Determinants of Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among Actors within the Cassava Value Chain in Anambra State, Nigeria
Abstract
The study assessed influence of socio-economic characteristics of cassava value chain actors (farmers, marketers, processors, and consumers) on use of ICT in Anambra State. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 319 respondents for the study. Data used for this study were from primary sources collected with the aid of a well structured questionnaire and interview schedule. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean from likert scale and multinomial logistic regression. The result indicated that majority (70.6%) of the respondents had one form of education or the other, age (72.2%) ranged between 31-50 with 46.7% married and males (60.2%). The result revealed that mobile phone, radio, television, computer and internet were the types of ICT tools often utilized by the respondents. The result also showed that major constraints to the use of ICT perceived by the actors were erratic power supply, poor networks coverage, inadequate ICT training centre, high cost of ICT facilities. The result revealed that some of the items were accepted (age, educational qualification, farming experience, cost of ICT equipment, cost of ICT maintenance and government policies) by the respondents as factors influencing use of ICT. The results of multinomial logistic regression analysis on level of use of ICT revealed that coefficients of education (X4) were positive and significant at 5% significant level for farmers’ group (1.097); marketers’ group (1.112) and consumers’ group (1.051) and the coefficients of farming experience (X6) were positive and significant at 5% significant level for farmers (1.008); processors (1.07); marketers (1.033) and consumers (1.052). It implies that education and faming experience led to increase in the use of ICT in the study area. It is therefore recommended that farmers, consumers, processor and marketers should endeavor to make judicious use of the ICT tools in order to get reliable information on new innovation that will help them increase their production and income.
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