NIPR Advocates Synergy Among Agricultural Stakeholders

As the Federal Government lays emphasis on diversification of the economy from oil to agriculture and other sectors, it has been said that there must be synergy among the various stakeholders ‎in the agricultural sector in order to realise the objective.

This was contained in the communique issued at the end of the three-day Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); the umbrella body of professional Public Relations practitioners chartered to regulate as well as direct its development and the practice, held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The conference which was attended by Public Relations professionals from across the country was declared open by the Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who was represented by his Deputy, His Excellency, Chief Moses Adeyemo.

Distinguished speakers at the conference observed that there was a disconnect between research and development in agriculture and key players in the agricultural sector on one hand and between government policies and the needs of the peasant farmers on the other hand.

With the theme, 'Networking for National Economy, the Synergy of Agriculture and Communication\', the conference tasked public relations and communications professionals to have a crucial role in reconnecting all the diverse stakeholders.
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For the public relations and communications professionals to play the reconnecting role being advocated, the conference implored government to imbibe marketing communication policies in the agricultural sector and to create opportunities for strategic engagements by critical stakeholders like the NIPR \'in enriching and bridging policy and skills gaps\'.

While urging the government to match its desires with appropriate policies and funding to drive the renewed interest in agriculture, the conference identified Nigeria\'s rich potentials in agriculture and food sufficiency, but regretted that \'the potentials had not been actualized partly because of lack of networking and effective application and management of communication\'.

The conference equally highlighted the importance of networking and communications as panacea to the dysfunctionality in the nation\'s socio-economic and infrastructural development and commended the NIPR for developing new strategies and capacity building initiatives to promote activities in agriculture.

It called for the translation of modern scientific discoveries and agricultural registers into the various local languages to enhance the comprehension and usage of such skills and strategies by farmers at the grassroots just as it identified poverty as a demotivation to the desired agricultural revolution in Nigeria.

At the Annual General Meeting which is also election year, Dr. Rotimi Oladele was re-elected as President and Chairman of Council. Also re-elected along with the President is the Vice President, Alhaji Muktar Sirajo and 12 returning Council Members and three new members including Mrs. Yetunde Alagbe from Oyo State, who chaired the Joint Organising Committee that planned the three-day Annual General Meeting tagged Ibadan 2016.


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