The study attempts to investigate the level of awareness,
access and relevance of information and communication technology (ICT) tools
among cassava farmers in Osun State, Nigeria. Data were gathered through a
survey interview scheduled on a total of 130 cassava farmers. The data were
analyzed using frequency, mean, standard deviation, Spearman rho correlation
and independent sampled t-test. The result revealed that, the mean age of the
respondents was 45.3 years and mean years of farming experience of 17.7 years.
Radio, television, video recorder, audio cassette, mobile phone (GSM), computer
and camera were categorized into high level of awareness and access. These ICT
tools were also rated as highly relevant to cassava production activities in
the area of cassava stem selection, land selection, land preparation, time of
planting of cassava stem; and marketing of cassava produce. Based on the result
of independent sampled t-test, there were significant differences in the mean
scores of awareness and access to radio, television, computer, video and
camera. These ICT tools were highly relevant to cassava production in the study
area. Spearman Rho correlation analysis revealed that significant relationship
exist between age (r = -0.434, p ≤ 0.05), cosmopoliteness (r = 0.276), p ≤
0.05); Sex (r = -0.76, p ≤ 0.05), years of education (r = 0.328; ≤ 0.05) and
accessibility to ICT. Sequel to the findings of the study, it was recommended
that, the extension institutions in Nigeria should concentrate their effort on
agricultural information delivery through these ICT facilities accessible to
cassava farmers in order to improved cassava production in the study area.
INTRODUCTION
Information and communication technologies
(ICTs) are new technologies that cannot be ignored in Africa especially for
development in all sector agriculture inclusive. This is because, ICT is one of
the main driving forces that can bring about development and change in this
present digital age. It was
in the light of this that Emenari (2004) noted that, the
great transformation in the lives of the people especially in the developing
countries depends on advances ICTs. The rapid development of ICTs continues to
have major influence on the livelihood of people across the world. Social
research has shown that, adoption of ICTs can be a major fuel
for economic and community
development in rural areas (Osiakade et al., 2010). As noted by Onwubalili
(2004), “the tremendous changes are quite glaring in every facet of our lives
and touches simplest of domestic services to corporate and limitless industrial
applications”.ICTs such as Internet could create and meet demands which
satisfies human and corporate needs at all times and levels (Nwajinka, 2004).
Infact, ICTs are what rural dwellers need to climb to the heights developed
continent had reached. The recent development in ICT has broken national and
international barriers and turned the world into a global village, making
information available to everyone, everywhere and at any time it is needed
(Onasanya et al., 2011). Then one could ask what is ICT?.According to the Food
and Agriculture Organization, FAO (1993) ICTs was defined as those technologies used in collecting, processing,
storing, retrieving, disseminating, and implementing data and information using
microelectronics, optics, and telecommunication and computers.Broadly, the
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA, 2003) defined
ICTs as those technologies that facilitate communication and the processing and
transmission of information by electronic means for the benefits of its users.
Odame et al. (2002) and Arokoyo (2005) stated that, ICTs covered a wide range
of equipment and services. In agricultural extension, the ICTs used include:
radio, television fixed and mobile phones, short message services (SMS), world
wide web (www), search engines, packet digital assistants, cameras, video,
e-mail, computer, contact data bases and systems, CD-Rom, DVD, rural radio and
web publishing to mention a few.Agriculture is an important sector with the
majority of the rural population in developing countries depending directly or
indirectly on it (Diao et al., 2007). The sector faces major challenges of
enhancing production in a situation of dwindling natural resources necessary
for production. The growing demand for agricultural products especially
cassava, however, also offers opportunities for producers to sustain and
improve their livelihoods. ICT play an important role in addressing these
challenges and uplifting the livelihoods of the rural poor (ITU, 2009).The role
of ICT to enhance food security and support rural livelihoods is increasingly
recognized and was officially endorsed at the World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS) in 2005. These include the use of computers, internet,
geographical information systems (GIS), mobile phones, as well as traditional
media such as radio and television. Although it is a relatively new phenomenon,
evidence of the contribution of ICT to agricultural development and poverty
alleviation is becoming increasingly available.Since 1998, international
institute for communication and development (IICD) has been involved in
projects and policy trajectories
and consistently monitor
the progress and impact of the use of ICT in most of the developing countries.
Increase in efficiency, productivity and sustainability of small scale farms is
an area where ICT have been making a significant contribution in agricultural
sector (IICD, 2007). According to Olajubu et al. (2006) and Sepehrdoust and
Khodaee (2012) opined that, ICT have great impact on productivity, product
differentiation, competitive advantage, effective communi- cation and
employment opportunity in many productive sectors of the economy. Due to these,
developing countries should maximize the potentials of ICT for immense
development purposes agriculture inclusive. Generally, agriculture is an
information intensive industry. The sector draws upon infinite sources of
widely dispersed, locally contextualized knowledge and considerable body of research
materials. It also relies upon continuous flow of information from local,
regional and world markets.Nigeria remains the world leader in cassava
production with the annual production ranging from 30 to 40 000 000 metric
tons. This production outputs are in the hands of small scale farmers who
cultivates is from 0.5 to 5 ha of land. Cassava has gained increased
industrial, economic, and nutritional importance over the years because of its
multifarious uses of the starch-rich roots (Karim et al., 2009). Cassava is
used almost exclusively for consumption as 95% of the total cassava outputs
produced was used as food. According to Nweke and Manyong (2000), cassava
farming has been transformed from being a staple food to a source of income as
well.Cassava farmers thus, need information to optimize production. Farmers in
the rural area are to benefit from the use of ICT to order to improve cassava
production. Balderama (2009) pointed out that, there is a dearth of knowledge
and information and new technologies in agriculture that is yet to be exploited
especially in most of the developing countries of which Nigeria is included. It
is expected that, there should be a flow of knowledge and new information from
various research institutes to the farmers. With the explosion in ICTs in the
world, there is an expectation that, knowledge producers would be substantially
empowered to channel information to farmers. As suggested by Erhabor and
Emokaro (2007), that there has to be a tremendous increase in the current cassava
output in the country in order to meet increasing the demand both locally and
internationally. Therefore, it is highly imperative to determine the level of
awareness, accessibility, and relevance of ICTs among cassava farmers in Osun
State, Nigeria with the focus in ensuring improved production capacity of
farmers in the study area. Based on the
above background this study was designed to provide answers to the following
research questions:
i) What is the level of awareness of ICT among cassava
farmers in the study area?ii) To what extent does cassava farmers have access
to ICT?iii) Of what relevance is ICT to cassava production in the study area?