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Technology and Engineering
- ISSN: 2375-9402
- Modern Agricultural Science and Technology
Staff Availability in Universities for Human Resource Development in
Agricultural Extension in South-Eastern Nigeria
Ugboaja C. I.1, Ezebuiro N. C.2, and Njoku D. N.3
1. Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike
2. Agricultural Extension Services Programme, National Root Crop Research Institute Umudike
3. Genetic Ressources Unit, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike
Abstract: This study was carried out in the universities in South-Eastern Nigeria, to ascertain the staff availability for human resource development. A survey design was adopted to collect primary data, using questionnaire and key informant records as instruments. The instruments were validated through peer review of research experts in the Department of Rural Sociology and Extention. The reliability was 0.89 of Cronbach’s alpha which confirmed that the instrument was statistically reliable. Multi-stage probability sampling technique was used to derive a sample size of 164 respondents from 8 universities. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, means and inferential statistics such as t-test. The result revealed that staff sampled were in their active age range of 31-50 years. It was indicated that 63.4% were males and 29.27% had PhD degree. The result shows 34.26% were shortfall of academic staff of Agricultural Extension. The analysis revealed that staff availability for academic staff had the pooled mean of 2.04 and that of non-academic X = 2.09. The null hypothesis of no significant mean difference was not rejected because tcal -0.009 was less than ttab 1.960 at 0.05 level of significance. This means that there is no significance difference between the mean scores of staff availability for academic and non-academic staff. The study recommended that government should grant waiver of employment to both Federal and State universities through the National Universities Commission and Ministry of Education and fund them adequately to attract and retain the required staff to achieve the mandate of Agricultural Extention in Nigeria.
Key words: universities, staff availability, human resource development agricultural extension
