CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background
of the Study
We
are in the middle of information technology revolution. The fast advances in
this field are rapidly changing the way people have been living on this planet.
This development has virtually shrunk the world and has affected almost every
walk of life. The information technology is tremendous power that could be
harnessed by organizations for the benefit of mankind. Agricultural extension
services can exploit this potential to strengthen their own capacities and to
educate the rural populations who have access to media.
Agricultural
extension describes the services that provide farmers with the access to
knowledge and information they need to increase productivity and sustainability
of their production systems and improve their quality of life and livelihood.
These include but not limited to, the transfer of knowledge generated by
agricultural research. It has helped countries moved towards meeting food
needs, conserving natural resources and developing human and social capital
(NRI, 2008).
A
well-informed society is a mobilized society because it is information
literate, more responsive to government policies and eager to participate in
the nation’s development programmes (Folorunso, 1987). Therefore, the primary
means of sustaining agricultural development is through generating and
disseminating relevant information to farmers (Oboti, 2005). Mass media are
channels of communication which can expose large numbers of people to the same
information at the same time and within a short space of time. They may include
media which pass on information through the use of sound, moving pictures or
print. Ani (2007) stated that extension services use mass media because of the
high speed and low cost with which information can be communicated over a wide
area.
Agricultural
extension services delivery all over the world has been concerned with
communicating research findings and improved agricultural practices to farmers.
In Nigeria, agricultural information comes mainly from research institutions
which generate new technologies to farmers. Thus, it follows that the
agricultural research information service Centre is the custodian of several
information resources including agricultural information providers such as international
organizations, non-governmental organizations, and community based
organizations, farmers’ magazine, newspapers, posters, leaflets, handbooks,
radio, television, videos and the mobile telecommunication systems (AESON,
2011).
Information
Communication Technology is commonly used to embrace a multitude of media
including telephone, television, video, telex, voice information system and fax
as well as those requiring the use of personal computers fitted with a modem or
supply technologies that facilitate communication processing and transmission
of information by electronic means ranging from radio, television, telephone
(fixed or mobile) and internet, (Omotayo, 2005). Adejo and Haruna (2010)
classified ICT into conventional ICT (radio and television) and contemporary
ICT (telephones, computers/internet). ICTs are foundation of the new global
information based economy (Okwusi et al., 2009). They are increasingly becoming
the key drivers for socio-economic growth worldwide. In fact, its capacity or
immediacy and sharing of large volume of information at minimum cost has been
documented (FGN, FAO, 2004).
Agricultural
development in Nigeria largely depends upon small scale farmers who form the
bulk of farming community and that for agriculture to really develop these
small scale farmers must know and understand what constitute progress in
agriculture. The extent to which these farmers progress however, depend largely
upon their ability to access accurate and reliable information as well as the
type of information capable of solving their problems.
Given
the urgent need for current agricultural knowledge and information system
(AKIS) by farmers, the use of conventional communication channels such as
farm/home visit, personal letters, and use of contact farmers, for
disseminating agricultural information as entrenched in the T and V extension
approach is becoming less effective in the face of changing government policies
and dwindling financial resources as a result of the withdrawal of the world
bank funding. One way to address this is through encouraging the adoption of
information communication technologies (ICTs), by both researchers and
extension workers to transmit relevant information to farmers in a more
efficient way (Salan and Saingbe, 2006).
Recent
happenings across the globe are testimonies to the tremendous influence of
technology in various sectors. The influence of technology in agriculture has
been established over the years with the introduction of chemicals,
fertilizers, labor, improved seeds and better farming methods and systems. The
introduction of various relevant ICTs in agricultural information dissemination
could help farmers’ access market information, land resources and services,
management of pests and diseases and rural development programme (Meera et al., 2004).
If
crop farmers are crucial to agriculture and rural development and that use of
ICTs promise a boost for agricultural and rural development, then, a study on
the use of ICTs in disseminating agricultural information among crop farmers
will be very important.
We
are in the middle of information technology revolution. The fast advances in
this field are rapidly changing the way people have been living on this planet.
This development has virtually shrunk the world and has affected almost every
walk of life. The information technology is tremendous power that could be
harnessed by organizations for the benefit of mankind. Agricultural extension
services can exploit this potential to strengthen their own capacities and to
educate the rural populations who have access to media.
The
extension organisations in developing countries have two major problems when it
comes to having faceto-face contacts with the farmers and researchers: first,
physical distances and second, lack of transportation facilities (Qamar, 2002).
This development, therefore, underscores the need for enhanced mass media use
in agricultural information dissemination in Nigerian rural societies.
Over
the years, policies and implementation strategies have been formulated and
projects and institutions established by the Federal and various state
governments to enhance farmers’ agricultural production and improve rural life.
In spite of all these efforts, attainment of self-sufficiency in food
production has remained a mirage in Nigeria. It was observed that farmers were
neither adequately nor properly informed about innovations and programmes to be
applied by them to achieve improved productivity and enhance their standard of
living (Aboyade, 1987). Holistically, it seems that mass media has not been
adequately and properly utilized to complement face-to-face contact with
extension agents in farm information dissemination for farmers.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
Nigerian
farmers are being left behind in terms of use of information and communication
technology in developing and sustaining their agricultural production .Small
scale farmers which dominate the land scape of developing countries need to
improve farming through acquiring adequate knowledge and accurate information. Inability
of farmers to access vital information or the information poorly disseminated
with no adequate feedback has been a great challenge in the development of
agriculture in Nigerians. Hence the need to ensuring access to adequate and
accurate agricultural information through relevant ICT to crop farmers.
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
The main
objective of this study is to assess the use of ICT in disseminating
agricultural information among crop farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The
specific objectives were to:-
(i)
Describe the socio-economic
characteristics of crop farmers in the study area.
(ii)
Examine crop farmers’ level of awareness about
ICT in the study area.
(iii)
Identify the level of use of ICT among crop
farmers in the study area.
(iv)
Determine the relationship between
socio-economic characteristics and use of ICT among crop famers in the study
area.
(v)
Identify the problems associated with the use
of ICT among crop farmers in the study area.
1.4 Research
Question
This
research will be carried out to answer the following questions.
i.
What are the socio-economic
characteristics of crop farmers in the study area?
ii.
What is the level of awareness of crop
farmers about ICT in the study area?
iii.
What is the level of use of ICT among
crop farmers in the study area?
iv.
What is the relationship between
socio-economic characteristics and use of ICT among crop farmers in the study
area?
v.
What are the problems associated with
the use of ICT among crop farmers in the study area?
1.5 Scope of the Study
This research work is limited to Transformation of ICT Informative
for Nigerian Agriculture in Modern World. The result s actualized using
questionnaire.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The project work will help in a good number of ways to ease
the stress farmers pass through when sourcing for information.
1.7 limitation of the Study
The
researchers were constraint by time as period for the submission of this
research was short for an expansive research.
The
researcher equally encountered financial limitation as lack of sponsorship
thus; the researcher’s little resources could not cover more areas.
The
willingness of most of the respondents to supply the needed data was another
major problem.
1.8 Definition
of Terms
Technology: The application of scientific
knowledge for practical purpose, especially in industry. It is also a machinery
and equipment developed from the application scientific knowledge
Information: This is defined as facts
learned about something or someone.
Extension: Agricultural extension is tha
application of scientific research
And knowledge of agricultural practices
through farmer education. It is generally the “delivery of information inputs
to farmers”
Agriculture: This is the scientific of
farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of animals to
provide food, wool, and other products.
Disseminating: This is
the action of spreading something especially information, widely.
Farmer: This is a person to whom the
collection of taxes was contracted for a fee