A professor of Agricultural Extension at the Rivers State University (RSU), Professor George Nwimene Emah has called on states and federal government to enact laws that will support the smooth implementation of agricultural development programmes.
Speaking at the 58th inaugural lecture of the university which held at the Faculty of Law Auditorium on Wednesday, Professor Emah said such a law would address food insecurity in the states and nation at large.
According to the Ogoni-born university don, such legislation should be holistic in its drafting and proffer solutions to the lingering problems challenging effective extension delivery system in the country.
He advocated a law to be crafted in such a manner that, according to him, if there is a change in government, agricultural programmes and policies would be sustained and not die.
According to him, “Extension policies should be legislated by the National Assembly to provide strong legal backing to effective extension impact. The reason is that countries that have enacted extension policies through legislative action tend to have well-organized, financially stable extension system that has sustained effectiveness in production”.
Prof Emah who spoke on the topic: ‘Challenges of Effective Agricultural Extension Service Delivery System in Nigeria’, enumerated several government agricultural intervention programmes in the past six decades and the factors that led to their failure.
“Such notable agricultural development intervention programmes like Farm Settlement Schemes (1956), National Accelerated Food Production Programme (1973), Operation Feed the Nation (1976-1979), River Basin Schemes (1977), Green Revolution Programme (1980), amongst others, were meant to improve and increase the quality of food production for Nigerians”, he explained, adding that they all failed owing to avalanche of factors including the absence of enabling laws.
The erudite scholar who has emerged as not only the first Professor of Agricultural Extension in the RSU but also in his native Kono Community, Ogoni, said his professoriate appointment was delayed for six years due to the lack of existing Professor of Agricultural Extension in RSU who should advise the Assessment and Promotion Committee on what to do with his papers.
He specially thanked the array of dignitaries including the Vice Chancellor of RSU, Professor Blessing Didia, friends, colleagues, students and host of relations from Kono Community for gracing the event.
In his remark at the occasion, Professor Didia commended the lecturer for a job well done, stressing the need for a paradigm shift from oil to agriculture so as to increase the quality and quantity of food in the country.
