The Agricultural Transformation Agenda is all about enhancing capacity for agricultural commodity value chains leading to industrialization and employment creation, food security, infrastructure investments, private sector leadership, supportive fiscal policies and accessible market information systems to the farmers. Poor funding and absence of a well-defined agricultural extension policy among others will constitute a challenge for extension as she delivers in the transformation agenda. True commitment by the government to the newly established Federal Department of Agricultural Extension (FDAE) and proper funding of the Nigerian extension service could be employed as strategies for restructuring extension service in the on-going ATA. For a true and sustainable agricultural transformation in Nigeria, the following recommendations are made: (1) the Federal Government must be honest with the transformation agenda by being supportive and giving the newly established Federal Department of Agricultural Extension (FDAE) free hand to oversee, monitor and provide the leadership needed for an efficient and effective agricultural extension and advisory service delivery in Nigeria; (2) relevant bodies should review the agricultural extension policies within the subsisting agricultural policies and recommend appropriate policies that will ensure the effective participation of all stakeholders in a stable policy environment.
The study assessed the needs of women farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria. A sample of 120 respondents who were randomly selected was used. Data were collected through interview schedule and analysed with percentage and mean scores. The results show that the women were middle aged (34%), fairly literate (36%), have household size of between 4-6 persons (61%) and have been in farming business for a period of between 10-19 years (45%). Information on climate change adaptation (M=3.4), information on climate change mitigation (M=3.2), meteorological information (M=3.0), improved extension services (M=3.0), timely distribution of fertilizer (M=3.0), improved breeds of animal (M=2.9), improved varieties of crops (M=2.9) and subsidized Information Communication Technology facilities e.g cell phones, radio etc (M=2.6) were some of the needs of the women. It recommends that Anambra State Agricultural Development Programme should re-strategize and come up with effective means of bringing climate change adaptation, mitigation and metrological information to the women farmers thereby meeting their needs.
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