Functions of National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) are given in this article. This will be helpful for your research.

Functions of National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS)

NAERLS is one of the 18 National Agricultural Research Institutes under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

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The Institute is responsible for developing, collating, evaluating, and disseminating proven agricultural innovations and research extension methodologies and policy.

The extension and research activities of the Institute take into account the long-term economic, ecological, and social consequences of changes in rural life and linkages.

These activities are conducted in partnership with NARIs and other national and international collaborators. NAERLS has its beginning as an extension outfit of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) in the late 1950s.

It was used to carry out extension delivery services to farmers in northern Nigeria. In 1963, it became Extension Research Liaison Services (ERLS) and Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services.

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Following a mass reorganization of national agricultural research institutes (NARIs) in 1987, AERLS metamorphosed into a national institute with a national mission.

The mission of National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services is to develop, collate, evaluate, and disseminate agricultural technologies and policy; and provide leadership in capacity building of stakeholders to meet the present and future agricultural and development challenges of the country.

The extension body has as its vision to be “the foremost institute for agricultural extension research and effective capacity development for effective service delivery, increased agricultural productivity, sustainable agricultural growth and wealth creation”.

The institute has (six) 6 Zonal Offices, one in each of the 6 agro-ecological zones of the country – Umudike (South-east), Ibadan (South-west), Maiduguri (Northeast), Badeggi (North-central), Kano (North-west), and Port Harcourt (South-south).

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Functions of National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS)

The functions of NAERLS are as follows:

1. NAERLS as a strand of REFILLS – Research Extension – Farmer-Input-Linkage System has the responsibility of providing extension specialist support services to agricultural development projects (ADPs).
2. It undertakes research in technology development, transfer, adoption processes, and extension methodology, tools, and strategies.
3. The national extension organ is vested with the mandate of coordinating the production of radio, television, and documentaries on agricultural activities.
4. NAERLS also has the responsibility of coordinating zonal and national agricultural capacity building targeting farmers, extension personnel, investors, policymakers, corporate bodies, and students.
5. It is involved in field problem identification and reporting.

Operational Structure of National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services

NAERLS has (six) 6 thematic program areas to aid its internal operations namely:

1. Agricultural Communication Research
2. Agricultural Extension Researches
3. Agricultural Performance and Evaluation
4. Agricultural Extension Training and Outreach and Library Documentation
5. Agricultural Information Management
6. Agricultural Economics, Policy and Resource Management Specialized Departments
7. e-Extension
8. Crop and Forestry
9. Livestock and Fisheries
10. Agricultural Engineering and Irrigation
11. Agricultural Extension and Economics
12. Food Technology
13. Agricultural Media

Achievements of National Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Services

NAERLS has the following Achievements: 

1. NAERLS has played an indispensable role in stimulating productivity, and creating awareness and sensitization on the diverse yet interrelated fields of agriculture.
2. It has also undertaken many strategic outreach programs on television and radio and also plays a pivotal role in the coordination of agricultural events like agricultural shows, field days, and field training.
3. NAERLS has contributed to national development through technology transfer and adoption process research, extension publications, electronic media packages, and training.
4. Its expertise spans the social sciences, agricultural engineering, animal science, food technology, veterinary sciences, agronomy, soil science, and fisheries.
5. The institute has facilitated the development of best practices like Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), a community-based agricultural extension approach.
6. It has undertaken the production and distribution of more than 3 million copies of agricultural publications and more than fifty (50) completed research reports.