By Simpson Global Media News Desk
The Federal Government has called for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s agricultural extension system, saying the country needs to move from a largely supply-driven approach to a demand-driven model that provides farmers with verified information based on their specific production needs, local conditions and market opportunities.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, made the call at the Africa Agribusiness Extension Summit 2026 in Abuja, where government officials, agricultural organisations, researchers, technology providers, agribusinesses and development partners discussed how to build more sustainable agricultural advisory infrastructure across Africa.
The minister said extension services should begin with an understanding of what farmers produce, what they need to improve production and what markets require from agricultural producers.
The Federal Government's position places agricultural knowledge and advisory services at the centre of Nigeria's efforts to improve productivity, rather than relying primarily on expanding the amount of land under cultivation.
At the same summit, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Senator Abubakar Kyari said Nigeria could not meet the food needs of its rapidly growing population simply by putting more farmland under cultivation. He argued that higher productivity would increasingly have to come from knowledge, technology and effective extension services.
The discussion comes at a critical point for Nigerian agriculture, with farmers facing high production costs, limited access to modern equipment, climate-related pressures, changing markets and difficulties obtaining timely technical advice.
It also comes as the Federal Government increasingly promotes mechanisation, improved seeds, irrigation, digital agriculture and commercial farming as part of its broader food-security strategy.
From information supply to farmer demand
Agricultural extension services traditionally provide farmers with information about farming techniques, crop management, pest control, improved varieties and other aspects of agricultural production.
The problem identified by the Federal Government is that information does not automatically become useful simply because it has been produced and distributed.
Abdullahi said agricultural extension infrastructure should begin by identifying farmers' needs and understanding the markets for their products.
He called for a system in which extension information is designed around actual demand rather than a process where information is developed first and farmers are expected to adopt it afterward.
That approach could change how agricultural advisory services are planned.
Instead of providing identical recommendations to farmers across different parts of Nigeria, extension providers would have to consider differences in climate, soil, crops, production systems, farm sizes, market access and available technology.
A maize farmer in the northern savannah, for example, may require different advice from a cassava producer in the South-East or a rice farmer operating in a wetland environment.
The same crop can also require different management practices depending on rainfall patterns, soil conditions, pest pressures and access to irrigation.
Abdullahi therefore stressed the importance of Nigeria's diverse agroecological zones.
He said agricultural advisory infrastructure must recognise those differences because the information prepared for farmers can directly affect their production outcomes.
Why extension services matter
Agricultural extension officers traditionally serve as a bridge between farmers and institutions that generate agricultural knowledge.
Research organisations develop improved technologies, universities produce research, government agencies formulate policies and agricultural companies develop products.
Farmers, however, need practical information that can be applied in their fields.
Extension services are intended to help close that gap.
A farmer may know that an improved seed variety exists but still require guidance on planting density, fertiliser application, disease management, harvesting and storage.
Another farmer may understand how to increase production but lack information about quality requirements in the market where the produce will be sold.
Extension services can connect those pieces.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the historical role of extension officers had been particularly important because they once served as trusted links between research institutions and farming communities.
He argued that Nigeria now needs to rebuild that connection as part of a modern agricultural system.
The proposed overhaul therefore goes beyond simply increasing the number of agricultural officers.
It involves creating an advisory system capable of delivering relevant knowledge continuously and connecting that knowledge to farmers' production and commercial decisions.
Nigeria's extension gap
One of the challenges facing the system is the limited number of extension personnel relative to the farming population.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has previously identified a severe imbalance between extension agents and farmers.
A ministry statement on the National Electronic Extension Platform reported an extension agent-to-farmer ratio of about one agent to 25,000 farmers, describing the situation as unrealistic for effective agricultural development.
Such a ratio makes it difficult for traditional face-to-face extension services to reach farmers regularly.
An individual extension officer cannot realistically visit thousands of farmers frequently enough to provide personalised advice, monitor crop conditions and respond quickly to emerging problems.
The geographical spread of Nigerian farms makes the challenge even greater.
Farmers are distributed across thousands of communities, many of which are located far from major urban centres.
