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Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences - Vol. 10, No. 5
Publication Date: October 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/dafs.105.13870.
Alhassan, Y. J., Muhammad, A. M., & Chari, A. D. (2022). Social Media Usage and Agricultural Extension Service Delivery.
Implications for Effectiveness in Northwest Nigeria. Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences, 10(5). 1-12.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Social Media Usage and Agricultural Extension Service Delivery.
Implications for Effectiveness in Northwest Nigeria
Alhassan, Y. J.
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension,
Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria.
Muhammad, A. M.
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension,
Federal University of Agriculture Zuru, Kebbi State, Nigeria.
Chari, A. D.
Department of Crop Production,
Federal University of Agriculture Zuru, Kebbi State, Nigeria.
Abstract
Social media are tools meant for digital communication that aids in the interaction
among a group of people and acts as information exchange media across the globe.
Since ages newspapers, television, and magazines have been the most used source
of information in the agriculture sector. But now the power of the 21st century is
literally in our hands. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Whatsapp have 2.6
billion, 2 billion, and 1.6 billion active monthly users respectively as of 2020
(Anonymous1 2020). Agricultural extension agents use social media to access
information needed to improve their agricultural service delivery in northwest
Nigeria. The broad objective of this study is to assess the implications of social
media usage in Agricultural Extension Service Delivery in Northwest Nigeria. Other
specific objectives were to ascertain the areas where social media has helped
extension agents in engaging youths in agriculture; find out the socioeconomic
factors that influences usage of social media for agricultural information
transmission. A sample of three hundred and sixty youths in agriculture was
randomly selected through the multi-stage sampling techniques in the study area.
The instruments used for data collection were questionnaire and focus group
discussion. The theories of Utility and Rational served as theoretical framework for
the study. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and logit regression
model. Data were analysed using Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS). The
null hypotheses that guided this study is socio- economic factors do not significantly
influence the usage of social media by agricultural extension agents to engage youth
in agriculture in the study area. Results of the logit regression analysis carried out
to establish the social-economic factors that significantly influence the usage of
social media by extension agents to train youth in agriculture showed that the
independent variables studied accounted for a coefficient of multiple
determination of 0.510 (51.0%). Out of all the socioeconomic factors that
influenced usage of social media in agriculture only age (0.994), education (0.642),
farm experience (-0.158), income (.000) and sex (1.768) were found to significantly
influence the usage of social media in agriculture. Findings revealed that most of the
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Alhassan, Y. J., Muhammad, A. M., & Chari, A. D. (2022). Social Media Usage and Agricultural Extension Service Delivery. Implications for Effectiveness
in Northwest Nigeria. Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences, 10(5). 1-12.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/dafs.105.13870
with information in agriculture and education that are capable of spurring them into
agricultural or agro-based activities. Social media can be used to help better agriculture’s image
across a broad audience and allow for sharing of information and experiences between young
people and young farmers (Bamiro and Oyetoki, 2019).
Using social media by extension agents for youth engagement can help organizations reach
young people where they can be found online through search engines, communicate with young
people in familiar settings and make ideas and opportunities accessible to other youth
(Abdullahi, 2020). This will enhance the introduction of modern extension and agricultural
technologies and will increase extension coverage. The use of social media provides reliable
markets and modern production information on existing livestock and crops thereby providing
better access to profitable markets. Therefore, the focus of this study is to assess the usage of
social media in engaging youths in agricultural development in the Federal Capital Territory
and how this can bring about development in the agriculture sector.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Brief about Social Media
Social media refers to the interaction with people in which they create, share, consume, and
exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Nwanko and Anyanwu
(2021) define social media as "a set of Internet-based applications that build on the conceptual
and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user- created content". "Social media are web-based tools of electronic communication that allow
users to exchange information individually or in groups, share ideas and opinions, make
decisions and create, store, retrieve and exchange information -Allows to provide the facility of
providing (text, images, videos, etc.), by anyone in the virtual world (Baye, 2016).
These are digital networks that use user-created information - opinion, Video, audio, and
multimedia are used to share and discuss. Adebayo (2017) defines social media as forms of
electronic communication through which user information, ideas, can create online
communities to share personal messages and other content. Definition focuses on three core
components - content, community, and Web 2.0 - and the conduct of social media as a form of
people interaction. And makes comments in content creation, exchange, and viral dual
communities and networks.
Why Social Media: Is social media important for agricultural Extension? Although many
outsiders would never think of connecting farmers, dairy farmers, animal keepers with
Facebook and Twitter, they both represent a large group of active users on social networking
sites. According to some farmers and scientists, social media is an indispensable
communication tool to educate farmers about their industry.
Social media can be advantageously used in agricultural extension, as discussed below (Baye,
2016):
1. Highly cost-effective
2. Simultaneously reaches large numbers of clients.
3. Location and client-specific, problem-oriented.