ASSESSMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) TOOLS USAGE AMONG EXTENSION WORKERS IN KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

This study assessed the use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools for agricultural extension service delivery among extension workers in Katsina state. With a multistage sampling procedure, one hundred and twenty (120) extension workers were randomly selected from the three agricultural development zones in the state. Primary data were elicited with the aid of a structured questionnaire, which was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that 50% of extension workers had moderate level of awareness of ICT tools. However, the study further revealed a significant association between extension workers’ level of awareness and membership in professional associations, highest level of education and years of working experience but had no correlation with age of extension and years of schooling. The results regarding the frequency /extent of use of ICT tools revealed that, on average, the extent of use of ICT tools by extension workers was high (2.91). The findings concerning the factors influencing the extent/frequency of use of ICT tools revealed that the age of the extension workers, gender, number of extension visits, number of ICT tools used and membership of professional associations were the factors that influenced the use of ICTs by the respondents. The study revealed that the level of awareness of ICTs among agricultural extension workers is moderate, and the most frequently used tools are computers, radio and mobile phones, therefore, it is recommended that government should provide training programmes for extension agents to update their knowledge of the latest and new information technology.