2026 Vol-6 Issue-2 | PARTICIPATION, DETERMINANTS, AND IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION PROGRAMMES AMONG FARMERS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA: A GENDERED CONSTRAINTS ANALYSIS

This study investigated gendered constraints affecting farmers' participation in agricultural extension programmes in rural communities in Ogun State, Nigeria. Data were collected in 2025 from 240 registered farmers (132 male and 108 female) selected through a multistage sampling technique across six Local Government Areas. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, Z-test analysis, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Descriptive results revealed a significant gender gap in participation, with male farmers recording a higher aggregate mean score (3.53 ± 0.74) compared to female farmers (2.24 ± 0.83) on a fivepoint scale. Logistic regression identified education (p = 0.002), access to credit (p = 0.004), mobile phone ownership (p = 0.001), group membership (p = 0.001), extension contact frequency (p < 0.001), and programme awareness (p < 0.001) as significant predictors of participation (Nagelkerke R² = 0.541; Hosmer-Lemeshow χ² = 9.84, p = 0.277). Independent-samples t-test analysis confirmed that participants reported significantly higher scores for agricultural productivity, adoption of improved technologies, and farmers' knowledge of modern farming techniques than non-participants (t = 9.88 to 14.41, p < 0.001). EFA (KMO = 0.847; Bartlett's χ² = 4,218.63, p < 0.001) extracted five constraint dimensions accounting for 71.97% of total variance and demonstrating good to excellent reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.808–0.894): Socio-Cultural and Mobility Constraints, Institutional and Structural Barriers, Economic and Resource Constraints, Literacy and Information Access Barriers and Time Poverty and Domestic Burden. The findings underscore the need for gender-responsive extension programming, inclusive institutional frameworks, and targeted interventions to bridge the participation gap in Ogun State. These findings indicate that gender-responsive extension delivery, targeted credit support, female extension staffing, and flexible programme scheduling are essential for reducing participation inequality.