Effective Technology Development At The Grassroot: A Case Study Of Farmer Field School In Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The unprecedented growth in agricultural production and productivity in the developed world, had its root in the development of modern technologies. The same were passed to the developing world through the Conventional Extension (CE) system but could not achieve the expected goal because it is top-down, information-driven, and most often, alien to the environment. Consequently, the Farmer Field School (FFS), as a participatory system was introduced to Ogun State in the 1990s. The objective of this study therefore was to evaluate the process of technology development in both systems and compare, to ascertain any significant difference. Respondents were made up of 50 FFS and 90 CE participants which were drawn using random sampling technique, while information was elicited through structured questionnaires. Data collected were analyzed using simple descriptive and discriminant function analysis. The results showed a significant difference in local technology development between the two systems and, in favour of the FFS strategy. This is indicative of the fact that more local technologies were developed under it than the CE system.