TAAT and FG Train 100 Master-Trainers for Farmers

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has initiated a five-day national training workshop from September 7 to 11, 2026, in Dutse, Jigawa State. The workshop aims to strengthen agricultural extension services and promote the adoption of improved technologies among Nigerian farmers.

It has gathered 100 extension master-trainers and subject-matter specialists from Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states. The program, themed “Empowering Extension to Scale Agricultural Innovations,” is supported by the CGIAR Scaling for Impact Programme, Jigawa Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA), and the National Agricultural Growth Scheme–Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) Secretariat.

The initiative employs a cascade training model to ultimately reach at least 500,000 farmers. JATA Director-General, Dr Saifullahi Umar, highlighted the challenges in transferring agricultural technologies to farmers and the inadequate extension-to-farmer ratio.

He noted Jigawa State's efforts in recruiting and training 1,700 extension personnel and establishing Agricultural Development and Farm Service Centres. Mr Ishaku Buba, representing the Minister of Agriculture, mentioned Nigeria's $134 million loan under the African Emergency Food Production Facility.