The use of the word extension originated from University extension which was used in England back in the 19^thcentury. Initially it was used to refer to agricultural and a few other social development issues. Later it started functioning as an instrument in other development sectors. Today, it is becoming common to apply the concept and principles of extension to different areas of development, both rural and urban. In Ethiopia for instance extension principles and methods are being applied successfully in the health, marketing, micro and small enterprise development sectors.