Nigeria's National Agricultural Development Fund Launches Nationwide Digital Extension Training for 1,884 Workers

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) kicked off a four‑day pilot programme in Lafia, Nasarawa State, to train 1,884 agricultural extension agents and food‑security specialists from the North Central geopolitical zone and the Federal Capital Territory. The initiative, called the Grassroots Digital Extension Corps (GDEC), is the first phase of a nationwide rollout that will later expand to the remaining five geopolitical zones.

Participants will receive digital tablets loaded with the curriculum and extension materials, and will be trained on digital extension services, climate‑smart agriculture, data collection, farmer advisory services and modern communication techniques. NADF executives say the programme aims to strengthen the link between research institutions, government interventions and farming communities, improve technology adoption and boost agricultural productivity and food‑security planning across Nigeria.