The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Feed the Future Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity in Nigeria, has supported 311 Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in providing extension services to farmers.
The initiative is aimed at improving agricultural practices and outcomes for smallholder farmers across the country.
Jean-Pierre Rousseau, Project Director at Winrock International, USAID, stated this during the national agricultural extension service impact-sharing workshop held in Abuja.
He explained that USAID’s ‘Innovative Market-led Extension Delivery’ approach is driven by private sector engagement, with a key focus on partnering with MSMEs and other private sector actors to test, adapt, and scale effective agricultural practices for smallholder farmers in seven Nigerian states.
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Rousseau said USAID has identified “Most Impactful Practices” (MIPs), which are market-aligned solutions designed to sustainably improve smallholder farmers’ access to agricultural inputs, markets, and extension messaging.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, emphasised the vital role of agricultural extension services in transforming Nigeria’s agriculture sector.