Abstract

The study analysed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for the enhancement of agricultural extension services in Kano State, Nigeria. Agricultural extension officers (head of units and their deputies) were purposively selected for the study due to their responsibilities as administrators and planners. In this paper, the SWOT-AHP methodology was employed to assess and prioritize management strategies for the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), as a means to facilitate efficient and effective extension services delivery to small scale farmers. Considering the mandate and management objectives of KNARDA, seventeen SWOT sub-factors were identified and used in rating four alternative management strategies. The major finding established that partnering with universities/research institutes to train and upgrade skills of extension agents (SO1) is the most important strategy, indicating that authorities must pay more attention to collaborative efforts given the limited budgetary support. It is recommended that KNARDA management authorities focus their attention on those four priorities from each TOWS group. Furthermore, prompt attention should be on the SO group to deploy the strengths and take adequate advantage of the opportunities identified.

Key words: Agricultural extension services, management, multi-criteria, SWOT-AHP analysis.