The National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, welcomed a delegation from Tena-Nova Agri-Hub, a newly established non-governmental organization focused on modernizing agriculture in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of NAERLS, Professor Y. A. Sani, was represented by the Deputy Director, Professor M. M. Jaliya, who received the Tena-Nova team at the institute’s headquarters in Zaria, Kaduna State. In his welcome remarks, Professor Jaliya highlighted the institute’s core mandate of collating and disseminating proven agricultural technologies and innovations to Nigerian farmers through various channels, including radio, television, extension publications, training programmes, and e-extension services delivered in multiple local languages.
He also noted that NAERLS operates six zonal offices across the country to strengthen agricultural extension support nationwide.
Leading the visiting delegation was Mr. Esson Okolo Elijah, the initiator of Tena-Nova Agri-Hub. He explained that the organization was created to transform agriculture through two strategic pillars: commercial crop production and youth-focused training. According to Mr. Elijah, “To secure Nigeria’s food future, agriculture must be reimagined as productive, profitable, and appealing especially to the youth. This demands a shift from subsistence models to technology-driven, climate-smart commercial farming.”
He emphasized the organization’s commitment to working with NAERLS to reach out to youths in Northern Nigeria, particularly in promoting climate-smart vegetable production on a commercial scale. The initiative aims to create job opportunities, improve youth livelihoods, and contribute to national food security.
In response, Professor Jaliya welcomed the proposed collaboration and requested that the Tena-Nova team draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of both parties for future engagement.
The meeting was attended by several members of NAERLS management the Assistant Director, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation and key Programme Leaders, including those in Agricultural Media, Crops and Forestry, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Food Technology, Livestock and Fisheries, E-Extension, and Heads of Units such as the Adopted Village and School Outreach Programme and the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Centre. The engagement concluded with a group photograph to commemorate the occasion.
