ASSESSMENT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORKER’S PERFORMANCE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA ASSESSMENT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORKER’S PERFORMANCE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the performance of Agricultural extension workers to deliver services during the Covid-19 pandemic in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting 192 respondents comprising 42 extension workers and 150 farmers. Data were collected on the services delivered by agricultural extension workers before and during the pandemic to farmers; agricultural extension workers’ capacity to deliver services during the pandemic and factors influencing extension workers’ capacity for service delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. The findings revealed that before the pandemic, extension workers delivered all the identified services as shown by a grand mean of  = 2.75, but during the pandemic, of the 17 identified services,  extension workers were able to deliver only 5 which were: Communicating information on health problem to farmers(= 2.88), rendering of technical advice to farmers (=2.74), record keeping (=2.62), linking young farmers with agricultural opportunities (=2.60) and introducing farmers to market linkages (=2.55). The findings also revealed that extension workers were capable of delivering services to farmers during the pandemic with simple ICT gadgets such as cell phones through calls and SMS. Findings also revealed 6 major dimensions of factors influencing the capabilities of extension workers in delivering services during the Covid-19 pandemic including inadequate training of extension agents, limited digital communication infrastructure, fear of death and poor network, poor infrastructure, cost of coverage and lack of data/airtime subscription as well as the absence of digital-based training.  Agricultural extension workers in the State lacked the human and material resources necessary for critical service delivery to farmers during the pandemic. It is necessary to employ more extension workers, improve rural infrastructure, digitalize the extension system, and train extension workers and farmers on the use of modern digital tools in communication in cases of a future pandemic.