Gender-Responsive Agricultural Extension: Best Practices and Implementation Challenges in Nigeria

This study examines gender-responsive agricultural extension practices and their implementation challenges in Nigeria, assessing how well extension systems address the differential needs and constraints of male and female farmers. Women produce a significant share of Nigeria's food supply but receive a disproportionately small share of extension services, credit, and agricultural technology. Gender-responsive extension, which actively designs services to reach and benefit women farmers, is widely recognised as essential for agricultural productivity and gender equity goals. This study uses a review and survey methodology, assessing gender responsiveness in extension systems across Kaduna, Ogun, Enugu, and Rivers States. Data are collected through surveys of 60 extension supervisors, 40 female farmers, and document review of state ADP gender policies. Gender-responsiveness dimensions assessed include female extension agent employment, women-specific programme content, female farmer targeting, and gender-disaggregated outcome tracking. Findings reveal that female extension agents constitute only 22 percent of ADP field staff nationally and are rarely deployed to communities with strong gender segregation norms. Women-specific programme content is limited and focused narrowly on home economics rather than crop production and marketing. Female farmer contact rates are consistently below 30 percent in all states surveyed. The study concludes that gender-responsive extension is underdeveloped in Nigeria. It recommends female extension agent quota systems, women's farmer field school programmes, and gender-disaggregated performance targets for all ADP extension systems.

Keywords: gender-responsive extension, female farmers, agricultural extension, Nigeria, gender equity.