Success Story: Edo State - Integrating the Farmer Field School Approach into Extension Services
Edo State is one of seven cocoa-producing states in Nigeria to show an interest in the Farmer Field School approach. The Edo State government is contributing to the Farmer Field School capacity building project implemented by STCP-Nigeria and the National Cocoa Development Committee.
With the inauguration of a new administration in the state in May 2007, the commitment to the Farmer Field School approach has been re-energized. The state is blazing a trail to integrate the Farmer Field School approach into its extension services.
On September 10, 2007, the State Deputy Governor, who represented the Executive Governor, presented motorcycles to all 22 Farmer Field School facilitators, including farmer facilitators, and vehicle-refurbishing allowances to the master trainers and supervisors.
As the Deputy Governor explained, the effort was aimed at reviving the state’s extension services through the Farmer Field School approach. He charged the Farmer Field School team to go out there and excel because “to whom much is given, much is expected”.
Edo State: Identifying with Cocoa Farmers
Edo State has gone ahead of other cocoa-producing states to ensure that the Farmer Field School approach is anchored within its extension services and the Farmer Field School facilitators are adequately equipped to fulfill their responsibilities. The facilitators were full of praises to the state government for being able to identify with the cocoa farmers and their need for additional resources.
Farmer facilitator, Mr. Safi Buhari, who is also the leader of the STCP-supported Community-Based Nursery Initiative, agrees that:
“I am particularly happy that the state government has now recognized that farmers have a role to play in the extension delivery and can be relied upon as partners in development.”
The STCP-Nigeria team witnessed the memorable event and will follow-up with the state government and communities to explore ways of ensuring fiscal sustainability of the initiative and replicating the model in other states.
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