmers, the traditional model cannot provide enough individual attention.
Digital technology can expand the reach of advisory services.
AI can help answer routine questions.
Weather services can provide timely climate information.
Farmer registries can make advice more targeted.
But each technology needs professional oversight.
A farmer's livelihood can be affected by a single recommendation.
That is why accuracy, local relevance and accountability must remain central to the system.
The Road Ahead
The Federal Government's latest position is that agricultural extension should be treated as a permanent part of Nigeria's productive infrastructure.
The argument is based on a simple principle: increasing food production requires farmers to have access not only to land and inputs, but also to knowledge.
Nigeria's recent agricultural growth provides an opportunity to strengthen that foundation.
The NBS recorded 4.39 per cent real agricultural growth in Q2 2026, while the sector contributed more than a quarter of real GDP.
At the same time, the extension system remains stretched.
The minister's estimate of one extension agent serving between 5,000 and 10,000 farmers illustrates the scale of the problem.
The response now being proposed combines more personnel, digital tools, climate information, artificial intelligence, farmer databases and stronger coordination among federal and state institutions.
Whether that approach can deliver measurable improvements will depend on implementation.
Technology must work in areas with limited connectivity.
Advisory information must be accurate.
Extension workers need adequate training and mobility.
Farmer data must be handled responsibly.
Digital systems must be interoperable.
And government programmes must continue long enough to become institutions rather than temporary projects.
For farmers, the ultimate question will remain practical.
Can the new system provide the right information before a decision has to be made?
Can it help a farmer identify a pest before the infestation spreads?
Can it provide reliable weather information before planting?
Can it explain how to use an input efficiently?
Can it connect farmers to markets?
Can it bring a professional into the conversation when an automated system cannot provide an adequate answer?
Those are the tests that will determine whether the extension reform translates into better agricultural outcomes.
Nigeria's food-security challenge is too large to be addressed by land expansion alone.
The country will need higher productivity, better use of technology, stronger market connections and a workforce capable of transferring scientific knowledge to farms.
The Federal Government's call at the Africa Agribusiness Extension Summit marks a renewed emphasis on that knowledge system.
The proposed shift from supply-driven extension to demand-driven, digitally supported advisory services could change the way farmers interact with agricultural institutions.
But the success of the transformation will depend on whether the new infrastructure reaches the people it is designed to serve.
The farmer in a remote community ultimately does not experience agricultural policy as a document or a conference.
The policy becomes real when useful information arrives before a crop is planted, when a warning reaches a farmer before severe weather, when a technical problem receives a reliable answer, or when better advice contributes to a harvest that produces a sustainable income.
That is the standard Nigeria's extension system will now be expected to meet.
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