Annals of Library Science and Documentation 1989, 36(1.2), 28-35

INFORMATION NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSIONWORKERS IN NIGERIA

The information needs of agricultural extensionworkers were surveyed taking 73 extensionworkers in Ibadan area as a sample. The studyrevealed that information needs of the exten-sion workers are in the areas of control of majorpests, credit and co-operatives, proper handlingof insecticides, marketing system of agricul-tural products, etc. It is opined that librarians,journalists and local government officials couldbe actively involved in the information sup-port of agricultural extension workers in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION

The development of agricultural extensionservices in Nigeria can be traced to the periodof British colonial government, as it was pattern-ed along the British type of extension services.According to Williams [1] one cannot sayexactly when the extension services started inNigeria, although it is generally assumed that itstarted in 1893 when a Department of BotanicalGardens was established in Lagos.

Today agricultural extension service is' animportant component of agricultural develop-ment in Nigeria. Each state ministry of agri-culture and natural resources in Nigeria has anextension services division, which is responsiblefor providing agricultural information to farmerswithin each state. Apart from the state ministriesof agriculture and natural resources, agricul-tural research institutes in Nigeria transferagricultural information directly to farmers intheir immediate environments through thesetting up of Agricultural Extension Researchand Liaison Services (AERLS) in the institutes.According to Akinsorotan [2], an AERLS isexpected to liaise between research scientistsand the users of research results, i.e. the farmers.The various Faculties of Agriculture in Nigerianuniversities also carry out extension servicesthrough the Departments of Agricultural Ex-

28

LOAINALecturerDepartment of Library StudiesUniversity of lbadanNIGERIA

tension by providing information to farmers inselected areas of their immediate environments.

Are [3] and Williams [4] have categorisedagricultural extension workers in Nigeria intothree. These are :

(i) agricultural extension administrations;(ii) agricultural extension supervisors; and(iii) agricultural extension technicians

The extension administrators and extensionsupervisors generally possess university degreesin agriculture or other related subjects, and theymay have received further training in agricul-tural extension services. The agricultural exten-sion administrators comprise Principal Agri-cultural Officers, Principal Research Officers,Assistant Directors, Chief Agricultural Officers,etc. while the extension supervisors includeAgricultural Officers and Research Officers ortheir equivalents, The extension administratorsformulate policies on agricultural extension andthe extension supervisors supervise the execu-tion of such policies. Extension technicians, onthe other hand, will usually have undergone ~five year secondary school education plus atleast a two-year diploma course in agriculturewhich qualified them for the Ordinary NationalDiploma (OND). Others go further to obtainthe Higher National Diploma (HND) in agri-culture. They interact more with farmers thanthe other two roups, The extension techni-cians consist 0 Agricultural Superintendentsand Principal Agricultural Superintendents.They assist the extension supervisors in execut-ing agricultural policies.

The major duty of agricultural extensionworkers is the providing of agricultural infor-mation to farmers, thereby assisting farmersin increasing their production. They are ex-pected to make research fmdings available tofarmers, who intum, would bring their prob-lems to the notice of agricultural extension

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INFORMATION NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

workers for onward transmission to agriculturalscientists and administrators. In order to per-form this duty, it is expected that agriculturalextension workers could require informationto meet their tasks. The objective of this study,is therefore, to ascertain the information needsof agricultural extension workers in Ibadanarea, Nigeria.

METHODOLOGY

In order to attain the stated objective, 73agricultural extension workers (AEWs) scat-tered throughout six agricultural organisationsin Ibadan area were surveyed in June 1983.The agricultural extension workers are distri-buted among the organisations as shown inTable 1.

A questionnaire (Appendix III) was de-signed for the purpose of collecting data fromthe 73 agricultural extension workers. A possiblelist of their information needs in the variousaspects of agricultural extension was providedin the questionnaire and AEWs were asked toindicate which of the mentioned informationneeds were relevant to them.

