Review of Opportunities and Challenges of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services among Rural Farm Households in Nigeria during Pandemics

Abstract

There is urgent need for increased institutional investment in ameliorating the adverse effects of pandemics among rural households. These effects are multi-faceted with governmental and other concerned agencies ignoring the socio-economic outcomes among rural households. The number of confirmed cases of Covid 19 patients in Nigeria rose from an index case on 27th February to 30,476 by 10th July 2020. About 82 Million Nigerians live in poverty. With a score of 27.9, Nigeria is ranked 93rd out of 117 countries on the 2019 Global Hunger Index. The objective of this review is to access the opportunities and challenges of agricultural extension and advisory services among rural farm households in Nigeria during pandemics. Data for the study were sourced from the World Health Organization, Food and Agricultural Organization, National Centre for Disease Control and other scientific documents. The identified impact of pandemics among rural households included increase in vulnerability, shortage of farm labor and worsening healthcare system etc. Dissemination of information in real time, encouraging healthy agricultural production system, providing market linkage for rural farmers, and effective interface with government were the major opportunities for rural advisory services. Extension must overcome the challenges of low utilization of modern technology by rural households, increasing housing deficit and poor infrastructural development in rural communities. The review recommends that more efforts should be targeted at ensuring that while the extension system is provided with all they need for optimal provision of services; policymakers are to develop more interest for rural development.