Rural Extension Professionals’ Knowledge, Preparedness and Perceived Barriers to Control/Reduce the Spread of Covid -19 Pandemic in Imo State, Nigeria

Introduction

Governments, the nation over face various moves identified with moderating the disastrous wellbeing impacts and securing human lives, guaranteeing satisfactory food supply and the working of administrations to the neediest ones. Effect of COVID-19 pandemic the world over is rising each day and influencing the cultivating local area with the enormous exchange and financial disturbances. With regards to introduce interruptions and approaching dangers to the food production network, the COVID-19 episode has made limit weakness in the farming sector [1]. Hence, preparing every single accessible asset, associations and partners from both people in general and private areas and common society is fundamental to guarantee compelling and opportune reaction.

Rural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) assume a fundamental part at the cutting edge of the reaction to the pandemic in rustic agrarian regions. In any case, with the approach of inventive innovation scattering techniques, agrarian augmentation functionaries need to reconsider and modify their method of working quickly to react to the crisis setting inside the public authority guidelines [1].

The world is battling to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in every single non-industrial nation, similar to Nigeria, where the provincial populace may confront a double weight: absence of data and wellbeing administrations combined with neediness will open them to wellbeing hazards just as the lamentable financial results of the emergency. Then, the ranchers need to keep working in farming to guarantee their jobs as well as public and worldwide food supply and, thus, food security [2]. The effect of COVID-19 isn’t uniform across the globe and every rural ware. Various systems and measures should be taken to protect food security and address bottlenecks along the food supply chains. While the disturbance in food supply chains for the most part concerns coordinations, work, transportation and promoting of transitory and new items because of limited versatility and lockdowns, the COVID-19 episode leaves the horticulture area in an amazingly tough spot that puts food supply at genuine danger for 2020 and past [2, 3]. The current situation request solid institutional help to agribusiness and social changes in cleanliness, yet additionally in the selection of manageable methods of living to flourish in the circumstance. Since the expansion framework assists with willful social change among the networks it works with, powerful correspondence is currently more significant than any other time.

The battle against COVID-19 proceeds internationally, and to ensure a good outcome, individuals’ adherence to preventive measures is fundamental. It is for the most part influenced by their mindfulness and readiness toward COVID-19. Information and mentalities toward irresistible infections are frequently connected with the degree of frenzy among the populace, which could additionally entangle the actions taken to forestall the spread of the illness. As “common perils are inescapable; the debacle isn’t,” [4] to work with the administration of the COVID-19 flare- up in Nigeria, there is an earnest need to comprehend the expansion laborers’ mindfulness and readiness for COVID-19 during this difficult time. The current examination surveyed the mindfulness, readiness and hindrances toward COVID-19 among expansion staff.

Right now, there is no specific nor perceived treatment or powerful immunization accessible for COVID-19 aside from Azetreneca and non-pharmacological intercessions are being the best strategies to moderate the spread of COVID-19 [5] such, Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Providers (AEASPs) assume a basic part in the counteraction and control of COVID-19 [6]. Their guiding practices are of crucial significance to improve the consciousness of patient ranchers and the local area about COVID-19 preventive estimates, for example, social separating, utilization of face covers and washing hands. Additionally, their insight and readiness in the administration of COVID-19 are imperative to forestall and control the spread of this irresistible sickness [7]. In Nigeria, great information and satisfactory readiness of AEASPs are extra significant in light of the fact that these abilities need to redress, even somewhat, for the all-around wasteful medical care framework. Along these lines, as the danger of COVID-19 develops, AEASPs’ information, readiness, and the act of patient ranchers guiding about COVID-19 should be learned.

Therefore, this study aims to assess the knowledge, preparedness of AEASPs in relation to COVID-19 and to address the potential barriers and challenges for adequate prevention and control of COVID-19 in Imo State. The specific objectives are:

• To ascertain extension officers awareness of covid 19 pandemic.
• Examine covid 19 preparedness of extension staff.
• Ascertain barriers to effective reduction of covid 19 spread.

Methodology

The study was carried out in Imo State of Nigeria. Imo State is located in the Southeastern zone of Nigeria and lies between latitude 40 45oN and 70 15 N and longitude 6o 50E with land area of 5,530 km2. The population of the study consists of all 1,200 extension supervisors and extension field agents of Imo State ADP. Purposive random sampling technique was used in selecting the extension respondents for the study. A total of 120 extension officers was randomly selected Data collected with questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics. This includes use of percentages presented in frequency distribution table to achieve all the objectives of the work.

Conclusion

The consequences of this overview demonstrated that most of respondents knew about the information, preventive measures and solid and steady to battle against COVID 19. It was obvious that the local extension staff by and large are COVID-19 mindfulness and their readiness among extension workers were genuinely palatable. In any case, there was not much confusion in regards to the method of COVID-19 transmission among the members, which should be tended to [14]. Information and readiness do convert into improved practices toward COVID-19 counteraction and the equivalent was reflected in this investigation. To accomplish unlimited authority over COVID-19, it would likewise be advantageous to put resources into different COVID-19 counteraction endeavors, including wellbeing instruction and creative procedures dependent on nearby confirmations to raise the local area’s mindfulness and to improve its deterrent practices.