Journal of Agricultural Extension (Dec 2005)
Strategies For Increased Private Sector Participation In Funding Agricultural Extension Services In Nigeria: The Professionals Reactions In Enugu State
Abstract
This study identified various strategies for increased private sector participation in funding agricultural extension sendee for more efficiency in a democratic and deregulated Nigerian economy. It paid particular attention to the reactions of extension professionals in Enugu state agricultural development programme towards the policy issue. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain informationfrom 117 extension professionals made up of 62 frontline extension workers and 55 extension administrators. Data were analyzed using percentage distribution, mean scores andstandarddeviation. Findings indicate that clear definition oftheform andbroad extent ofincreasedprivate sector participation adopted (x = 3.62); design of employment protection schemes to guard against job insecurity fix = 3.62); andmountingprogrammes topromotepublic awareness on the value ofincreasedprivate sector participation in agricultural extension service (X= 3.56) are the major strategies identified to achieve success in the programme. Areas in agricultural extension services with high scope of coverage by the professionals include: adaptive research (96.6%), food crop extension (95.7%) andsmall ruminant extension (94.9%), while snail extension (41.9%) and large ruminant extension (15.4%) have the lowest coverage. Also, the professionals recommended that if increasedprivate sector participation is to be achieved in agricultural extension, the priority areas should be in cash crop extension (72.7%), input procurement anddistribution (68.4%) andlarge ruminant extension (64.1%). They opposed vehemently the involvement ofprivate sectors in adaptive research (24.8%) and extensionpersonnel management (32.5%). Finally the study recommends that if the different strategies identifiedfor increased private sector participation in funding extension service and the priority areas in agriculture already identified by the professionals are adopted, the programme objective, which has been the target ofthe democratizedNigerian government, will be achieved.
