Identification of Job-Related Training Needs of Village Extension Agents in Kogi State Agricultural Development Project
Keywords:
Training needs, extension agents, agricultural development project, open and distance learning, competenciesAbstract
A survey was conducted to identify the job-related training needs of Village Extension Agents (VEAs) in the Kogi State Agricultural Development Project (KSADP). The target population for this study comprised 200 predominantly VEAs in KSADP located in three agro-development zones (Eastern =85VEAs, Central=54VEAs and Western=61 VEAs) from which a sample of 145VEAs was purposely chosen for the study. The data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were derived from structured questionnaire, similar to the Likert-type scale developed by the researcher. Secondary data were obtained from official documents or records of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lokoja, Kogi State and KSADP. Weighted mean score and Ranking analysis revealed that out of 70 competencies included in the study, 5 of them would require “high emphasis “indicating a serious deficiency gap while the rest 65 competencies would need “average emphasis.” Therefore, it is evident that all competencies are needed. It is recommended that annual staff training programme as well as fortnight training (FNT) session should be made more productive to ensure that the training of VEAs becomes effective and efficient among others.
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