Accessibility and Utilization of Agricultural Information: The Role of Communication Media in the Delivery of Information to Farmers in Nigeria

Abstract

World over, Information is considered as a development resource. While to some view it as a strategic tool that aided development of many nations, be it developed or developing one. Even although this paper recognises the importance of information to human life, but however argued strongly that communication media through which such information is generated and conveyed is equally important but seems under estimated or neglected by the key actors. Realising fully the role of such media in the delivery of information to smallholder farmers in particular and to the entire farmers farmily in general cannot be disputed. This principally formed the basis of this paper. It explore the significant contributions of communication media for agricutural development especially sheding light on how best these media can be revitalised for for their optimum use by the extension agents for conveying information to the smallholder farmers for the nation’s development especially for meeting the vision of the government for attaining food sufficiency in the country. For the paper to achieve its noble objectives, conceptual definition were identified and operationaly defined. The rationale for consideration of media in information generation and delivery to farmers is highlighted. The paper equally discuses the types and characteristics of media used for agricultural information delivery services to farmers as well as the strategies that could promote the use of communication media by the smallholder farmers were equally discussed by the paper. Hence, the paper discusses the challenges as factors that could discourage the use of communication media and subsequently leveraging on proposed strategies for minimising the aforementioned challenges for future prospects and development especially for attaining food sufficiency in country.

Keywords:-Information; Accessibility, Utilization, Agricultural information; Communication media; Smallholder farmers, food sufficiency.-Nigeria.