Tending Toward Extension Privatization in Nigeria: An Assessment of Arable Crop Farmers' Willingness to Pay for Extension Services in Niger State of Nigeria

Decreased funding for public agricultural extension has spurred calls for private initiatives to complement government efforts to ensure sustainable food security in developing countries. This study assesses arable crop farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for extension services in Niger State using three Local Government Areas as a case study. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was adopted to determine the amount that arable crop farmers are willing to pay for extension services. Primary data on the socioeconomic variables, reasons for payment, and amount willing to pay were collected from 120 farmers and summarized using descriptive statistics. Results showed that mean age and mean farm size of arable crop farmers is 46.4 years and 3.7 hectares (ha), respectively. About 60% of the farmers are willing to pay for extension services, provided their farm income would increase and extension services are relevant and meet their perceived needs. The amount which farmers are willing to pay for extension services is N 15,133.84 (Nigerian Naira) per farmer per year through the yam grower association, cooperative societies, and the service providers themselves. The study concluded that arable crop farmers' participation in funding extension services as private initiatives depends on economic values derived by farmers and the services' relevance to the farmer's situation.