Agricultural communication and the African non-literate farmer: the Nigerian experience.

In Nigeria, there lies a relatively untapped potential for great agricultural growth. Since the 1960's, Nigeria's "days of agricultural glory," there has been great obstacles in the exchange of information between scientists and Nigerian farmers. There has been a great trend in rural-urban migration and a rise in unemployment; crime and school drop outs have ensued. The Nigerian non-literate farmer is in a neglected class who has suffered the scrutiny and non-support of government and financial institutions. His growth has been limited because he is considered a poor credit risk. Because of his illiteracy, he is limited to traditional methods of farming. However, the Nigerian farmer is not uneducable. He is information-conscious and can be instructed if a communicator is sensitive to the farmer's culture, tradition and farming practices. An agriculture extension agent must not only assess the farmer's needs but also convey relevant information in a manner that is amenable to the farmer's framework of communication. Working with opinion leaders, the mass media, a regional library, audio tapes and by portraying new information and farming practices through festivals and ceremonies are methods available to the extension agent or communicator in his work with the non-literate Nigerian farmer.