Utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Among Women Farmers in North-Eastern Nigeria

This research focused on evaluating the utilization of ICTs by women farmers in North-Eastern Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling method, which included both purposive and simple random sampling techniques, was used to select 359 women farmers for the study. Primary data were gathered and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to meet the study's objectives. The majority of respondents (78.0%) were married, with a mean age of 41 years. Most of the respondents (52.5%) were involved in trading, and the average farm size was 3.4 hectares. Additionally, 88.3% had a high social participation score, and 51.7% and 58.9% were aware of old and new ICTs, respectively. Majority of the participants benefited from access to information on fertilizer sources and application (74.9%), credits, grants, and loans (70.8%), market rates and locations (63.1%), and crop pests, diseases, and control (62.1%) through the use of ICTs. Most of the respondents faced several constraints: high cost of gadgets (73.5%), insufficient time allotted to agricultural programmes (73.5%), lack of or inadequate ICT infrastructure (62.3%), expensive power/electricity prices (61.3%), defective equipment (57.8%), and multiple responsibilities of women farmers (54.3%). The regression analysis showed that age, marital status, religion, farm size, household size, and occupations did not significantly affect ICT utilization. However, educational attainment, participation in social organizations, and awareness were significant factors influencing the use of ICTs among women farmers. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria should prioritize the establishment of essential infrastructure aimed at promoting and facilitating the utilization of ICTs among women farmers.