An ICT-Based Agricultural Extension Service Delivery for Nigeria

Abstract

This paper proposed an ICT-based extension service delivery for Nigeria. The proposed design, though to be use as supplement to the existing system would engender an extension delivery system that is void of many of the limitations inherent in the earlier approaches. Basically, it revolves round the use ICT facilities like VSAT, Routers/Switches, PCs, Radio/Antennae, etc. to provide agricultural information through the internet. Farmers in the remotest rural villages in Nigeria can communicate with extension workers without having to meet face to face with them; an integral aspect of many of the traditional approaches. The communication provided by the Internet can be real time voiced communication, video conferencing, chats, etc. or pre-recorded data in the form of texts (mail), audio or audio-visuals which can be used to provide training/instruction/guidance to farmers about farm activities. This would go a long way to enhance the government’s agricultural transformation agenda (ATA) as it has the potential to ensure the inclusion of more rural farmers. The design, once deployed, is almost self sustainable.

Key words: ICT, Internet, Agricultural Information, Traditional Extension Approach.