The influence of information and communication technology on farm income in Katsina state of Nigeria

Abstract

Information is used increasingly in all aspects of human activity. The use of improved technologies is assisting in providing information in a timely manner. In spite of the fact that information has always been indispensable in political, economic and social development processes, the way that information is accessed and controlled is widely debated. The advent of the information and communication technologies (ICT) age has added another dimension to the debate. This study set out to examine the influence of Information and Communication Support for Agricultural Growth in Nigeria (ICS-Nigeria) project activities on the livelihood of farmers in the Katsina state of Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 172 respondents made up of 85 participants and 87 non-participants in the programme. A qualitative method of analysis was used to analyse the data collected. Results suggest that participants become knowledgeable and thus adopt more improved farm practices. Consequently, they obtain more income than non-participant farmers, suggesting it will be useful to extend the frontiers of programme to other rural farmers with a view to improving their livelihood generally.

Ghana Journal of Development Studies Vol. 3(1) 2006: 16-34