Some communities also face transportation, telecommunications and security challenges that can make regular field visits difficult.
The result is that farmers may receive agricultural advice irregularly or depend on informal sources of information.
Digital technology enters the extension debate
The Federal Government's push for reform is therefore increasingly connected to digital technology.
The National Electronic Extension Platform, or NEEP, is one example of the government's attempt to use technology to increase the reach of agricultural advisory services.
The Ministry of Agriculture has described NEEP as a digital initiative designed to strengthen links between research institutions and farmers while providing more immediate access to agricultural information.
The ministry said the platform is intended to complement traditional extension services and help overcome limitations created by the low number of field agents.
At the Abuja summit, technology was again identified as an important part of the emerging model.
Extension Africa's Chief Operating Officer and co-founder, Isa Abdulsamad, said the organisation was seeking greater use of artificial intelligence and other technologies in agricultural extension.
He said technology could help farmers in rural communities receive extension information in local languages through basic phones as well as smartphones.
That approach could be particularly significant in communities where smartphone ownership remains limited.
It suggests that digital agricultural advisory systems do not necessarily have to depend exclusively on sophisticated applications.
Voice services, SMS, local-language messaging and other low-bandwidth technologies can potentially reach farmers who have basic mobile phones.
Artificial intelligence and farm advice
The growing use of artificial intelligence introduces another dimension to agricultural extension.
AI systems can potentially process large amounts of agricultural information and provide farmers with responses based on crops, locations, weather information, pest threats and production practices.
But the usefulness of AI-generated advice depends on the quality of the underlying information.
If the data used to generate recommendations are incomplete, outdated or poorly adapted to local farming conditions, technology may reproduce inaccurate advice at a larger scale.
That makes verification particularly important.
Abdullahi's call for verified information is therefore significant as the agricultural sector experiments with AI and other digital advisory tools.
The objective is not simply to put more information in farmers' hands.
It is to ensure that the information is accurate, relevant and capable of supporting real decisions.
Local languages could widen access
Language is another issue that has historically affected the reach of formal agricultural information.
Nigeria has hundreds of languages and numerous local farming communities.
Agricultural information produced only in English may not be easily accessible to every farmer.
The proposal to use technology to deliver extension advice in local languages could help address that gap.
Extension Africa said it was exploring ways to use AI and digital platforms to provide advisory messages through basic phones and smartphones, potentially allowing farmers to receive information without requiring advanced digital literacy.
Local-language agricultural information could cover issues such as planting periods, disease identification, fertiliser use, weather conditions, irrigation, harvesting and market requirements.
However, translation alone would not solve the problem.
The underlying technical advice would still have to be scientifically sound and appropriate to the farmer's local conditions.
Markets must influence farm advice
A major element of the proposed demand-driven approach is the connection between production and markets.
Farmers do not produce crops only for agronomic reasons.
Most commercial producers ultimately need to sell what they grow.
That means an extension system focused solely on production without considering market demand may encourage farmers to produce crops that are difficult to sell profitably.
Abdullahi highlighted this issue at the Abuja summit, saying extension planning should consider the market side of agriculture.
He also identified traceability as an important requirement because markets increasingly demand information about the origin and production history of agricultural products.
Traceability can be particularly important for export markets.
Buyers may require information about where a product was produced, how it was handled, which inputs were used and how it moved through the supply chain.
Farmers who understand those requirements can make production decisions with the final market in mind.
From farm advice to value chains
The proposed reform therefore expands the concept of agricultural extension.
Instead of treating extension as advice given only at the farm gate, the system could increasingly cover the wider value chain.
That would include production, aggregation, storage, processing, packaging, transportation and marketing.
For example, a farmer growing a crop for industrial processing may need to understand the quality specifications of the processor before planting.
An exporter may require a particular variety, moisture level, residue standard or packaging specification.
An extension service that communicates those requirements before production can help farmers make more commercially informed decisions.
That is different from advising farmers only on how to increase yield.
It seeks to connect productivity with profitability.
Agriculture and the cost of production
The proposed overhaul is also taking place against a backdrop of high agricultural production costs.
