Problems and Prospects of Information and Communication Technologies Application in Agriculture in Nigeria.

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become a veritable tool being used to solve agricultural related problems ranging from site selection to sale of farm produces in many parts of the world. In Nigeria, the application of ICT in farm enterprises is not widespread. This research was designed to assess the prospects and problems/factors limiting the awareness and usage of ICT in Nigerian agriculture. Also, it identified and
described the available ICT technologies in Nigeria. Primary data were obtained from the respondents through the use of structured questionnaire. The information collected was analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics and multiple regression technique. Results of the analysis showed that the educated respondents were more aware and made use of ICTs than those with out formal education at 5% level of probability. The major
problems identified with regards to the usage of ICTs by the respondents include poor access to ICT facilities, low sensitization on available ICTs, poor source of power supply and high cost of software and hardware. It was therefore recommended that government and NGOs should collaborate to improve sensitization drive, to not only increase awareness but also to encourage application, improve on power supply, provide accessible network at cheaper price, translate technology to local languages and more training on ICT usage in the agroindustry.

The Information Manager Vol. 8 (1) 2008: pp. 7-16