The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has challenged African countries to rethink agricultural extension services and embrace technology to provide farmers with timely, trusted and accessible agricultural advice.
Kyari made the call on Wednesday at the Africa Agribusiness Extension Summit, AAES 2026, organised by Extension Africa in Abuja.
The Minister delivered a keynote address titled “Agricultural Advisory as Infrastructure for Africa’s Transformation,” where he highlighted the importance of modernising extension services across the continent.
According to Kyari, Africa’s projected population of 2.5 billion people by 2050 makes it imperative for countries to increase productivity on existing farmland through better knowledge, technology and farmer support.
He said agricultural extension systems must evolve to meet the changing needs of farmers, particularly by using digital technologies to deliver reliable information quickly and efficiently.
At the summit, Kyari also launched IrokoAI.NG, an artificial intelligence-powered agricultural advisory tool designed to connect farmers with expert guidance through USSD, SMS and voice services.
The platform is expected to provide farmers with accessible agricultural information while referring more complex enquiries to trained agronomists for further assistance.
The Minister highlighted Nigeria’s expanding digital extension system, noting that more than 100,000 farmers across six states currently receive weekly weather and crop-protection messages.
He also disclosed that more than 1,000 digital extension agents have been deployed with tablets to support farmers and strengthen the delivery of agricultural advisory services.
Kyari stressed the need to connect farmer registries with extension services, saying this would help ensure that farmers receive the right advice, for the right crop, at the right time.
He further called for sustained investment in agricultural extension services, describing them as critical infrastructure.
