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CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF PRIVATIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
Privatization of extension service delivery has been considered lately as the only option to remedy the decline in both the funding and overall organization and administration of extension due to so many challenges facing effectiveness of publicly funded extension delivery, particularly since the withdrawal of the World Bank sponsorship of agricultural programmes in Nigeria. The adoption of privatization of extension in Nigeria is not expected to be a “go-smooth” programme since it has been publicly funded. This is why the study analyzed the challenges and prospects of alternative funding to agricultural extension service delivery in Nigeria. The rationale for privatization was analyzed and lessons on extension funding from other countries indicated that even though these countries all adopted one form of alternative funding or the other, most of them have not completely privatized the extension system. The alternative funding arrangements were not done in isolation of public sector which is mainly responsible for agricultural extension policy formulation and implementation in these countries. However, in Nigeria the challenges include: farmers willingness to pay for the services, institutional framework, professionalism and competence of the extension system , corruption, availability of infrastructures and environmental imperatives. Despite these challenges, Nigeria still stands a chance of undertaking a gradual or partial privatization of extension. It is recommended that a critical study of the privatization strategies adopted by some other countries as mentioned in this paper should be looked into, with the view to consolidating private and public collaborative efforts in making extension policies function effectively in Nigeria.
Key w ords: P riv atization, agricultural extension, changes, challenges, prospects.