This study examined factors which motivate lecturers in Nigerian universities to use information technology (IT). A Diffusion of Innovations perspective was adopted for the study. The study employed a questionnaire for data collection. One thousand lecturers from ten universities in Nigeria were sampled. Seven hundred and eighteen completed questionnaires were found usable. The results found that perceived usefulness (relative advantage) and perceived ease of use (complexity) significantly influence the use of IT by lecturers in Nigerian universities. In addition, ease of use was found to be a stronger motivator for IT use than perceived usefulness. Furthermore, both training and level of access to IT significantly influenced the number of computer applications used by lecturers. In addition, level of access to IT was a significant predictor of both the number of computer applications used by lecturers and the frequency with which they used computers. The study concludes that even though innovation characteristics are important predictors of the adoption of IT by Nigerian university lecturers, organizational factors such as providing training and easy access to IT are even more important. Thus, programs aimed at integrating IT into developing country universities should provide effective and well-targeted training programs as well as easy access to IT for lecturers.

The transformation of African agriculture with modern technologies, including information and communication technology (ICT) has been proposed as the required strategy for improving agricultural and rural economies of African countries. In this direction, this study investigated the catalysts and impact of ICT investment, ownership and use in the cassava value chain in south-western Nigeria. The study used in-depth structured interviews to collect data from 139 cassava growers, processors and marketers. Snowball and random sampling were used to select the respondents. A model was articulated to capture the catalytic and transmission processes in ICT investment and use in the cassava value chain. It predicts that in value chains dominated by small and medium enterprises (SME), ICT investments are unlikely to progress beyond basic low-end ICT unless there is expanded market demand for output of the SME. The model highlights key process points that policy may target in order to improve the use of ICT by SME to leverage their value chain activities.