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

The agricultural extension workers were fairlydistributed among the three grades of exten-sion workers. The distribution shows that thelargest group of AEWs (60.3 per cent) was ofthe grade of agricultural extension technicians.This. grou~ is !ollowed by the agricultural ex-tension supervIsors (26 per cent) while theagricultural extension administrators came adistant third with 13.7 per cent. Table 2 gives arank order of AEWs expressed informationneeds. Table 2 reveals that control of majorpests was the most frequently mentioned areaof agricultural information need. A cross tabu-lation of control of major pests variable and thevariable of designation of AEWs, that is whetherthe AEW was an extension administrator, ex-tension supervisor or extension technicianrevealed no positive relationship, which indicatesthat the control of major pests transcend thedesignation of AEWs. This area of agriculturalinformation need is closely followed by informa-tion on credits and cooperatives (74.0 per cent)and proper handling of insecticides (74.0 percent). While marketing system of agriculturalproducts (72.6 per cent), field supervision

Vol 36 Nos 1-2 March & June 1989

of programme (68.5 per cent) and organ is-ing farmers' association (68.5 per cent)are other significant areas. In order todetermine the core areas of expressed in-formation needs of agricultural extensionworkers, the mean of expressed informationneeds was calculated, and found to be 54 percent. Thus, areas where AEWs requiring infor-mation were more than 54 per cent can betermed as core area of expressed informationneeds. Since AEWs had different educationalbackgrounds and performed different duties,any agricultural information need variableamong the core areas of expressed informationneeds, that was required by all categories ofAEWs would be assumed to be important.This argument can be clarified by performinga cross-tabulation of core areas of agriculturalinformation need variable and designationvariable. It was found that no relationshipwhatsoever existed between the designationof AEWs and these core areas of agriculturalinformation need variables except in the caseof field supervision of programme variable,conduct of field trials variable, principles ofcrop production, socio-e conornic characteristicsof .farmers variable as shown in appendix II.Thus, most of the areas of expressed informa-tion needs of AEWs were not peculiar to anyparticular group of AEWs surveyed for thestudy, which clearly shows that these areas ofexpressed information needs listed in Table 3can be constituted as being very vital to agri-cultural extension workers, which policy makersmust pursue vigorously to meet.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Agricultural extension workers expressed avariety of agricultural information needs, whilemost of these needs are technical, which couldonly be fulfilled by research scientists. Thestudy also revealed that some areas of theirexpressed information needs could be met byagents other than scientists. Nine areas ofexpressed information. needs are very vital toAEWs. It is assumed that information on creditand co-operatives; marketing of agriculturalproducts; legislation of agricultural products;community development; and tax reliefs andtax laws, could be supplied by librarians, jour-nalists, local government officials; etc. Hence,these agencies could be actively involved in theinformation support agricultural extensionworkers.

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TABLE 1

Distribution of AEWs by Agricultural Institutions in Ibadan Area

AgriculturalInstitution

AbsoluteFrequency

%

RelativeFrequency

%

CumulativeFrequency

%

National Cereals Research 14 19.2 19.2Institute, lbadan

Institute of Agricultural 2 2.7 21.9Research and Training, Ibadan

National Horticultural 4 5.5 27.4Research Institute, Ibadan

Cocoa Research Institute 4 5.5 32.9of Nigeria, lbadan

Forestry Research Institute 4 5.5 38.9of Nigeria, Ibadan

Ministry of Agriculture and 45 61.6 100.0Natural Resources, Ibadan

TABLE 2

Information Need

A Rank Order of Expressed Information Needs By Agricultural Extension Workers

Control of major pestsCredit and co-operativesProper handling of insecticidesMarketing system of agricultural productsField supervision of programmeOrganising farmers' associationPrinciples of crop productionConduct of field trialsNational prices of commoditiesLegislation on agricultural productsInnovation approaches in extensionSocio-economic characeristics of farmersProduction skills and propagation techniquesCommunity developmentTax relief, tax lawsPublic land, and procedural laws, land actAnimal production and ManagementSetting up agri-businessProvision o(Electricity supply, pipe borne water etc.Programme planningExperimental-designs and techniqueAdministration and supervisionImport duties on farm machineryData analysis and research writingOthers (Group action, modern methods of cropproduction, communication skills)

30

RelativeFrequency

%

RankOrder

76.774.074.072.668.568.565.861.658.958.957.556.756.254.854.853.450.749.349.343.843.842.528.827.4,

5.5

1.02.02.04.05.05.07.08.09.09.011.012.013.014.014.016.017.018.018.020.020.022.023.024.025.0

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INFORMATION NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

TABLE 3

Vital Areas of Expressed Information Needs

Information Need

Control of major pestsCredit and co-operativesProper handling of insecticidesMarketing of agricultural productsOrganising farmers associationCommunity developmentTax relief, tax laws

REFERENCES

1. Williams S K T: Structures and organisation ofagricultural extension services in Nigeria. Paperpresented at the Workshop on Utilization ofAgricultural Research in Nigeria, Institute ofStrategic Studies, Kuru, Nigeria July 1981.1981, 51p.