Farmers have repeatedly raised concerns about the price of fertiliser, seeds, herbicides, machinery, labour, transport and other inputs.
The cost pressures can make it difficult for farmers to adopt recommended technologies even when those technologies could increase yields.
Agricultural research conducted by the Institute for Agricultural Research has similarly recorded farmer concerns about rising costs of fertilisers, herbicides and farm machinery during stakeholder discussions in 2026.
This means extension officers cannot simply tell farmers to adopt more expensive inputs.
Good agricultural advice has to consider the economic reality of the farmer.
A recommendation that is technically effective but financially impossible to implement may have little practical value.
Demand-driven extension therefore requires knowledge of both agronomy and economics.
Practical training in agricultural education
The Federal Government is also linking the extension reform to agricultural education.
Abdullahi disclosed at the summit that the curriculum for diploma and Higher National Diploma agricultural programmes had been substantially reviewed.
He said practical work would account for 70 per cent of course content under the revised approach.
The emphasis on practical training reflects the broader argument that agricultural knowledge should be directly applicable in the field.
Agriculture students who eventually become extension officers need more than classroom knowledge.
They need to understand farm operations, equipment, production economics, climate-smart techniques, market requirements and communication with farmers.
Strengthening practical training could therefore become an important part of rebuilding the extension workforce.
Extension must become infrastructure
Kyari's argument at the summit was broader still.
He called for agricultural extension to be treated as infrastructure rather than as a series of temporary projects.
That distinction has implications for how extension programmes are funded and managed.
Infrastructure normally requires long-term planning, maintenance, investment and institutional continuity.
If extension services are treated as short-term projects, farmers may receive advisory support during a particular intervention and then lose access when the project ends.
A permanent system would seek to provide continuity.
BusinessDay reported that Kyari called for the Federal Government to move away from viewing extension as short-term, donor-dependent projects and instead establish lasting infrastructure capable of supporting productivity and long-term food security.
That position reflects a concern that agricultural development cannot depend indefinitely on isolated interventions.
Farmers need advisory support throughout multiple production cycles.
The four pillars of a modern system
Extension Africa's Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Tajudeen Yahaya, said the summit was intended to shift the discussion from extension as a service-delivery activity toward extension as infrastructure.
The organisation identified four broad pillars for the proposed approach: people, technology, data and partnerships.
Each pillar addresses a different weakness.
People refers to extension workers and other professionals who interact with farmers.
Technology provides additional ways to deliver information and reach farmers at scale.
Data can help tailor recommendations to locations, crops, markets and production conditions.
Partnerships can connect government agencies, research organisations, private companies, development institutions and farmer groups.
Together, those elements could create a more connected agricultural advisory system.
But the model will require coordination.
Multiple digital platforms operating independently could produce fragmented systems and duplicate information.
Abdulsamad said Extension Africa had identified siloed solutions as a challenge across Nigeria and Africa and was seeking a more interoperable approach in which platforms could integrate with existing digital infrastructure.
More than 8,000 extension workers trained
The summit also highlighted existing efforts to strengthen the extension workforce.
Extension Africa said it had trained more than 8,000 agricultural extension workers, including workers in Nigeria and Kenya.
Abdulsamad said the organisation was now looking at how technology and AI could increase the use of extension advice and make agricultural knowledge more sustainable across the food system.
The training figure illustrates the potential scale of non-governmental participation in agricultural extension.
But training more workers is only one part of the problem.
The workers must also have access to reliable information, transportation, digital tools and institutional support.
They need clear channels for communicating farmers' problems back to researchers and policymakers.
And farmers need confidence that the information they receive is credible.
Connecting research with farmers
Nigeria has a large agricultural research network, including universities, specialised research institutes and agricultural research organisations.
One challenge is ensuring that innovations developed in those institutions reach farms in forms that farmers can understand and use.
Extension services are supposed to provide that connection.
Researchers may develop a new crop variety, production technique or pest-management approach, but farmers will not benefit unless the technology reaches them.
The extension system therefore serves as a bridge between research and application.
