Abstract:

One of the key challenges of the Nigerian agricultural extension and advisory services has been grossly inadequate and untimely funding. This paper presents a review of the experience with public-private partnership (PPP) and private extension provision in Nigeria as well as presenting a typology of PPPs that can be explored for infrastructure development and effective extension provision. PPP arrangement had become pertinent, especially in recent times where government’s financial budgets and support for extension programmes have dwindled in the face of reduction in financial resources accruing to government especially from oil revenue. The exposition clearly indicated that the success of effective agricultural extension service delivery is dependent on partnership and complimentary actions of public and private sector. It became evident that PPP has the potential to make agricultural extension less burdensome to government and more relevant to farmers. Recommendations include: private sector investment and capacity development through PPP arrangement; sustainability of private sector participation in extension through new staff orientation and training and the need for a sound legal, regulatory and institutional PPP framework in Nigeria.

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