Gombe extension workers allege gender bias in recruitment

The absence of female extension workers in Gombe State which record shows that out of the 50 currently in service, only four are women, has provoked  stakeholders to conclude that this loopsidedness has overwhelming impact on food security.

Not a few obsetvers of the trend point accusing fingers at the cultural values which forbids married women from interracting with their male counteparts whether married or unmarried as a major reason for the imbalance, especially in cases where men are readily available.

The implication they note is that women farmers suffer in silence too the detriment of their crops in Gombe State, especially.

Arewa PUNCH reports that an extension worker is a professional trained in current agricultural practices and one who updates similar information where required.

Speaking at an agriculture budget dissemination in Gombe, organised by Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation, with support from Hope Foundation for the Lonely, and ActionAid Nigeria, Programme Officer of HFL, Ballin James, called on the government at the different levels of governance  to urgently employ more female extension officers to bridge the obvious deficit in the system.

She noted that the call was hinged on the huge contribution of women to Gombe State as an agrarian state, stressing that if deliberate policies geared towards improving their activities are put into cognisance such as funding, there will be food security.

James steessed, “There is the need for the Gombe State Government to urgently implement the recruitment of qualified extension personnel as indicated in the 2024 approved budget to fill the current manpower gap in Gombe State Agriculture Development Programme .

“There is also the need for the state to allocate funding for capacity building of existing extension personnel to enhance their knowledge on modern agricultural practices which they can, in turn, pass down to farmers.

“There is also the need for the GSADP to push for the release of the funds allocated for extension services by proposing viable programs that will benefit farmers in the state.

“Extension services should be provided to smallholder women farmers in their local languages for easy understanding of the messages being passed to the farmers.

“Smallholder women farmers should be involved in training and programs being organised by GSADP.

“More women extension workers should be recruited in the GSADP for easy relation with smallholder women farmers in communities whose cultures and religions do not allow for interaction with men who are not relatives,” James  highlighted.

Also speaking, the State Coordinator of SWOFON Airudia Mamman, also appealed to the government for female more extension workers, adding that, “the GSADP should leverage on the use of radio for information dissemination to farmers as it has proven to be the easiest means of receiving information by farmers in rural areas.

“The Gombe State Government should provide means of mobility like motorcycles for extension agents to provide extension services to smallholder women farmers in the rural areas.”

On his part, the Assistant Director Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture Animal Husbandry and Cooperative, Musa Umar, noted that the state has less than 50 extension workers .

He said, “This is due to the retirement of many of the extension workers who have completed their service and there is embargo on employment before the gesture of His Excellency Governor of Gombe State Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, who gave approval for the employment of extension workers to bridge the gap that we are having in the state.

“Presently, the state needs about a 1000 and 500 are being shortlisted with the hope that very soon, they will be called. We have only four female extension workers 46 others are men. In the employment consideration is given to have more women in the list.”

Chairman, Committee on Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Muhammad Kabir promised to prioritise more women farmers, adding that their efforts can’t be overemphasised.

“I think we have 80 per cent of food we eat planted by women. They deserve the right support. If we have more female extension workers, it will go a long way in empowering them,” he added.

Also, the Chief Executive Officer of HFL, Sarah Yapwa, decried the poor number of four female extension workers, urging the government to expedite action on recruiting more female officers.

“The governor needs to do something because we have a lot of graduates there seeking a job. According to side talks, we have qualified graduates without jobs. There is a need to recruit such people and give them the needed training,” Yapwa pointed out.