Title: Information Needs and Resource Utilization by Agricultural Extension Workers for Effective Agricultural Production in Adamawa State
Author(s): IJANTIKU, Charles Moses, Musa Dauda Bassi, Daniel, K. Hassana
Publication Year: 2021; Volume 16, Issue 3, pages 138-145

The study investigated information needs and resource utilization by agricultural extension workers in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population comprised 200 extension workers from Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MOANR) and Adamawa Agricultural Development Program (AADP). A random sampling technique was adopted for the study. Data obtained were analyzed using mean rating and standard deviations and the benchmark for decision was a mean score of 0.50 and above for positive decisions. The findings of this study indicated that Agricultural extension workers need information for them to be able to discharge their duty of bridging the gap between farmers, policy makers and researchers. Strategies to be adopted to overcome the challenges were found to include establishment of information centres in rural areas as a major strategy for overcoming the challenges, the need for proper time management and improved access to information, provision of current resources and orientation/training on information literacy. Based on the study, it was recommended that information infrastructure and resources i.e. information centers and functional libraries with state of the art equipment in the dissemination of information, and accessibility to the information resource by agricultural extension workers in the State is paramount and be provided within their reach.