A stronger connection could also work in the opposite direction.
Farmers can provide information about problems they are experiencing, which researchers can then use to develop new solutions.
That creates a feedback loop between research and agricultural production.
The Institute for Agricultural Research's 2026 stakeholder review, for example, involved direct discussions among farmers, researchers and extension agents, with farmers raising concerns about input costs, machinery and market conditions.
Such exchanges can help research institutions focus on practical problems.
Climate change adds urgency
Nigeria's agricultural system is increasingly exposed to weather-related risks.
Changes in rainfall patterns, flooding, drought, heat and other climate-related pressures can affect planting dates, yields and farm incomes.
Extension services can help farmers adapt by providing information on climate-smart practices, water management, improved varieties and other measures.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has previously linked modern extension methodologies with climate-smart approaches and sustainable food production.
The importance of locally relevant information becomes greater under changing climate conditions.
A farming recommendation that worked reliably under historical rainfall patterns may require adjustment when weather patterns change.
Farmers therefore need timely information rather than advice that is updated only occasionally.
Irrigation and dry-season production
The Federal Government is also promoting irrigation and dry-season farming as ways to increase agricultural output beyond the main rainy season.
President Bola Tinubu said in his October 1 Independence Day address that the government would expand mechanised irrigation and dry-season farming alongside improved access to seeds and fertilisers.
He also linked agricultural productivity to better storage and transportation infrastructure.
Extension services will be important if those investments are to translate into increased production.
Farmers using irrigation require technical information on water management, crop selection, planting schedules, fertiliser application and pest control.
Dry-season farming also involves different production risks from rain-fed agriculture.
A demand-driven extension system could help provide that specialised information.
Mechanisation requires knowledge too
The Federal Government has also identified agricultural mechanisation as part of its strategy for improving productivity.
But tractors and other machinery do not automatically increase farm output.
Farmers and operators need training in equipment selection, operation, maintenance and scheduling.
Mechanisation services also need to be organised economically, particularly for smallholder farmers who may not be able to purchase expensive machinery individually.
At a recent agricultural industry symposium in Lagos, stakeholders noted that individual farmers could not easily afford tractors costing tens of millions of naira and suggested tractor-service centres and farmer clusters as possible ways to expand access.
Extension services can contribute by helping farmers understand how mechanisation fits into their production systems.
That includes determining when machinery should be used and which operations offer the greatest productivity gains.
Farmers need information they can trust
The quality of agricultural information is becoming increasingly important as farmers gain access to information through social media, messaging platforms and other digital channels.
Online platforms can distribute useful information quickly.
They can also spread incorrect or unsuitable recommendations just as quickly.
That is one reason the Federal Government's emphasis on verified information matters.
A modern extension system would ideally provide farmers with a trusted source that can distinguish tested agricultural practices from unverified claims.
This becomes especially important when advice concerns pesticide use, animal health, fertiliser application or other areas where incorrect practices can damage crops, affect food safety or increase production costs.
Data can make extension more targeted
Data is another key component of the proposed reform.
An extension system with reliable farmer, farm and crop information can potentially provide more targeted advice.
For example, advisory messages could be organised according to crop type, location and production stage.
Farmers growing the same crop in different ecological zones could receive different recommendations.
Data could also help identify areas experiencing particular pest outbreaks, drought conditions or other agricultural challenges.
But the usefulness of such systems depends on data quality.
Incomplete or inaccurate records can lead to poor targeting.
That makes verification and regular updating important.
The Federal Government has already been pursuing broader digital approaches to agriculture, including efforts to improve farmer and farm information systems.
The extension reform could therefore eventually connect with those wider agricultural data initiatives.
Partnerships with the private sector
The proposed system also creates opportunities for agricultural companies and private technology providers.
Seed companies, fertiliser manufacturers, equipment providers, processors, banks, insurers and agritech firms all have information relevant to farmers.
However, commercial information and independent agricultural advice must be appropriately distinguished.
Farmers need to know when advice is based on scientific or regulatory guidance and when it is promoting a particular commercial product.
A transparent extension system can help maintain that distinction.
