TRAINING NEEDS OF RURAL WOMEN ON LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Rural women face barriers in accessing training as result of low literacy level, domestics obligations and gender biasness of training that targeted primarily on at men. The research is designed to assess the training needs of rural women on livestock management in Niger Stat. Nigeria. To achieved the study objectives, multistage random sampling techniques was used to select 117 respondents from fourteen (14) rural areas. Interview schedule was used to elicit data from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and mean score to identify the area of training needs of rural women on livestock management in the study area. The result show that majority 75.20% of the respondents were in the active age bracket of between 21-40years with low level of literacy and extension service delivery. The major livestock management activities undertaken by the respondents were feeding and watering of livestock 89.74%, cleaning and maintenance of livestock sheds 82.91% and construction of livestock sheds 67.52%. The priority area of training needs with high mean score were how to identify sick animals 3.94, how to identify symptoms of common disease 3.84, on livestock how to treat common animal disease 3.83 and how to select good breed of livestock 3.76. The major constraints experience by rural women on livestock management includes inadequate extension service on livestock management 88.90%, inadequate access to credit facilities 88.90%, gender barrier 84.60%, in adequate capital 83.80% and inadequate information on livestock management production practices 80.30%. The involvements of female extension staff in conducting training for rural women livestock management will help in checking the discrimination due to gender barrier and religious discrimination to provide maximum education opportunities to rural women regarding livestock production and management strategies