Assessment Of Training Needs Of Agricultural Extension Personnel In Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

Training is important in capacity building of any group of personnel. Agricultural extension personnel are not in exception to in-service training. If this is not done the efforts of agricultural development stakeholders would be jeopardized. This study was designed to assess the in-service training of agricultural extension personnel in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling procedure was used to select 60 respondents for the study. The result showed that 83 6% of the respondents are qualified for in-service training but only 52.8% have actually gone through in-service training and only 41.5%of them enjoyed the sponsorship of their employers. There are training needs in all aspects of Agriculture, but there are more needs in animal production and health sector. All agricultural extension personnel are in dire need of in-service training but the fresh and lower cadre of staff should
be given a priority.

Keywords: training need, extension personnel, agricultural development, capacity building.