From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
No fewer than 100 farmers from Nsukka, Enugu State, extension agents from the Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and researchers from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), have benefitted from a training programme on the impact of climate change on their farming processes.
Organised by the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) at UNN, the theme was “Strengthening the capacity of the extension system to use proven knowledge and technologies to sustain equitable local adaptation among smallholder farming communities in selected West African countries.”
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Executive director of the ATPS, Prof. Nicholas Ozor, explained that smallholder farmers in Nigeria and Senegal were facing intensifying climate threats with extreme droughts, floods, rising temperatures and soil degradation, which, according to him, undermine food security and livelihoods.
He said the training would help the farmers to co-generate, transfer, and adopt proven locally led adaptation technologies, ensuring equitable and inclusive climate resilience.
Ozor further said that the project was supported by the Real Crown Canada called the International Development Research Centre, (IDRC): “They have supported us in a project called ‘strengthening the capacity of extension agents and farmers to use proven knowledge and technologies to support locally led adaptation in Nigeria and Senegal.’
“So, this is a programme we are doing in two countries. For Nigeria, we have selected South East, Nigeria and we are implementing it in Enugu and Ebonyi states, our target is to prepare farmers, agricultural extension system, and researchers in the areas to support inclusive knowledge brokering and increased climate resilience.”
Also, the National Coordinator ATPS, Nigeria chapter, Prof. Madukwe Michael who spoke on the constraints of the farmers stated that “they lack capability on how to access climate finance, they lack capability on how to use smart agriculture, they lack capability on group formation and ICT.”
He said that all these shortcomings informed the reason for the two-day training and programme.
In his speech, the Executive Director, West African Green Economics Development Institute (WAGEDI) Prof. Magnus Onuoha, expressed the optimism that the knowledge will permeate in future: “We started with 100 farmers here. In the next ten years, I look forward to seeing the knowledge being multiplied ten times.”
According to him, the new technology has made it possible to have much productivity even with smaller space and less stress.
One of the farmers who participated in the programme, Chief Okenwa Balawu in an interview expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the programme.
Another participant, Mrs. Chioma Onunze who specialises in tomato and pepper farming disclosed that she will share whatever knowledge she acquired from the training with her fellow farmers so as to help them increase their farm production.
There was a demonstration of the new farming technology by the researchers.
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