Towards Climate Change Capacity Development in Universities: Climate Change Training Needs of Agriculture Lecturers in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Abstract

Based on the climate change curriculum for universities developed by Ozor and Madukwe (Journal of Agricultural Extension 16, 2012), Chakeredza et al. (ICRAF Working Paper no. 82. World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, 2009) and the climate change curricula development meeting held at Entebbe, Uganda, 2011, this paper aimed at assessing the climate change training needs of agriculture lecturers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with the view to provide universities management a relevant guide in planning training courses for the agriculture lecturers. Specifically, the study focused on examining lecturers understanding of the concept of climate change, their sources of climate change information, the extent of awareness on climate change made by the universities and the climate change training needs of the lecturers. One hundred and forty-four agriculture lecturers were selected using cluster sampling technique. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistical tools. Mean age of the lecturers was 43 years with 63% having a doctorate degree while the rest have either masters (33%) or bachelors (4%) degree. Average number of years spent in the job was 8 years. The agriculture lecturers mainly perceive climate change to be increased intensity of solar radiation (M = 3.60) and increase in atmospheric temperature (M = 3.42). Their major source of climate change information was journal papers (74%) and internet (71%). Almost all (94%) agreed that climate change concepts is covered in some courses offered at their university at undergraduate level but none of the four universities sampled have climate change as a course of study both at the undergraduate and post graduate level. Of the five professional meetings examined, agriculture lecturers attend mainly conferences (35%) and seminars (34%). Only one university out of four used for the study has climate change posters displayed in strategic places in the university. Majority (59%) graded the general effort of their university management on climate change as low. All the lecturers agreed that they need training in the seventeen areas captured as climate change training needs with future climate models, projections, predictions and forecast (M = 3.63) and climate impacts on different areas of agriculture (M = 3.58) as the most needed area of training. Information gathered from this study will be useful to university management in planning training programme for their lecturers.