Ekiti State has advanced its agricultural reform agenda by sending staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, alongside key agro-stakeholders, to a train-the-trainer certification programme at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan. The programme, aimed at building technical capacity in modern farming practices, was confirmed by Commissioner Ebenezer Boluwade, who described it as a strategic step toward transforming the state's agricultural sector. Participants underwent intensive training designed to equip them with skills to replicate knowledge among local farmers across Ekiti. The state government plans to integrate the acquired expertise into its existing agricultural extension services. Boluwade stated that the initiative "will enhance productivity and ensure sustainability in food production." The move aligns with the state's broader goal of boosting agribusiness and reducing post-harvest losses. No specific timeline was given for the rollout of the cascaded training.
Ebenezer Boluwade's push for certified trainer deployment signals a shift from ad-hoc farming support to structured knowledge transfer in Ekiti. With IITA's involvement, the state now has access to science-backed methodologies that could improve yields if effectively passed to smallholder farmers. This approach may set a benchmark for how subnational governments professionalize agriculture. For Nigerian farmers, better-trained extension agents could mean more reliable access to modern techniques and increased productivity over time.
