GENDER ANALYSIS OF THE ADOPTION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICTS) AMONG RURAL FARMING DWELLERS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

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Deji Olanike F, Adetunji Matthew, Aremu Fakunle J and Igbinoba Angie O

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
Cooperation EU-ACP (CTA), Netherlands
University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
Covenant University, Nigeria

: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry

Abstract

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The high illiteracy level in most rural communities of the country is not representative of positive impacts information and communication technologies (ICTs) have had on Nigerian rural agriculture in terms of productivity, growth and development. The study investigated adoption of ICT among rural farming dwellers in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo state, Nigeria, based on gender analysis. A well-structured interview schedule was employed to elicit quantitative information from 60 male and 60 female rural farming dwellers from Serafu, Ado-awaye and Osoogun in Iseyin Local Government Areas, using the two stage random sampling procedure. Results showed that 55% of the male respondents and 46.7% of the female respondents adopted various selected ICT in general. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at <0.05 level of significance resulted that a significant difference exists in the adoption of the ICTs of both male and female respondents (F=4.198). The findings revealed that at <0.05 level of significance, significant difference existed in the level of income of the male and female respondents (F= 4.079). Therefore, in order to bridge the gender division in the level of adoption of ICTs, among rural dwellers, it was recommended that various ICTs should be made available for rural dwellers at subsidized rate because larger percentage of them know the importance and benefit of ICTs but lack the financial capacity to acquire them. The government should formulate policy that will enhance continuous utilization of ICTs for rural activities and for development of rural livelihood, in Nigeria.

Biography

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Angie holds professional qualifications as a Registered Integrated Marketing Communicator of Nigeria with the Certified Marketing Communications Institute of Nigeria (CMCIN) and an Associate Member of the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON). She served as a cub reporter and interviewer with the print media organization known as New Nigeria Newspaper (NNN) Ltd in 2004; she also worked with the broadcast media organization known as Africa Independent Television (AIT), in 2008, where she was involved in preparing, proofreading and editing news reports for on-air transmission. Angie possesses the gift of gab with good writing and editing skills. Some of the undergraduate courses taught include speech communication & rhetoric, broadcast station management & programming, foundation of broadcasting, announcing & presentation, et cetera. She is an up-and-coming whiz kid in the field of Health Communication whose on-going Ph.D. research focuses on the mass media and safe motherhood.

Email: angie.osarieme@gmail.com