Strategies for Agricultural Extension Financing in Nigeria

Despite Nigeria's Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), the agricultural sector has not been significantly commercialized, privatized or deregulated. The State is still the dominant actor in the sector. The dwindling financial resources of the Stale calls for review of the situation. In the extension sub -sector, the situation is critical given (le withdrawal of funds fiorii the ADPs by the World Bank. In the light of the foregoing, this paper suggests strategies for alternative financing of agricultural extension in Nigeria. It posits that the private sector can fund the dissemination of technical information on new technologies or practices while the government can fund the generation of improvements in crops, livestock and techniques through its agencies such as the universities and research institutes. In this way the burden of financing the extension service will be shared between the government and the private sector.