Effect of Industry Type on Adoption of ICT among SMEs In Nigeria. A Case Study of SMEs In Oyo State.

Abstract

Small and medium enterprises have gradually emerged as potential solutions to the myriad of challenges faced by the modern society and most especially, developing economies. Rising level of industrial sophistication and technical advancement has created a very stiff competition for survival. Nonetheless, the contributions of SME's to gross domestic product of many developing economies is still hampered by poor business-ICT integration. Survey data was collected from 80 SMEs in Oyo State across different sectors using stratified random sampling technique with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Analysis of regression showed that demographic variable (Staff Strength) significantly influences use of ICT among SMEs while SME service delivery had no influence on ICT use. Also, analysis of variance on the categories of SMEs was not a determinant factor on the use of ICT. The outcome of this study has implications for owners of SMEs, stakeholders, government and academic researchers in developing countries as it can provide patterns to help bridge the existing digital divide especially among Nigerian SMEs.