Socio-Economic Factors Influencing the Use of WhatsApp as Emerging Platform for Access to Extension Services Among Rice Farmers in Wukari Local Government Area, Taraba State, Nigeria

• M. Sa’adu

  Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Federal University Wukar\si, Taraba State, Nigeria

  Author

• P.G. Williams

  Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Federal University Wukar\si, Taraba State, Nigeria

  Author

• I. S. Nabara

  Department of Agricultural Science, College of Education Minna, Niger State.

  Author

• A. Jolly

  Department of Agricultural Extension and Management, College of Agriculture and Technology Jalingo, Taraba State.

  Author

The study analysed factors influencing the use of WhatsApp as emerging platform for innovative agricultural extension service access among rice farmers in Wukari Local Government Area, Taraba State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect primary data from 107 small scale rice farmers through a well-structured questionnaires. The study revealed that 65.4% of were males, 84.1% had tertiary education, 82.2% had smart phone, 95.3 per cent had no access to steady network services, 93.5% lacked the ability to effectively operate smart phone. Also, the logit regression results shows socioeconomic factors of cost of WhasApp (X1), gender (X2), age (X3), farming experience (X6) and educational level (X7) to be the significant variables influencing small scale rice farmer’s adoption of WhatsApp. The study indicated that 97.2% had no access to constant electricity supply, as 82.2 % had no active whatsApp page as major factors affecting the use of whatsApp. Increased online criminal activities as a major constrain, high cost of smart phones and inadequate awareness about the use of WhatsApp platform for agricultural information dissemination were identified as major constraints. The study conclude that there is the urgent need for prosecution of online criminal activities and recommend that there is the urgent need for increased supply of electricity among rice farmers dwellers in rural communities.

1. M. Sa’adu, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Federal University Wukar\si, Taraba State, Nigeria

   Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Federal University Wukar\si, Taraba State, Nigeria

2. P.G. Williams, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Federal University Wukar\si, Taraba State, Nigeria

   Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Federal University Wukar\si, Taraba State, Nigeria

3. I. S. Nabara, Department of Agricultural Science, College of Education Minna, Niger State.

   Department of Agricultural Science, College of Education Minna, Niger State.

4. A. Jolly, Department of Agricultural Extension and Management, College of Agriculture and Technology Jalingo, Taraba State.

   Department of Agricultural Extension and Management, College of Agriculture and Technology Jalingo, Taraba State.

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