Research on rural life in Northern Nigeria was carried out through interviews with a stratified random sample of farmers in a district of Zaria Province. Among the findings were: roadside villages were more susceptible to accepting the use of fertilizer and other innovative agricultural practices than more remote settlements; women hold different agricultural roles in pagan than in non-pagan areas, but in both cases they could best be reached by women extension workers; family structure dictates who are the decision-makers within the family; literate farmers buy educational materials, and many people listen to agricultural radio programs; adopters of new agricultural practices are educated, buy books, listen to radio, and have better contacts with extension workers than non-adopters. The findings suggest several bases for improving the effectiveness of extension education. (author/mf)