Abstract
The study assessed the training needs of extension agents in Edo State Agricultural Development Programme (ESADP). The study specifically examined the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, tasks and new tasks performed by them and the task areas in which they needed further training. Using structured questionnaire, data were collected from seventy six (76) randomly selected extension agents in 3 agricultural zones of Edo State. Findings revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 41.7 years. More than half (55.3%) of them holders of National Diploma (ND) and about seventy two percent of the respondents had been working in extension service for 6 and 7 years. The tasks performed by the extension staff ranged from advising farmers on improving methods of farming to new task on health issues such as campaign on HIV/AIDS. The study identified strong training needs for Edo State extension agents on communication skills (X= 4.60), planning demonstration (X=4.60), evaluation of trials (X= 4.57) and farmers training (X=4.56). The correlation analysis showed that education had significant relationship many areas of the respondents’ training needs: farmer identification (r= -0.190, p ≤ 0.05), nutrition and food utilization (r = 0.339, p X 0.05), communication skills (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05), planning demonstration (r = 0.190, p ≤0.05), recording and reporting (r = 0.260, p ≤ 0.05), evaluation of trials (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05 ), and rodents and pest control (r = 0.236, p ≤ 0.05 ). Similarly, job experience had significant relationship with the respondents’ training need in the area of planning demonstration (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05). It was suggested that there is a need for regular training needs analysis, especially for new recruited agricultural graduates to determine their areas of deficiencies. Key Words : Assessment, Tasks Performed, Training Needs, Extension Staff, ADP.
Highlights
The agricultural development programme (ADP) system in Nigeria was institutionalized in 1974 with funding assistance from the World Bank, Federal and State Governments
The data collected in a study conducted by FAO Global Consultation on Agricultural Extension (1990) revealed that in the USA, Canada and Europe one extension agent covers about 400 economically active persons in agriculture, even before counting the services provided by the private sector
The training needs of extension staff as conceived in this study implies the assessment of the skills, knowledge and attitudes that are desirable for the extension staff as well as determining how much the present condition departs from those conditions which are optimal for meeting these needs
Summary
The agricultural development programme (ADP) system in Nigeria was institutionalized in 1974 with funding assistance from the World Bank, Federal and State Governments. The services of Edo State ADP have been in the areas of agriculture, natural resource and human development. As an educational input, can make an important contribution to sustainable agricultural production and rural development. One of the strategies adopted by Edo State ADP in achieving its set objectives was the dissemination of improved agricultural technologies to the farmers, coupled with education about the technologies. Crowder (1996) reported that there is a critical need for a large number of well trained extension workers in many developing countries. Higher figure was obtained in four developing regions of Africa, Asia, Latin
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