Private companies can still contribute technology, training, logistics and market information while operating within appropriate standards.
Farmer organisations have a role
Farmer associations can also become important channels for extension.
Organised farmer groups can help identify common needs, coordinate training and facilitate access to machinery and inputs.
They can also communicate market requirements to members.
The Federal Government's broader agricultural policies increasingly emphasise farmer organisations and aggregation as mechanisms for connecting smallholders to markets.
A modern extension system could use those structures to reach larger numbers of farmers more efficiently.
Instead of an extension officer trying to visit thousands of individual farms separately, training can sometimes be delivered through organised groups, cooperatives and community-based networks.
Digital tools can then provide continuing support between physical visits.
The challenge of reaching rural communities
Despite the promise of digital extension, physical agricultural officers will remain important.
Not every farmer has a smartphone.
Not every community has reliable telecommunications coverage.
Some agricultural problems require physical inspection.
A plant disease, pest infestation or soil condition may be difficult to diagnose accurately through a text message alone.
The most effective model may therefore be a combination of human and digital extension.
Field officers can provide direct support where physical intervention is necessary.
Digital platforms can deliver routine information at much greater scale.
Researchers and specialists can support extension officers through digital systems.
That combination could help address the enormous gap between the number of farmers and available extension personnel.
Security is another operational factor
Security conditions can also affect extension work.
In some agricultural areas, insecurity can make it difficult for extension officers to travel regularly.
The Ministry of Agriculture has previously identified digital extension as one way of mitigating risks faced by field agents while still providing farmers with access to information.
This does not eliminate the need for physical extension.
It provides another channel through which farmers can receive advice when regular field visits are difficult.
The security of farmers themselves also matters.
Agricultural advice has limited value if farmers cannot safely access their fields or transport their produce to market.
That means extension reform must operate alongside broader efforts to improve agricultural infrastructure, rural roads and farmer security.
Food security depends on productivity
The central argument presented by Kyari at the summit is that Nigeria's food-security challenge cannot be solved simply by increasing the amount of cultivated land.
Population growth means the country needs more output from available agricultural resources.
That requires productivity improvements.
Productivity can be increased through better seeds, fertiliser management, irrigation, mechanisation, improved agronomic practices, reduced post-harvest losses and better access to markets.
Extension services connect many of those interventions because farmers need information on how to use them effectively.
A tractor without trained operators may not deliver its potential.
Improved seeds without appropriate agronomic practices may produce disappointing results.
Fertiliser without correct application can waste money or damage crops.
Irrigation without appropriate water management can create additional problems.
Extension services are therefore part of the mechanism that converts agricultural technology and investment into actual farm-level results.
A system built for Nigeria's diversity
Nigeria's agricultural diversity makes a single national prescription difficult.
Different regions produce different crops and operate under different environmental and economic conditions.
The extension system therefore needs national coordination while allowing local adaptation.
National standards can establish quality requirements and ensure that farmers receive scientifically sound information.
Local extension networks can adapt recommendations to particular crops, climates and markets.
That balance is one of the central challenges facing the proposed overhaul.
A completely centralised system could struggle to respond to local conditions.
A completely fragmented system could produce inconsistent standards and duplicate efforts.
The Federal Government's emphasis on demand-driven extension suggests a model in which local needs influence the design of information while broader institutions provide the technical foundation.
What happens next
The immediate challenge is translating the summit's recommendations into an operational extension system.
That will require decisions on funding, staffing, technology, data management, training, coordination and accountability.
It will also require clear roles for federal agencies, state governments, research institutions, farmer organisations, private companies and development partners.
The Federal Government will have to determine how the proposed demand-driven model is incorporated into existing agricultural programmes.
Digital platforms such as NEEP may form part of that architecture.
AI-enabled advisory services may also expand, but their recommendations will need appropriate validation and oversight.
Agricultural education institutions will need to continue strengthening practical training.
And extension workers will require continuous professional development as farming technology changes.
Measuring whether the reform works
A major test of the new approach will be measurable results at farm level.
It will not be enough to count the number of extension officers trained or the number of digital messages sent.
