11 pages, This study examined village extension agent’s access and use of information and communication technology in extension services delivery to farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. The population for the study consisted of all the village extension agents (VEAs) of the Plateau Agricultural Development Program (PADP) in the central agricultural zone of the state. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents for the study. Primary data were collected through the administration of questionnaires and interview techniques and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from the study shows that majority (77%) of the sampled village extension agents (VEAs) were males with a mean age of 43 years, Majority (87%) of the respondents were married with a mean household size of 4 persons. The study also showed that majority (80%) of the VEAs had tertiary education with a mean working experience of 13 years and average monthly income of ₦64875. The result also shows that four (4) out of the seven (7) listed ICT facilities were adjudged the ICT facilities accessible to VEAs in the study area having had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅ =2.50). They included; GSM (phone) (x̅ =3.94), radio (x̅ = 2.83), television (x̅ = 2.73) and computer (x̅ = 2.68). Based on 2.50 discriminating index, only two out of seven listed conventional ICT facilities had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅ 2.50) and thus were adjudged the ICT facilities used by VEAs. The GSM (phone) had the highest mean value of 3.62 followed by radio with mean value of 2.54. The logit regression result shows that coefficients of years of working experience and monthly income were significant and positively related to ICT use, while age and complexity in use of ICT were significant and negatively related to ICT use. Major constraints to use of ICT by VEAs includes; lack of administrative support in provision of ICT (87%), lack of in-service training on ICT use (66%), Poor salary/remuneration (64%), lack of awareness of ICT importance in extension (56%) among others. The study recommends intervention, serious synergy, and proactive response on the part of the government, non-governmental organization,s and extension organizations in ICT provision and training of VEAs on ICT use as well as stepping up campaigns on the importance of ICT use in agricultural extension delivery.
Van Mele, Paul (author) and Lessa, Helen Latifun (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2005
Published:
Bangladesh
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C24692
Notes:
Pages 29-39 in Paul Van Mele, Ahmad Salahuddin and Noel P. Magor (eds.), Innovations in rural extension: case studies from Bangladesh. CABI Publishing, Oxfordshire, England. 307 pages.
Adinarayana, J. (author), Sudharsan, D. (author), Tripathy, A.K. (author), and IEEE, New York City, New York.
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2009-02-07
Published:
India
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 181 Document Number: C36580
Notes:
Pages 54-59 of proceedings of the 2009 International Conference on Advanced Geographic Information Systems and Web Services, Cancun, Mexico, February 1-7, 2009.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 147 Document Number: C23522
Notes:
In the e-book, E.Gelb and A. Offer (eds.), ICT in Agriculture: perspectives of technological innovation. Center for Agricultural Economic Research, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 14 pages.
