Strategies For Increased Private Sector Participation In Funding Agricultural Extension Services In Nigeria: The Professionals Reactions In Enugu State

Authors

  • N Ozor Department of Agricultural Extension University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Keywords:

Private, sector, funding

Abstract

This study identified various strategies for increased private sector participation in funding agricultural extensionsendee for more efficiency in a democratic and deregulated Nigerian economy. It paid particular attention to thereactions of extension professionals in Enugu state agricultural development programme towards the policy issue. Astructured questionnaire was used to obtain informationfrom 117 extension professionals made up of 62 frontlineextension workers and 55 extension administrators. Data were analyzed using percentage distribution, mean scoresandstandarddeviation. Findings indicate that clear definition oftheform andbroad extent ofincreasedprivate sectorparticipation 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 inagricultural 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 largeruminant extension (15.4%) have the lowest coverage. Also, the professionals recommended that if increasedprivatesector 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 vehementlythe involvement ofprivate sectors in adaptive research (24.8%) and extensionpersonnel management (32.5%). Finallythe study recommends that if the different strategies identifiedfor increased private sector participation in fundingextension service and the priority areas in agriculture already identified by the professionals are adopted, theprogramme objective, which has been the target ofthe democratizedNigerian government, will be achieved.

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Published

2005-12-01

How to Cite

Ozor, N. (2005). Strategies For Increased Private Sector Participation In Funding Agricultural Extension Services In Nigeria: The Professionals Reactions In Enugu State. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 8. Retrieved from https://journal.aesonnigeria.org/index.php/jae/article/view/213

Issue

Section

General Extension and Teaching Methods