Kwara Unveils New Initiative to Enhance Agricultural Productivity Through Training

The Kwara State Government has begun the training of agricultural extension agents and selected farmers on climate-smart farming methods in a renewed effort to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen food security and build farmers’ resilience to the effects of climate change across the state.

The Kwara State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project spokesperson, Okanlawon Taiwo, unveiled the initiative in a statement on Wednesday in Ilorin.

The exercise is being implemented in collaboration with the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, the statement said.

The statement said the training was preceded by a one-day technical meeting between officials of NAERLS, IITA and the KWACReSAL State Project Management Unit to review implementation strategies and fine-tune plans for the rollout of climate-smart agriculture interventions across the project’s three catchment areas.

The meeting focused on the establishment of demonstration plots, Farmer Field Schools, certified seed production, extension service delivery, digital monitoring systems and implementation timelines, while harmonising operational strategies ahead of field activities, it said.

The statement added that the visiting delegation later paid separate courtesy visits to the management of the Kwara State Ministries of Environment and Agriculture and Rural Development, to deepen institutional collaboration and seek government support for the successful implementation of the intervention.

The engagements ended with a Training of Trainers programme organised at the KWACReSAL State Project Management Unit office in GRA, Ilorin, with participants sourced from agricultural institutions, extension services, local government councils, farming communities, Ministries of Environment, Water Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, Kwara Agricultural Development Project and members of the ACReSAL technical team.

Speaking at the opening of the training, State Project Coordinator of KWACReSAL, Shamsideen Aregbe, described the programme as a strategic investment designed to transform agriculture and enhance the capacity of extension workers to support farmers with climate-smart technologies.

“This programme is a strategic investment in the future of agriculture in Kwara State,” he said. The success of the ACReSAL Project depends to a large extent on the enhanced capacity of knowledgeable extension agents to transfer climate-smart technologies to farmers throughout the state.

“The training is intentionally designed to expose participants to innovative agricultural technologies and best practices that would increase crop production, improve soil health and ensure better harvests despite the growing obstacles presented by changing weather patterns.

Aregbe said extension agents are the critical link between research institutions and farming communities and would be responsible for providing ongoing technical guidance, mentorship and follow-up support to farmers during the course of implementing the project.

The project coordinator also called on participants to be attentive to all presentations, adhere to recommended agronomic practices and replicate the knowledge acquired in their respective communities to promote wider adoption of climate-smart farming techniques.

“Pay close attention to each presentation, strictly follow the recommended agronomic practices and replicate the knowledge acquired in your respective communities to achieve the desired multiplier effect,” Aregbe added.

He also expressed confidence in the expertise of the resource persons from NAERLS and IITA, saying the collaboration reflected the commitment of the ACReSAL Project to deploy science-based and climate-resilient agricultural solutions that can transform livelihoods and food security in the state.

“Climate change is increasingly affecting farming with irregular rainfall, long dry spells and lower soil productivity, so climate-smart agriculture is more important than ever,” NAERLS engineer Luqman Durojaiye said during one of the technical sessions.

“Climate change has continued to change the traditional farming systems through erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells and declining soil productivity, making the adoption of climate-smart farming methods imperative,” Durojaiye said.

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He said that the intervention would employ Farmer Field Schools, Mother Demonstration Plots, Baby Demonstration Plots and Local Government Demonstration Farms as practical learning centres where farmers would observe, assess and adopt improved technologies appropriate for their local environments.

He said the demonstration plots would allow farmers to see how improved technologies compared with current practices, while promoting wider adoption of innovations that could help increase yields and improve resilience.

“Choosing technologies appropriate to prevailing soil and climatic conditions is still necessary to ensure sustainable agricultural productivity, while collaboration among extension agents, researchers, local government authorities and farming communities is equally important to the success of the intervention,” he added.

An IITA resource person, Dr. Akeem Ajeigbe, also spoke and unveiled the implementation framework for establishing demonstration plots across the participating local government areas.

Each local government area will have a centrally located Mother Demonstration Plot backed by twenty-five Baby Demonstration Plots to enable practical learning and speedy adoption of climate-smart technologies by farmers,” Ajeigbe said.

He added that designated Extension Experts would oversee the demonstration plots, offer technical advice and monitor implementation throughout the farming season to ensure adherence to recommended agronomic practices.

To strengthen monitoring, evaluation and communication, Ajeigbe said, digital reporting applications and virtual training platforms would be deployed while extension workers would receive continuous technical support from IITA.

He reiterated the institute’s commitment to collaborating with NAERLS, KWACReSAL and other technical partners to deploy improved crop varieties, promote certified community seed production, encourage microdosing of fertiliser application and strengthen sustainable farming systems across the project’s catchment communities.

The intervention would focus on improving farmers’ resilience, increasing agricultural productivity and entrenching sustainable climate-smart farming practices capable of delivering long-term benefits to rural communities, the IITA expert said. It is expected to have an initial implementation period of 10 months.