The system will ultimately have to demonstrate whether farmers are adopting useful practices and whether those practices are improving productivity, profitability and resilience.
Relevant measurements could include crop yields, production costs, adoption of improved technologies, post-harvest losses, access to markets and farmer incomes.
Different crops and regions would require different indicators.
A maize farmer's productivity cannot be assessed in exactly the same way as that of a livestock producer or horticultural farmer.
The demand-driven model therefore requires data that can capture those differences.
Building continuity
Another important issue is continuity.
Agricultural production takes place across seasons and years.
Farmers need advice before planting, during crop development, at harvest and after harvest.
A system that disappears when a project ends cannot provide that continuity.
This is why the Federal Government's call to treat extension as infrastructure is significant.
A permanent advisory system would need stable institutions and predictable financing.
It would also need to retain experienced personnel and maintain relationships with farming communities.
The credibility of an extension officer can take years to build.
If staff turnover is high, farmers may repeatedly have to establish new relationships with different advisers.
The role of the states
Agriculture is heavily influenced by state and local conditions, meaning state governments will remain important to any national extension reform.
State agricultural ministries and agencies already operate extension programmes in different parts of the country.
A federal framework will therefore have to work with existing state structures rather than simply replacing them.
Coordination could help reduce duplication.
States can provide local knowledge and field networks, while federal institutions can provide standards, research links, training frameworks and digital infrastructure.
Local governments and community organisations can also help identify farmers and communicate local challenges.
An agricultural knowledge infrastructure
The emerging policy direction effectively treats agricultural knowledge as an infrastructure requirement.
Roads allow crops to move.
Storage protects harvested produce.
Irrigation provides water.
Electricity supports processing.
Digital networks move information.
Extension services connect farmers to knowledge.
Without the last component, some investments in the other areas may not deliver their full potential.
A farmer needs to know how to use an irrigation system.
A processor needs consistent raw material.
A producer needs to understand market standards.
A machinery operator needs technical training.
An exporter needs traceability.
Agricultural extension can connect those requirements.
The economic dimension
The proposed reform is not only about food production.
Agriculture remains a major source of livelihoods in Nigeria, particularly in rural communities.
Higher productivity can affect household income, employment and the supply of raw materials to processors.
More reliable agricultural production can also support manufacturing and export activity.
This is why stakeholders at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry's recent agricultural symposium linked agro-industrialisation with job creation, food security, exports and broader economic activity.
A stronger extension system can contribute to that transition by helping farmers move from purely subsistence production toward more commercially informed farming.
But extension alone cannot industrialise agriculture.
It must operate alongside finance, infrastructure, market access, security, energy and processing capacity.
The road ahead
The Abuja summit has placed agricultural extension back at the centre of Nigeria's food-security discussion.
The Federal Government is calling for a system that starts with farmers rather than programmes, connects production with markets and uses technology to reach more people.
It is also calling for extension to be treated as long-term infrastructure rather than a collection of temporary interventions.
The approach combines several strands: stronger human capacity, practical agricultural education, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, better data, local-language communication, research linkages and private-sector partnerships.
The scale of the challenge remains considerable.
Nigeria has a very large and geographically dispersed farming population, while the traditional extension workforce is too small to provide frequent one-to-one support to every producer.
Digital tools can help bridge that gap, but they cannot replace every function of field-based agricultural advice.
The most significant test will therefore be whether the proposed system can combine technology with human expertise in a way that is reliable, affordable and responsive to farmers.
From advice to measurable productivity
For farmers, the value of an extension system is ultimately measured in practical outcomes.
Does the information help them plant at the right time?
Does it reduce unnecessary input costs?
Does it help them control pests and diseases?
Does it improve yields?
Does it reduce post-harvest losses?
Does it help them meet market requirements?
Does it connect them to buyers?
Does it improve farm income?
Those are the questions that will determine whether the proposed transformation succeeds as an agricultural policy.
The Federal Government's new emphasis on demand-driven extension acknowledges that farmers are not a uniform group and that agricultural information must reflect their different circumstances.
It also recognises that farming is incre
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