Mr Perceptions and Effectiveness of Mobile Technology Among Extension Workers in Kwara State: Implications for Digital Extension Delivery in Nigeria.

Perceptions and Effectiveness of Mobile Technology Among Extension Workers in Kwara State: Implications for Digital Extension Delivery in Nigeria.

Abstract

This study investigated the perceptions and effectiveness of mobile technology among Extension workers in Kwara State, Nigeria. Using purposive sampling, sixty-seven Extension workers were selected for the study. Primary data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts, means, and charts). The Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to examine the formulated hypotheses.

The results revealed that mobile phones were predominantly used for scheduling meetings with farmers to facilitate agricultural information dissemination (Mean = 2.79), exchanging SMS with researchers and farmers regarding pertinent agricultural practices (Mean = 2.79), and submitting daily activity reports to supervisors (Mean = 2.73). Mobile technology was mostly effective for scheduling farmers’ meetings (Mean = 2.75), SMS communication on agricultural matters (Mean = 2.52), and accessing diverse information such as weather updates and market prices (Mean = 2.51). The identified constraints to effective mobile technology usage included limited network coverage (WMS = 2.52), irregular electricity supply for device charging (WMS = 2.48), and absence of institutional policies regulating mobile phone use within extension service delivery (WMS = 2.45). The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed no significant differences in effectiveness of mobile phone (χ² = 0.563; p > 0.05) or extent of usage (χ² = 0.327; p > 0.05) across zones. Conversely, perceptions differed significantly among zones (χ² = 6.453; p < 0.05). It is recommended that extension institutions implement targeted training and workshops in zones exhibiting lower perception scores to bridge the skills gap and enhance mobile technology adoption for effective extension service delivery.

Key Words: , , Digitalization, Perception.