Availability and Use of Mobile Phones for Information Dissemination by Public Extension Agents in Delta State, Nigeria

Egbule, CL; Agwu, A. E.; Uzokwe, UN

doi:10.4314/jae.v17i2.4

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Data on Table 5 show the main; challenges faced by the respondents in the utilization of GSM in the Fadama III project by the beneficiaries. This is in line with the findings Bolarinwa et al (2011) in Egbule [7], which reported high call tariff, poor network coverage and erratic power supply as challenges to the utilization of GSM phones in information dissemination. With regards to low level of education of farmers, this contradicts the work of Bolarinwa et.…”

Section: Major Challenges In the Use Of Gsm In Fadama III Projectsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Although there was remarkable improvement in the use of ICTs especially the Global System for Mobile (GSM), greater portion of the communication procedures were observed to be mainly through other methods of communication rather than utilization of GSM, but these have not sufficiently been able to meet the information needs of farmers/beneficiaries. According to Egbule [7], it is important to note that to date, the major ICTs used in agricultural extension generally in Nigeria are the radio and television. The radio and television have advantages in that a large number of persons are reached at a particular time, but these have not sufficiently been able to meet the information needs of farmers.…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also, GSM can be purchased by low income earners; the prices of phones differ greatly and can be afforded by rural dwellers who have limited source of income supply. This is evidenced in the fact that the rate of GSM adoption on less than US1$ grew from 16 percent in 2000 to 87% percent in 2008 the world over (Aker, 2010 in Egbule [7]). The GSM device has the potentials in bridging the information divide that exist between the urban and rural places.…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With regards to low level of education of farmers, this contradicts the work of Bolarinwa et. al (2011) in [7] who stated that farmers' without regards to their educational qualification sourced for information through the use of GSM, particularly, through making calls than SMSs.…”

Section: Major Challenges In the Use Of Gsm In Fadama III Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of Farmers’ Utilization of Global System for Mobile (GSM) For Communication in the Fadama III Program in Taraba State, Nigeria

Audu¹

2021

JAC

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The study assesses the farmers’ use of Global System for Mobile (GSM) for communication among farmers in agricultural extension programs in Taraba State, Nigeria. Specifically, the objectives include: identify key areas in which GSM are used for communication in agricultural extension programs activities, determine the frequency of usage of GSM for information exchange between farmers and extension personnel; and ascertain farmers’ satisfaction in the use of GSM in obtaining information in the various agricultural extension programs. The population for this study included all beneficiaries/farmers under the agricultural extension programs in Taraba state, Nigeria. Purposive sampling was adopted because of the accessibility of the selected three Local Government Areas (LGAs), (Ardo-Kola, Jalingo & Lau) throughout the year. Five Fadama User Groups (FUGs) were randomly selected from each LGA to constitute fifteen FUGs for the study. From each FUG, ten respondents were drawn randomly to give a sample size for the study. In the Fadama III project, respondents’ key areas of communications with personnel of the project included: group formation (88%), mobilization of members for participation in Fadama III programs and activities (87.3%), awareness creation of Fadama III intervention (82.7%), capacity building activities (81.3%), convening of Fadama User Group (FUG)/FCA meetings (81.3%), sub-project preparation and management (80.7%), advisory services and input support services (80%), environmental/social screening friendly practices (72.7%), asset acquisition activities (68%), record-keeping activities (66%), small-scale community infrastructure activities (63.3%) and financial management (61.3%). Farmers indicated their satisfaction in obtaining information o;n capacity building activities by the use of GSM with the (M = 1.21), advisory services and input support activities (M = 1.28), asset acquisition activities, (M= 1.16), mobilization of members for participation in Fadama III activities (M = 1.40), convening FUG/FCA meetings ( M = 1.43), financial management (M=1.09), record-keeping activities (M = 1.17), awareness creation of Fadama III intervention (M = 1.27), group formation (M = 1.37) and environmental/social screening and environmentally friendly practices ( M = 1.17). The main challenges included no GSM phones provided by Fadama III to farmers (M = 1.37), low level of education of farmers (M = 1.55), erratic power supply (M = 1.41), high call tariff (M = 1.11), poor network coverage (M = 1.24), lack of maintenance e.g recharging (M = 1.11), and fluctuating services by the service providers (M = 1.16). The study suggested that the Information and communication unit of the Fadama III project should collaborate with other media outfits and extension units to disseminate agro-information to the benefits of the Fadama III beneficiaries.

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Section: Major Challenges In the Use Of Gsm In Fadama III Projectsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Major Challenges In the Use Of Gsm In Fadama III Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Assessment of Farmers’ Utilization of Global System for Mobile (GSM) For Communication in the Fadama III Program in Taraba State, Nigeria

Audu¹

2021

JAC

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“…However, a major challenge to utilisation was erratic public power supply. Egbule, Agwu and Uzokwe (2013) found the use of mobile phones to be efficient in addressing the information needs of rural dwellers in Delta State, Nigeria. The study revealed that about 97% of the respondents (extension workers) had mobile phones and interactions with the rural dwellers were through phone calls (84.4%) and text messages (71.9%).…”

Section: Reproductive Health Information Access Among Rural Women In mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive Health Information Needs and Access Among Rural Women in Nigeria: A Study of Nsukka Zone in Enugu State

Ezema¹

2016

Afr. j. inf. commun. (Online)

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This article presents a study of the reproductive health information needs and access practices of rural women in Nsukka Cultural Zone, Enugu State, South East Nigeria. Three hundred and fifty women from 14 rural Nsukka communities were surveyed and 335 responses analysed. It was found that the main reproductive health information needs of the women were related to infertility; use of contraception; abortion; prevention of sexually transmitted diseases; antenatal care; and postnatal care. The main existing sources of reproductive health information were found to be: friends and relations; hospitals and health centres; churches; women's organisations; and radio and television. Fewer than half (46%) of the women participants were found to be accessing reproductive health information using their mobile phones. The author recommends enhanced rural development approaches that include: information provision through mobile communications; opening of rural libraries and information centres with Internet hubs; and sustainable adult literacy campaigns focused on reproductive health information. The study outlined in this article examined the reproductive health information needs of rural women in the Nsukka Cultural Zone of Enugu State in South East Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to: identify the major reproductive health information needs of women; find out what were the existing governmental and/ or non-governmental information access structures in the women's localities that could meet these information needs; determine the women's existing sources of reproductive health information; determine the challenges faced by women in accessing reproductive health information; and recommend strategies for improved access to reproductive health information. Keywords

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Economic value and latent demand for agricultural drought forecast: Emerging market for weather and climate information in Central-Southern Nigeria

Awolala

Mutemi

Adefisan

et al. 2023

Climate Risk Management

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Availability and Use of Mobile Phones for Information Dissemination by Public Extension Agents in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract: The study assessed the availability and dissemination of information to farmers using mobile phones by public

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

Assessment of Farmers’ Utilization of Global System for Mobile (GSM) For Communication in the Fadama III Program in Taraba State, Nigeria

Assessment of Farmers’ Utilization of Global System for Mobile (GSM) For Communication in the Fadama III Program in Taraba State, Nigeria

Reproductive Health Information Needs and Access Among Rural Women in Nigeria: A Study of Nsukka Zone in Enugu State

Economic value and latent demand for agricultural drought forecast: Emerging market for weather and climate information in Central-Southern Nigeria

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