Determinants in the Utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Tools Among Poultry Farmers in Rivers State, Nigeria
Igiri, R, Elenwa, CO
Abstract
The study examined the determinsnts in the use of Information and Communication technology (ICTs) among poultry farmers in Rivers State. Specifically, the study sought to: ascertain the factors influencing the utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools among poultry farmers; determine the perceived effect of utilizing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools on poultry production; and ascertain the perceived constraints in utilizing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among poultry farmers in the study area. A total of three hundred (300) questionnaires were distributed and used for the study. Data were analyzed using a four point rating scale likert scale and ANOVA. Result showed that the factors influencing ICT tools utilization were distance to the market, age, sex, education, farming experience, income and occupation at a P?0.05. The effects of ICT utilization were; facilitate information exchange among farmers, ease in purchase of farm inputs, easy accesibility of information and increased income due to new methods learnt. The factors militating against the utilization of ICT were infrastructural factor such as frequent power failure (0.654), lack of ICT policies to enhance ICT development in rural areas (0.810), concentration of modern ICT tools in urban areas (0.552), lack of awareness on the new and available ICT tools for agriculture (0.426), poor network coverage (0.421) and poor maintenance of ICT hardware (0.712); Eeconomic factor such as high cost ICT tools (0.408), illiteracy of farmers (0.681), high cost of maintenance (0.547), few agricultural programmes aired on radio/television (0.508), poor knowledge on technical know-how (0.709), poverty (0.571) and lack of ICT software and hardware (0.662) and psychological factor such as fear that things will go wrong in the use of ICT (0.531), lack of confidence in operating ICT tools (0.522) and our culture and tradition
Keywords
References
of Information Communication Technology among Maize Farmers in Giwa Local
Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Enhancing Agricultural Extension
Capabilities for Improved Agricultural Value Chain in Nigeria: In Proceedings of the 24th
Annual Conference of the Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria (AESON), 79-86.
Aboh, C. L. & Effiong, J. B., (2019). Assessment of indigenous weed management techniques
utilized by cocoa farmers in Akamkpa, Cross River State, Nigeria. European Journal of
Scientific Research,.154 (1), 134-141.
Akioya, A.O. & Ikoyo-Eweto, G.O. (2018). Analysis of mass media use and preferences in
information sourcing among farming households in Edo state, Nigeria. Journal of
Agriculture and Vetrinary Science, 11(7), 9-15.
Albert, C.O. & Onwubuya, E.A. (2013). ICT application in agricultural extension delivery in
Rivers State: The prospect. Agricultura, Agricultural Practice and Science Journal, 87(3 &
4), 128-132.
Albert, C.O. (2014). Constraints to effective use of ICT among extension professionals and farmers
in extension delivery in Rivers State, Nigeria. Singaporean Journal of Business Economics
and Management Studies, 2(11), 136-142.
Effiong, J. B. & Aboh, C. L., (2019). Effect of agrochemical on the health of farmers in Akpabuyo
Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria. European Journal of Scientific
Research, 154(1), 142-147..
Elenwa, C. O. Manoah, E.A. Chukuigwe, O. & Nelson-iye, C.(2023). Oil Bean seed processing
on the socio-economic status of rural women in Ahoada East Local Government of Rivers
State, Nigeria. Delta Agriculturist, 15(2), 67-76
Fawole, B. E., Garba, H. S. & Ebenehi O. (2024). Factors influencing usage of Information and
Communication Technologies among maize farmers in Zaria Local Government Area of
Kaduna State, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology
(NJAAT), 4(2), 68-76.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2020). Nigeria at a glance | FAO in Nigeria | Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. www.fao.org. Retrieved 4/7/2024.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2021). Food and agriculture organization production
year book on information and communication technologies (ICT).
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T.M., Ringle, C. M. & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares
Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), (2nd Ed.). CA: Sage. 228.
Herrero M., Grace, D., Njuki, J. Johnson, N., Enahoro, D., Silvestri S. & Rufino M. C. (2012). The
roles of livestock in developing countries. Animal, 7(1), 3–18.
Ibitoye, S.J., Eti-Ukwu, A.I., Okeme, S. & Arojo, A. (2016). Assessment of the awareness and use
of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) among Small Scale Farmers in
Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. International Journal of
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, 2(2), 62 – 72.
Idu, E. E., Ola, I. A., Sennuga, S. O., Bamidele, J., Alabuja, F. O., Osho-Lagunju, B., Preyor, T. J.
& Iheonu, M. E. (2023). Evaluation of factors influencing the use of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) among smallholder rice farmers in Kuje Area
council, Abuja, Nigeria. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social
Science (IJRISS), 8(6), 1025-1036.
Kante, M., Oboko, R., & Chepken, C. (2016). Factors affecting the use of ICT s on agricultural
input information by farmers in developing countries. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 1(3),
315–329.
Makwin, M. F., Bako, S. A., Selzing, P. M., & Dalla, A. A. (2024). Socio-Economic factors
influencing the use of Information and Communication Technology for accessing
agricultural information among cowpea farmers in Alkaleri Local Government Area of
Bauchi State, Nigeria. Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Management, 28
(5), 1387-1392.
Nyarko, D. A. & Kozari, J. (2021). Information and communication technologies (ICTs) usage
among agricultural extension officers and its impact on extension delivery in Ghana. ss 20
(2021), 164-172
Okorie, U. G. & Elenwa, C.O. (2021). Perceived Effects Of State Employment For Result
(SEEFOR) Project On The Socio-Economic Status Of Women And Community
Development In Delta State. The International Journal of Agriculture, Management and
Technology, (5) 1, 299-308
PricewaterhouseCoopers Nigeria (PWC) (2020). PwC MSME Survey 2020: Insights on the
MSME
Sector
in
Nigeira.
Pricewaterhosuecoppers.
Retrieved
from
https://www.pwc.com/ng/en.html.
Serbulova, N., Kanurny, S., Gorodnyanskaya, A., & Persiyanova, A. (2019). Sustainable food
systems and agriculture: The role of information and communication technologies. IOP
Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 403(1), 012127.
STATISTA
(2021).
https://www.statista.com/statistics/823561/global-livestock-monitoring-
andmanagement- market-value/ accessed 21/08/2021
