Gender analysis of use of participatory tools among extension workers: lessons from Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the use of participatory tools among extension workers for rural development in Imo state, Nigeria. Proportionate sampling technique was used to select 120 extension workers out of 227 extension agents in Imo state through proportionate sampling. The result showed that 61.0percent of the extension workers were in their productive ages while 97.0percent of the extension workers were Christians. There was no significant relationship between extension worker’s sex and use of participatory tools. T-test analysis showed a significant difference between gender and use of participatory tools by the extension workers.(c2 = 0.833, p = 0.361; t = 0.737, p = 0.737, CC = 0.396) Participatory tools used by both male and female extension personnel include resource map, mobility map, transect map, focus group discussion, venn diagram, seasonal calendar, SWOT analysis, semistructured interview, daily activity schedule, resource analysis, matrix scoring, pair- wise ranking, economic wellbeing ranking and problem tree. Both male and female extension agents use participatory tools to enhance teaching during extension activities. Efforts should therefore be made to improve the attitude of extension workers towards use of participatory tools through enlightenment, training and retraining, motivation, monitoring and evaluation to improve teaching and learning. The implication of this study is that extension agents should be further empowered to use the tools so that the benefits derived from the use can be maximized .this will help to sustain the development of agriculture for improved productivity.

Keywords: Gender analysis, participatory tools, Extension workers, Nigeria.