Constraints and Strategies toward Effective Cost-sharing of Agricultural Technology Delivery in Nigeria: Perception of Farmers and Agricultural Extension Personnel

Abstract

Providing adequate and stable funding for agricultural extension service in Nigeria has been a major problem since the expiration of the World Bank’s funding arrangement. In order to solve this problem, cost-sharing of agricultural technology delivery is seen as a tenable privatization policy option. Considering the fact that agricultural technology transfer in Nigeria has mainly been publicly funded, introducing cost-sharing arrangement is expected to meet some obstacles. Hence, this study ascertains the perception of farmers and extension agents on the constraints and strategies towards effective cost-sharing of agricultural technology delivery in Nigeria. The study was carried out in six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Multistage random sampling technique was applied in the selection of respondents. A sample size of 267 farmers and 272 Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) staff participated in the study. Means, standard deviation, exploratory factor analysis and t-test statistics were used in realizing the objectives. The results show that the major constraints to effective cost-sharing of agricultural extension service in Nigeria are weak institutional development, extension system lapses, lack of cooperation by farmers, uncertainties experienced in agriculture, conflicts and corruption. The major strategies for effective cost-sharing arrangement include building political support for cost-sharing, establishment of farmers’ cooperatives to serve as avenues for collection of payments, creating enabling legislation for cost-sharing and increasing the number of extension staff. The study recommends proper dissemination of information on cost-sharing before implementation, creating enabling legislation, decentralizing extension system and building the capabilities of extension staff.