Role perception and job satisfaction of agricultural extension agents in three establishments in Borno State of Nigeria

Nigeria is basically an agricultural country. Its economy was dependent on agriculture until petroleum was discovered in the early 1960s. Agriculture was the main foreign exchange earner providing more than 50 percent of the GNP. When petroleum was discovered, little attention was paid to agriculture. This resulted in massive food importation into the country. Although agriculture continued to provide food for the people and raw materials to industries, its importance was seriously neglected. This caused a sharp decline in agricultural production.;The decline in agricultural production was a concern to the governments. Effort was therefore made to revert the situation. Several agricultural programs were implemented with appreciable successes, and agriculture regained (if partially) its importance.;Objective. The objective of this study was to determine the role perception, and job satisfaction of extension agents in three establishment--Ministry of Agriculture, Chad Basin Development Authority and Borno State Accelerated Area Development Program--in Borno State of Nigeria. As agents of change, and vital link in agricultural development, the way extension agents perceive their roles and their job satisfaction is key to their efficiency and effectiveness.;Procedure. From each establishment a stratified random sample based on years of service 0-3 years, 4-6, 7-9 and 10 and above years were selected. Data analysis was based on 153 respondents. One-way analysis of variance and Scheffe Post Hoc test were used to test the level of significance.;Findings. There was no significant difference in role perception by years of service and by establishment at the 0.05 level of significance. However, there was significant differences in the level of job satisfaction, time extension agents spent on their primary duties, and support they received from their establishments. The Ministry of Agriculture extension agents were less satisfied that extension agents in CBDA and BOADAP.;Recommendations. It is recommended that one establishment be the sole employing agency of extension agents in a unit area like Borno State. It is also recommended that establishments ensure regular inservice courses, provide adequate materials for the extension agents to work with, pay adequate salary and allowances, and provide transport.