IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AGENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN EGOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Agricultural extension has often been conceptualized as an education process, which promotes learning it uses the combined findings of biological sciences and the principles of social science to bring about changes in knowledge, skill attitude and practices in and out of school setting (Ileubaoje 2004). Eremie (2005) postulated that an agricultural extension services has a lot play in ensuring that Nigeria achieves the million development goals. It was these perceived important roles of agricultural extension that informed the establishment of the agricultural development programme (ADPs). With the re-organization and strengthening of the extension agent of the ADPS, along training and visits line in 2006, a number of activities were initiated so as to ensure that the seven features of the training’s and visits are implemented. These have led to a change in the roles performed by the extension workers thereby resulting in some level of satisfaction among both extension workers and their clients (Ajuwon 2006). It is also worth noting that despite the tremendous achievements of the agricultural sector in Nigeria, the ADPs have been besotted by a myriad of problems, especially with the terminal end of the counterpart funding by the World Bank.

These problems range from the Nona rail ability of facilities necessary for effective implementation and functioning of extension workers to poorly motivated sta resulting in low morale, low level of role perception and poor performance of extension workers (Banmeke and Ajayi 2005) Chikwendu et al, (2007) noted that in recent years, there have been indications of ineffectiveness in the extension agent of the ADPs. The goal of every manager is to increase production and efficiency to obtain maximum result for the organization motivation for better performance depends on job satisfaction, achievement, recognition and professional growth (Adeniyi, 2001). The rural area is the predominant food and fiber producing sector of the Nigeria society and all natural resources which constitute the wealth of a nation are obtained of the rural areas. The importance of the rural in Nigeria also his in the mere fact that over 70% of the people live and derive their livelihood from there. The state of the rural areas in Nigeria’s is determined by a combination of methods which include available social, physical and institutional infrastructures as well as the people’s level of living including their levels of perceived deprivation and satisfaction with current level of living.