Privatization of Agricultural Extension Services in Nigeria: A Fallacy?

Abstract

Aims: This review reveals the weaknesses and inherent inconsistencies of private funded agricultural extension services and posits that this model cannot be practical in a Third World country like Nigeria. Discussion: It brought to the fore the basics of publicly and privately funded agricultural extension services. It alluded to the fact that some private bodies have done reasonably well in providing agricultural extension services to rural farmers in Nigeria. Proponents of privatized agricultural extension are of the opinion that public-financed agricultural extension is bedeviled with the many weaknesses associated with government bureaucracies. On the contrary, supporters of public-funded agricultural extension maintained that 95% of extension work world over is done by one government department or the other and that privatized extension would not be visible in Nigeria, a country that has over 90% of its farmers operating at subsistence level and who are too poor to pay for extension services cannot but be serviced for free as a matter of policy. Furthermore, the paper frowned at the policy of the First world who wants subsidies removed for the agricultural enterprise in all ramifications and in the contrary heavily subsidized their own agricultural sector, these subsidies have hurt African milk, livestock and grains export. Again, it called for a blend of public - private agricultural extension services; this it maintained would be compatible and most practical for the Third World milieu. Recommendation: Finally, it recommended that instead of an outright privatization of the sector, a middle ground should be pursued and this will be most desirable.