Arable Crop Farmers' Utilization of ICT Devices in Accessing Climate Change Information for Agricultural Production in Osun State, Nigeria

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This study assessed arable crop farmers' utilization of Information Communication Technology (ICT) devices in accessing climate change information for agricultural production in Osun State, Nigeria. Specifically, it identified ICT devices used, assessed farmers' perceptions, determined the extent of ICT utilization and identified benefits and challenges associated with the usage of ICT for climate change information for food security. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 180 respondents from three LGAs across two agricultural zones (Ife-Ijesha and Iwo). Data were analyzed using frequency distribution, mean, percentage, and Chi-square. Results showed that mobile phones (66.7%), radio (58.3%), and television (41.7%) were the most frequently used ICT tools. Also, 36% of respondents had a high level of ICT utilization. Major constraints were high costs of ICT facilities (mean =2.76), rural poverty (mean =2.60), and erratic power supply (mean =2.42). Education (χ²=154.3, P=0.041) and type of occupation (χ²=30.2, P=0.006) influenced ICT use. The study concludes that moderate ICT utilization exists among farmers and recommends training programmes to enhance farmers’ ICT proficiency and climate change information access for increased food security in the nation.