DETERMINANT OF EXTENSION WORKER COMPETENCIES AND SELF-HELP GROUP (SHG) PERFORMANCE IN NORTH EAST NIGERIA: CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Food production and attainment of food security has become one of the important components of sustainability in North-East Nigeria, due to incessant attacks on innocent people living in
the region by Boko haram. In this context, self-help groups (SHGs) performance was viewed as a national issue in relation to poverty reduction and community empowerment across the
globe especially in Nigeria. This paper therefore, using thematic literature review, identified and discusses relevant literature in the area of extension worker, competencies needed in extension work and self-help group performance in food production. From the review, it was discovered that SHG member participation has immensely facilitate increase in food production in rural and semi-urban communities The paper concludes that competencies of extension worker is the major determining factor for their effectiveness in boosting food production through SHGs approach. SHG members’ participation is among the most essential component for their empowerment, but low competencies from the part of their facilitator may hamper objective attainment of the SHG.