Public and private extension, agricultural and rural advisory services, play an important role in raising awareness and enhancing the capacity of farmers on the use of quality seed, improved varieties and advanced cultivation practices.

Increasing crop productivity and closing the yield gap for all crops in Nigeria requires a combination of quality seed of improved varieties and advanced cultivation practices. If both interventions are not utilized, farmers may not be able to earn back their investment in quality seed.

Current low extension agent-to-farmer ratios, combined with limited involvement of seed companies and other seed entrepreneurs in extension support, constrain farmers’ access to knowledge and information on quality seed and advanced cultivation practices that suit their agro-ecology and farming systems.

Topic vision

The CSP implements a limited part of the strategic innovation pathway as elaborated within the NSRM. Therefore the vision for the topic covers the gaining of insights and knowledge transfer to extension providers:

• In two years, insights are gained for public and private extension, and the promotion of quality seed and advanced cultivation practices.
• In five years, public and private extension have knowledge on quality seed, improved varieties and advanced cultivation practices targeting specific crops.

Strategic innovation pathway (SIP)

This pathway is presented in the NSRM. The pathway is essentially an agreed set of steps which see partners collaborate and progress the sector from its current status and challenges, through a process of catalytic innovation towards the stated topic ambition(s):

• Support universities and research in the design and implementation of action research, proving the benefits of using quality seed of improved varieties and advanced cultivation practices.
• Establish a pathway for communication between primarily domestic research and extension organizations, if appropriate linked to the facility, on the use of quality seed of improved varieties and advanced cultivation practices.