ABSTRACT
The study determined the availability, access and utilization of
information communication technologies among staff of women in
agriculture sub-programme of agricultural development programmes in
north central zone of Nigeria. Four states were randomly selected which
include Benue, Kogi and Nassarawa states, and the Federal Capital
Territory. The multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a
sample size of eighty (80) WIA staff. Interview schedule was used to
collect data from the respondents. Frequency count, percentage and mean
score were used to analyze the data collected. Factor analysis with
principal factor model with interaction and varimax rotation was used to
determine the major constrains to the use of ICTs. The result of the
study showed the mean age of the respondents to be 47.25 years with
average working experience of 20.66 years and 14years as WIA staff. All
(100%) the respondents were aware of radio, video machine, television
and telephone and majority of them were aware of the other modern ICTs
except for fax machine, GIS, Skype, face book and digital camera. Only a
few (40% for telephone and 33.8% for radio) of them had ICT tools in
their offices but majority (92.5% for radio and 88.8% for television) of
them had personal ICTs. Majority (87.0%, 85.0% and 80.0%) of the WIA
staff had access to telephone, television and radio respectively but
very few (32.5% for computer 28.8% for internet and 8.8% for printer) of
them had access to the modern ICT facilities. Majority (89.5%) of the
few that accessed the internet did so for browsing to get information.
The findings also showed that radio (M=3.70), Video machine (M=3.58),
television (M=3.14) and telephone (M=3.49) were used by the respondents
to a large extent. Majority (56.2% used radio for root and tuber
processing and 62.5% used telephone for Fruit and vegetable processing)
of them staff used a few ICTs for their WIA activities. Radio (M=3.06),
television (M=2.88) and telephone (M=3.68) were perceived to be very
important to the respondents in their official duties. Also, lack of
training opportunities (M=2.25), insufficient availability of ICT
facilities (M=2.06) and lack of technical know-how (M= 2.05) were
perceived by the respondents to be serious constraints to the use of
ICTs.
1. Based on the major findings it was concluded that majority of the
respondents were still within active years and could access and use
available ICT facilities and that though majority of them were aware of
the ICT facilities, majority of them could not affectively operate most
of the modern ICTs except for radio, video machine, television and
telephone and to some extent, computer. Majority of them did not use
most of the ICTs for official functions because they were constrained by
lack of training opportunity, insufficient availability of ICT
facilities and lack of technical know- how among other constraints
perceived by the respondents to be serious to the use of ICTs for their
official functions. The study, among other things recommended setting up
of projects that will enable WIA staff to have more access to ICT tools
and establishment of functional ICT centres with departments for WIA in
all the states which will create more awareness, better accessibility
and higher usage of ICT tools by the WIA staff.
Background Information
The sustainable production of food is the first pillar of food
security; and millions of women work as farmers, farm workers and
natural resource managers. In doing so, they contribute to national
agricultural output, maintenance of the environment and family food
security (Onyemobi, 2000). According to Nnadozie and Ibe (2000), women
play very significant roles in Nigeria agricultural production,
processing and utilization. Agricultural extension personnel are very
important in the development of agriculture. They utilize strategic
vital agricultural information for the individual and general
improvement of the farmers, homemakers and youths. This could be in the
area of their farming techniques, family nutrition and health and
community development. Agricultural extensionists serve as links between
farmers and researchers (Agumagu, Adesope, Mathews- Njoku and
Nwaogwugwu, 2008). Therefore, Nnadozie and Ibe (2000) were of the
opinion that the integration of women in extension is essential for the
achievement of some goals such as increased food production, food
self-sufficiency and sustained reduction of poverty and malnutrition.
The involvement of women in agriculture has attracted greater
attention in recent years. Over the past two or three decades,
considerable research has been done on gender – related issues in
Nigerian agriculture. This has had some impact on policy formulation and
programming, including perhaps the creation of Women- in- Agriculture
(WIA) units in several State and Federal Government Ministries of
Agriculture and the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) in
Nigeria. It is however difficult to gauge how effective this has been,
especially in terms of moving agriculture forward. (Adekanye,Otitolaiye
and Opaluwa, 2009). According to Onyibe (2001), the Agricultural
development programmes of the different States of the Federation have
made important advances in incorporating gender in agricultural
extension, by modifying the ADP system midstream to provide for women
farmers through the creation of WIA programmes in the Department of
Extension Services of the ADPs with a gender focus.