OGUN STATE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (OGADEP)
1.0 Introduction
Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP) was launched in February 1986. OGADEP is the only Agricultural Extension Agency of the State Government, charged with the responsibility of improving farmers' technical knowledge and skills, promoting the adoption of improved agricultural production practices along the entire value chain, provision of rural infrastructures that support Agriculture, thereby facilitating increased agricultural production and industrialization in line with the agenda of the Government.
Like other ADPs in the country, supported by the World Bank (1975-1995) the classical Training and Visit (T & V) system of Extension was adopted which had been modified to include demand driven group-based extension services. Midway into the implementation of the ADPs (1991), a policy of a unified agricultural extension service ((UAES) which mandated extension delivery through a single Extension Agent to the farmers for the complete farming system was enacted for the ADPs, to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the extension service.
Vision
To become the centre of excellence and point of reference for Agricultural Extension delivery and rural transformation in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa.
Mission
To increase Agricultural production, farmers’ productivity and incomes along the commodity value chain; through dissemination of improved and proven technologies using International best practices and innovations in an environmentally sustainable manner.
2.0 Organizational Structure & Functions
2.1 Organizational Structure
The scheduling process of OGADEP as a parastatal of the State Government was formalized through the official Gazette No. 31, vol. 21 of 1st August 1996 Part B.
q The day-to-day administration of OGADEP is the responsibility of the Programme Management Unit (PMU) with the Programme Manager as Chairman and Directors of Sub-programmes (i.e Departments) as members.
q Moreover, OGADEP has a Board which is the highest decision making body of the Agency.
q Statutorily, the Chairman of the Board is the Executive Governor of the State
q while the Deputy Chairman is the State Commissioner for Agriculture.
OGADEP operates a seven Sub programme structure to facilitate the accomplishment of set goals. These are:
Ø Administration & Supplies,
Ø Finance & Accounts,
Ø Extension Services,
Ø Technical Services,
Ø Engineering Services,
Ø Research & Training and
Ø Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME).
2.2 OPERATIONAL NETWORK OF OGADEP
The Programme operates in the three Senatorial Districts with its Headquarters at Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
The Zonal offices are at:
v Kotopo, Abeokuta,
v Sagamu,
v Ijebu Ode and
v Ilaro.
Each zone is headed by a Zonal Manager (ZM) backed up by a Team of Subject Matter Specialists in:
§ Agronomy/Agroforestry & Sustainable Land Management;
§ Crop Protection;
§ Women in Agriculture;
§ Livestock; and
§ Fisheries.
There are four to eight Block Extension offices per zone.
· Each Block office is manned by a Block Extension Supervisor (BES)
· who in turn supervises 4 8 Village Extension Agents (VEAs).
· Each Block, also, has a Block Extension Agent (BEA) specifically for developing and promoting Women-In-Agriculture (WIA) activities.
Table I: OGADEP's Organisational Structure
Sub Programmes Components
……………………………………………………………………………………
1. Technical Services * Livestock Services
* Fisheries
* Cassava/Seed Multiplication
* Agro-Processing
* Agro-Forestry/Sustainable Land Management
2. Extension Services * Extension
* Women in Agriculture (WIA)
* Communication in Extension
* Rural Institutions Development (RID)
3. Engineering Services * Rural Water Supply
* Rural Roads Rehabilitation
* Small-scale Irrigation
* General Maintenance
4. Research & Training * Research
* Training
5. Finance & Accounts * Accounts
* Procurement
6. Administration & Supplies * Personnel & General Administration
* Supplies
* Stores
7. Planning, Monitorin& Evaluation (PME): * Planning
* Monitoring/Mgt Information System * Evaluation.
Senatorial
District Zone Block No. of circles per block
…………………………………….………………………………………………………
Ogun Central Abeokuta Ilewo 4
Olorunda 4
Ifo 8
Wasimi 8
Ilugun 8
Opeji 7
Someke 8
Obafemi 6
Ogun East Ijebu Ibiade 8
Ijebu-Ife 7
Ago-Iwoye 4
Ala 5
Ijebu-Igbo 4
Isonyin 6
Remo Isara 4
Simawa 4
Ogun West Ilaro Imeko 7
Ado-Odo 8
Sawonjo 8
Oke-Odan 8
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3.0 Functions of the Agency
The functions of OGADEP include the following:
a. facilitation of increased food production, productivity and incomes of farmers estimated to constitute over 360,000 farm-families in Ogun State;
b. establishment of a better link between research, extension and farmers and initiate the development of appropriately tailored technologies for farmers;
c. promotion of improved and proven agricultural technologies along the value chain, with special focus on the priority crops for which Ogun State has comparative advantage
d. collaboration with Agro-Services Corporation to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing agro-inputs distribution system and provide agro-processing assistance to farmers;
e. sensitization and mobilization of farmers for dry season production
f. co-operation with other State Agencies for overall development of the agricultural/rural sector of the State.
g. rehabilitate and promote maintenance of the rural roads by the rural Communities through donor-assisted intervention.
h. Rural Institutions Development (RID) – Mobilization and formation of farmer/community groups to galvanize the social capital for rapid rural transformation
i. Link the farmers with financial institutions for capital to expand their scale of farm investments
j. Expand market outlets for agricultural commodities through promotion of value chain
k. Monitor and evaluate agricultural production prospects and constraints with a view to proffering appropriate policy prescriptions to enhance food security and attainment of SDG.
l. Conduct of Agricultural production surveys and studies to keep track of seasonal production and productivity trends for planning purposes
m. facilitates Outgrower schemes for multiplication of certified planting materials and raw materials for agro-allied industries
n. Management of the National Small Holder Farmer Database in Ogun State
3.1 Major strategies employed by OGADEP to achieve its goals include:
a) Implementation of a combination of supply and demand-driven extension/advisory services through regularly trained and adequately motivated staff.
b) On-farm adaptive research.
c) Bottom-up, participatory community planning concept
d) Results-based Extension Services with critical appraisal indicators.
e) Value-chain Development Promotion.
f) Promotion of dry season food production
g) Promotion of (advocacy for) Lowland-Rice cultivation to boost overall output in Ogun State in consonance with the rice-transformation agenda.
h) Conduct of studies/surveys as basis for creating a data base for planning purposes and decision making;
i) Fostering institutional linkages/synergy for enhanced rural transformation
Supply-Driven Extension and Advisory services runs on:
i) a single line of command with clearly defined duties at each level;
ii) well-defined geographical boundary of operations for each extension worker;
iii) a supervisor to extension agent ratio of not more than 1: 8;
iv) time-bound nature of activities;
v) regular and continuous training.
vi) support and involvement of research to develop realistic technical messages with a feed-back on adoption responses from farmers; and
vii) extension linkage with virile input delivery system.
To be effective, the extension system benefits from research through:
a) Technology Review Platforms (TRP) (former MTRM ) with Preview field visits
b) On-Station and On-Farm Adaptive Research trials
c) Training of extension staff
d) Field visits
The extension workers also work using the following concepts: -
a) Contact farmer/point
b) Contact groups
c) Visit scheduling
d) Monthly Trainings (MTs)
e) MTP establishment
f) Field Days, GAP and FBS
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