Perceived Roles of Selected Information and Communication Technologies in Agricultural Extension/Farmers Training in Oyo and Ekiti Southwestern States of Nigeria

Abstract

Perception plays a serious role in individual’s disposition and making rightful judgement of any event. Farmers’ interest, knowledge and experience over time in crop production may influence their attitude and participation in extension training activities. This study therefore determined perceived role of ICTs in agricultural extension/farmers training in Oyo and Ekiti States of Southwester Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select Two-Hundred and Thirty-Five (235) crop farmers. Data for the study was collected through structured interview schedule and analyzed with frequency counts, percentage, mean and ranking as main descriptive statistical tools, while Ordered probit inferential tool was employed to make inference between the variables. The mean age of the crop farmers was 49years, both male (61.3%) and female (38.7%) constituted the sampled population, majority (82.5%) of the crop farmers are literate with different educational background with 26years of farming experience. GSM-Phone (100.0%), Digital Camera/Video (100.0%each), Posters and Extension Bulletins (100.0%) are part of ICTs that are available and used for agricultural extension/farmers training. The crop farmers had different perception towards agricultural extension/farmers training. Some of the selected socio-economic variables (age- 3.41***, p sex- 1.72*, pmarital status- 5.17***, p; years spent in school- 1.77*, p and years of farming experience- 2.12, p exhited significant relationship with farmers perception on roles of ICTs in agricultural extension/farmers training.