CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the most important food and industrial crops in Nigeria and a major source of calories and income for rural households. In south-eastern Nigeria, cassava is cultivated by smallholder farmers as a food security crop and a cash crop, and it is processed into garri, fufu, starch and other products. Abia State is one of the leading cassava-producing states in the South-East and is also home to the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, which develops and releases improved cassava varieties and related technologies.

The productivity of cassava farmers depends on how well they combine land, labour, planting material and management practices. Improved varieties, correct planting methods, intercropping arrangements, fertiliser use and disease management can all raise yield, but farmers can use them only if they know about them and understand how to apply them. Agricultural extension services are the main channel through which this information reaches farmers.

Studies in Abia State show that extension contact matters for the uptake of cassava technologies. Nwaobiala (2018) found that extension contact influenced adoption of cassava agronomic practices and intercrop technologies among farmers in Abia and Imo States. A later study of Sasakawa Global 2000 cassava-maize intercrop technologies in Abia State reported that extension contact, farm income, education, farming experience and household size influenced adoption, and that farm visits were the main method used to reach farmers (Nwaobiala, 2022). In Oyo State, Adegebo et al. (2017) found that beneficiaries of the Fadama III project, who had higher access to advisory services, recorded higher levels of cassava and maize production than non-beneficiaries.

Not all findings are so positive. Other studies report that inadequate extension personnel remain a major constraint to farmers’ access to services (Abdullahi et al., 2025), and that perceptions of and training needs for extension shape how far farmers use it (Izuogu et al., 2024). Whether extension services actually raise cassava productivity therefore depends on local conditions and needs to be studied at community level. Lodu-Imenyi in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State is a farming community where cassava is widely grown, but there is little documented evidence of how extension services have contributed to the productivity of its cassava farmers. This study addresses that gap.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Cassava is central to the livelihoods of farmers in Abia State, yet many farmers still record low yields because of the continued use of unimproved planting material, poor soil management and inadequate control of pests and diseases. Extension services are meant to help farmers overcome these problems, but their reach and quality have been questioned. Reported challenges include inadequate extension personnel, small farm size and low literacy among farmers (Abdullahi et al., 2025).

In Lodu-Imenyi community it is not known how often farmers receive extension services, which services they receive, how they rate them, or whether farmers who benefit from extension are more productive than those who do not. Without such information, it is difficult to decide how extension resources should be targeted. This study therefore examines the role of agricultural extension services in improving the productivity of cassava farmers in Lodu-Imenyi community, Bende LGA, Abia State.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to examine the role of agricultural extension services in improving the productivity of cassava farmers in Lodu-Imenyi community, Bende LGA, Abia State. The specific objectives are to:

(1) describe the socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers in the study area;

(2) identify the sources of agricultural extension services available to cassava farmers in the study area;

(3) determine the extension services received by cassava farmers and the frequency of extension contact;

(4) assess the productivity of cassava farmers in the study area;

(5) determine the relationship between access to extension services and the productivity of cassava farmers

1.4 Research Questions

(1) What are the socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers in the study area?

(2) What are the sources of extension services available to cassava farmers?

(3) What extension services do the farmers receive, and how often?

(4) What is the level of productivity of cassava farmers in the study area?

(5) What is the relationship between access to extension services and cassava productivity?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will be tested at the 5% level of significance:

H01: There is no significant relationship between access to agricultural extension services and the productivity of cassava farmers in the study area.

H02: There is no significant difference in the productivity of cassava farmers who have regular extension contact and those who do not.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will provide evidence for the Abia State Agricultural Development Programme, the NRCRI and other extension providers on how far their services affect cassava productivity, and where improvements are needed. Cassava farmers will gain from recommendations aimed at making extension more accessible and relevant. Policy makers and development agencies can use the findings to plan extension investments for root and tuber crops. The study also adds to the literature on extension and productivity in south-eastern Nigeria and can guide future research.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study covers cassava farmers in Lodu-Imenyi community, Bende Local Government Area, Abia State. It is limited to agricultural extension services (independent variable) and cassava productivity (dependent variable), measured mainly as yield per hectare and farmers’ perceived improvement in output. Socio-economic characteristics of farmers and constraints to extension delivery are included as supporting variables.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The study is a case study of a single community and its findings may not apply to all cassava farmers in Abia State. Many smallholders do not keep farm records, so yield and area estimates rely on recall and may contain errors. Some farmers may exaggerate or understate their output. These limitations will be minimised through careful questionnaire design, use of local enumerators and cross-checking of responses where possible.

1.9 Definition of Terms

(1) Agricultural extension: An out-of-school educational service that gives farmers information, skills and advice to improve their production, income and welfare.

(2) Productivity: The quantity of output obtained per unit of input, in this study measured as cassava yield per hectare.

(3) Extension contact: Any visit, meeting, training or other interaction between a farmer and an extension agent or extension programme.

(4) Cassava farmer: A person who cultivates cassava as a major crop, whether for food, sale or both.

(5) Extension services: The activities and support provided to farmers, including training, demonstrations, advice, input information and linkage to research.

References

Adegebo, S. A., Olutegbe, N. S., & Akinbile, L. A. (2017). Effect of privatisation of agricultural extension services on productivity of Fadama III beneficiaries in Oyo State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 21(3).

Izuogu, C. U., Oparaojiaku, J. O., Njoku, L. C., & Okorie, D. A. (2024). Utilization of agricultural extension services among farmers in South Eastern, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Animal Sciences, 5(2), 299–309.

Nwaobiala, C. U. (2018). Farmers’ adoption of cassava agronomic practices and intercrop technologies in Abia and Imo States, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 22(2), 82–96.

Nwaobiala, C. U. (2022). Determinants of farmers’ adoption of Sasakawa Global 2000 cassava-maize intercrop technologies in Abia State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 26(4), 11–22.