2. Akinsorotan A 0: A study of the roles of select-ed activities of agricultural extension and re-search liaison services in agricultural institutesin Nigeria. Ibadan University. Ph.D. Thesis,1981, 350p.

Vol 36 Nos 1-2 March & June 1989

Level of Significance

15.9812.776.21

14.6514.697.085.93

06*17*36*10*09*25*43*

3. Are L: Improving agricultural liaison serviceswith a view to increasing crop production inNigeria. Bull Rural Economics Sociology 1970,5(2),201-222.

4. Williams S K: Identification of professionaltraining needs of agricultural extension agentsin Western Nigeria and a basis for developingcollege training curriculum. Cornell University.Ph .D. Thesis 1967. 175p.

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APPENDIX I

Variable Labels and their Descriptors

Vuiable Descriptor

001002003004005006007008009010011012013014015016017018019020021022023024025026

Designation of AEWs

Control of major pests

Credit and co-operatives

Proper handling of insecticides

Marketing system of agricultural products

Field supervision of programme

Organising farmers' association

Principles of crop production

Conduct of Held trials

National prices of commodities

Legislation of agricultural products

Innovation approaches in extension

Socio-economic characteristics of farmers

Production skills and propagation techniques

Community development

Tax relief, tax laws

Public land, and procedural laws

Animal production and management

Setting up of agri-business

Provision of electricity supply, pipe borne water etc.

Programme planning

Experimental design and techniques

Administration and supervision

Import duties on farm machinery

Data analysis and research writing

Others (Group action, modern method of crop production, com-munication skills)

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INFORMATION NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

APPENDIX II

Table of Chi-squared Values for Agricultural Extension Workers-------------------------------2----------------~---------Variable (Cross-tab) X Level of Significance

001 By 002 15.98 0.06*001 By 003 12.77 0.17*001 By 004 6.21 0.36*001 By 005 14.65 0.10*001 By 006 12.53 0.05001 By 007 14:69 0.09*001 By 008 16.92 0.00001 By 009 19.67 0.00001 By 010 12.77 0.17*001 By 011 14.33 0.28*001 By 012 24.60 0.02001 By013 40.56 0.00001 By 014 16.84 0.05001 By 015 7.08 0.25*001 By 016 5.93 0.43001 By 017 32.19 0.00001 By 018 21.39 0.00001 By 019 12.44 0.18*001 By 020 17.10 0.15001 By 021 15.54 0.07*001 By 022 29.21 0.00001 By 023 15.43 0.08*001 By 024 38.80 0.00001 By 025 36.86 0.00001 By 026 23.24 0.03

*Not significant at 5% Level.

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APPENDIX III

INFORMATION NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORKERS

General Information

1. Institution ' .

II. Designation .

III. Highest academic qualifications attained in Agriculture (Mark the appropriate box).

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.

OND or equivalentUndergraduate Diploma (please specicy) .HNDB.Sc. or B.A.Postgraduate Diploma please specify: .M.Sc. or MA or M. Phil.Ph.D.Others (please specify): .

IV. Academic qualifications in other disciplines beside Agriculture (please specify) .

V. Highest professional training attained in Agricultural Extension. (Mark the appro-priate box).

1. Post primary six plus six months training in Agricultural E~tension.

2. p.ost secondary class four plus six months training in Agricultural Exten-S10n.

3. Post West African School Certificate or equivalent plus six months trainirgin agricultural extension.

4. Integrated courses in agricultural extension prior to academic quali6cationsin agricultural extension.

5. B.Sc. Agricultural Extension

Postgraduate Diploma in Agricultural Extension6.

7. M.Sc. Agricultural Extension

8. Ph.D. Agricultural Extension

Others please specify: .9.

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INFORMATION NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

Information Needs

The list below gives possible areas where information is needed by agricultural extension staffin order to carry out the tasks of extension work. (Mark as many boxes you agree with).

17.18.19.20.2l.22.23.24.25.26.

The conduct of field trialsExperimental design and techniquesControl of major pestsProduct skills and propagation techniquesPrinciples of crop productionAnimal production and managementMarketing system of agricultural productsCredits and Co-operativesNational prices for export commoditiesImport duties on farm machinerySetting up agri-businessLegislation on agricultural productsPublic land and procedural laws, land act, land acquisitionTax reliefsProvision of infrastructuresCommunity developmentsSocio-economic characteristics of farmersOrganising farmers' associationsProper handling of insecticidesData analysis and research writingProgramme planningField supervision of programme'Innovative approaches in extensionAdministration and supervisionProject implementationInformation gatheringOthers (please specify) .

l.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.ll.12.13.14.15.16.

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