Abstract

Donye, A. O.

The study analyzed agricultural extension service deliveries rendered towards facilitating rural entrepreneurship in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to: identify the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents; identify the available opportunities for rural entrepreneurship; identify the services delivered by agricultural extension workers towards facilitating rural entrepreneurship; and, identify the problems militating against rural entrepreneurship. Multistage random sampling technique was employed in selecting the districts, wards, villages and the respondents involved in the study. A validated, well-structured questionnaire was administered to the respondents. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive (percentage) statistic. The major findings in the study revealed that the respondents are within the economically and agriculturally active mean age of 32 years. A total of 74% of them have attained a minimum of secondary school education. Results show that 28%, 40% and 32% are into farming, trading and civil service as their main occupations respectively. Results indicated that all the available opportunities studied more than 70% of the respondents have indicated that they are available except rich culture and availability of tall forest trees which 67% and 58% of the respondents indicated their availability in their villages. Agricultural extension services delivered had contributed greatly in facilitating rural entrepreneurship. The major problems identified in the study were: inadequate working capital for entrepreneurship; intermittent interference by government agencies and personnel because of some political or party differences; and, recurrent insecurity problems. It was concluded that agricultural extension services delivered by extension workers had facilitated rural entrepreneurship in the area of study. It was therefore, recommended, among others, that: government should strengthen the raw material base in rural areas and ensure that the funds required for rural entrepreneurship are made available on time; and, the agricultural extension service agency should be adequately funded, supported and given the desired attention to enable the agency scale up rural entrepreneurship.