The Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy project continues to make efforts to strengthen the policy process by bridging the gap between “knowledge providers” and “knowledge users.” On November 10, 2016, Dr. Oyinkan Tasie (MSU) held round table discussions with state commissioners for agriculture (Nasarawa and Rivers States); permanent secretaries of state ministries of agriculture (Ebonyi and Kaduna States); and directors of planning research and statistics (Ebonyi, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Rivers States). They also included directors of project monitoring and evaluation of state agricultural development programs (Ebonyi, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Rivers State) and faculty members at the Nasarawa State College of Agriculture.
In Ebonyi State, the State Ministry of Agriculture welcomed the project’s effort at strengthening the linkages between faculty at Ebonyi State University and the ministry. Working with Ndukwe Okpani of the Ebonyi State University, the study team on pesticides plans to present its preliminary findings to the State Ministry of Agriculture in the second quarter and share its final report in the third quarter. In Nasarawa State, the State Ministry of Agriculture and the state government recognize the college of agriculture as the go-to on questions of state agricultural policy. Hence, the project team followed the meetings with discussions on collaborating with the Nasarawa College of Agriculture on mutual beneficial research issues.
