Improving Rural Farmers’ Access to Information Through ICT Based Extension Information Services

Abstract

The research was designed to determine how ICT based extension information services(EIS) has helped to improve rural farmers access to information. Interview and questionnaire were deployed to elicit information from extension agents(EA) and rural farmers(RF) from three towns of the three agricultural zones in Anambra state of Nigeria. ICT deployment for agriculture extension services was embraced with testimonies of success in the areas of delivery cost effectiveness, easy and timely access as well as undiluted information to farmers. This mode of service will yield more fruit for national economic growth if power infrastructure is extended to the rural areas, the communication facilities made available with reduced cost and improved quality, while the farmers are educated to enhance their ICT literacy.