The Usage of Web Tools in Extension Service Delivery Among Agricultural Extension Workers in South-West Nigeria

Abstract

The advent of Covid-19 pandemic has contributed meaningfully to ICT in terms of its relevance, those that deal with communication like agricultural extension had no choice than to flow with the current trend of communicating with their clientele with the use of certain ICT tools such as the web-based tools. This enables a free flow and continuous contact with the farmers on updated information that is useful for agricultural productivity. The study therefore was conducted to assess the usage of web tools among the agricultural extension workers in south-west Nigeria, the study was carried out to: examine the socioeconomic characteristics of extension workers, determine the extension workers on the usage of web tools in disseminating agricultural information and constraints facing the usage of web tools in disseminating of agricultural information. The study was carried out in three out of the three states in Southwest Nigeria. Oyo, Ekiti and Osun were used and multi-stage sampling techniques was adopted. Primary data were collected and analyze using descriptive. The findings also show that respondents are high using of most the web tools such as facebook, whatapps, tiwtter etc for disseminate agricultural information to the farmers. Furthermore, the findings show that web tools usage has crucial role to play in promoting quality extension delivery, best agronomy practices and promoting new generation agriculture and make agriculture more lucrative and sustainable as well as improving livelihood in Nigeria. However, some constraints were identified with the use of web tools during the period of carrying out this study, such constraints are: poor internet coverage, lack of awareness of information sources available and untimely provision of information, high cost, complex to use, it requires special types of devices to use some of the webtools etc. The study therefore concludes that if the constraints faced was solves then the level of usage webtools will increase and enhance agricultural productivity. However, the study recommended that both agricultural extension workers needs to be trained on almost all the identified web tools.