Extension Intensity and Productivity of Small-Scale Fish Farmers in Lagos State, Nigeria
Agricultural extension provides farmers with technical information and advisory support that can influence production decisions and resource use. This study examined the relationship between extension service intensity, production resources and fish output among 270 small-scale fish farmers in Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria. An Extension Service Intensity Index (ESII) was constructed from extension visits, training participation, demonstration participation and advisory consultations. A Cobb–Douglas production function was estimated to examine the determinants of fish output. The model explained 76.8% of the variation in output. Feed cost, farm size, labour, capital investment, farming experience and extension service intensity were positively and significantly associated with fish output. Feed cost had the largest estimated elasticity (0.421), while extension service intensity had an elasticity of 0.214. The sum of the estimated production elasticities was 1.274, indicating increasing returns to scale within the sampled production systems. The findings indicate that aquaculture productivity is associated with both conventional production resources and the intensity of farmers’ engagement with extension services. Because the study is cross-sectional, the findings are interpreted as statistically significant associations rather than definitive causal effects.
Keywords: aquaculture; extension intensity; fish farmers; productivity; resource use; Lagos State; Cobb–Douglas.
