Evaluation of Extension Services Delivery for Climate Change Adaptation by Crop Farmers in Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Agriculture mostly depends on weather and climate for optimum productivity. Climate change has become a global threat to agriculture and humanity. To cope with these changes, farmers employ adaptation strategies. This paper evaluates the Extension Service Delivery for Climate Change Adaptation by Crop Farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to randomly select 162 respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Likert-scale. The results showed that respondents were mostly (81.13%) male, between 31 and 45 years of age (42.14%). They had one form of formal education (52%) or the other; 74.21% had extension contact; without access to credit. Extension services used for technological transfer were extension meetings, method demonstration, result demonstration and mass media. These extension services may be inadequate to effectively transfer climate change adaptation strategies to farmers. Farmers’ sources of information were mainly radio, extension agents, fellow farmers and television. Farmers’ level of awareness on climate change adaptation strategies was not high. Planting of improved crop varieties, change in planting dates and mixed farming were some strategies used by the farmers. The impact of climate change observed to be very high were high temperature (3.86), low rainfall (3.61) and low output/yield (3.57). These impacts cause shortage in the food supply, malnutrition, poor health status and poverty to farming households. Farmers are faced with the inadequate fund (96.23%); lack of access to weather forecast information (89.94%); and high cost of improved and resistant varieties (86.79%). It, therefore, concludes that Extension Services are a pertinent means of improving climate change adaptation strategies; however, Extension services available are inadequate. The study recommends that extension agents should visit crop farmers more regularly to increase awareness to boost farmers' knowledge on adaptation strategies; credit facilities and inputs should be provided to the farmers timely and at the required quantity.