Abstract

This project work was brought up to investigate the impact played by extension Agents on forest development in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State as a case study. Three research questions were raised to capture the impacts played by extension agents in ensuring forest development and questionnaires is used to elicit information from the respondents which are farmers in the study area. The questionnaire was divided into three parts, A, B and C. The part A was set up to ask questions on the social characteristics of the respondents, part B was set to ask questions that will elicit the roles of the extension agents, while part C is set to answer questions on the challenges encountered by the extension agents and the farmers. Multistage random sampling was used to select the respondents in just one local government (Wukari) by diving the study area into five different Wards. Sixty (60) Respondents are randomly selected and used for the study. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain the necessary information, Data were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics and were Presented using Frequency Tables, Percentages, Pie charts and Bar charts. From the results obtained, 65% of the respondents are residents in wukari been the study Area, the study found out that 56.7% felt reluctant to carry out tree planting because the benefits has not been made known to them as at this time, 45% of the farmers embarked on planting of Gmelina arborea seedlings, it also revealed that at 53.3% of the farmers got their seedlings from the forest nursery. I recommended that, More extension agents should be employed under our forestry sector to enhance effective passing of information to the rural community that are lacking behind on what forest development and conservation is all about, government should provide the necessary support needed by the extension agents in carrying out their duties, Farmers should be encouraged on daily basis on the need to practice afforestation to save the present and future generation from natural disaster like global warming, erosion, soil degradation, forestry development programes should be set up to serve as a reminder to Farmers in the community on the need and benefits of conserving forest resources and also need for women participation in extension Work.