Accessibility and Utilization of Electronic Information Resources for Research Activities in Agricultural Research Institutes in Kaduna State, Nigeria

The study investigated the level of accessibility and utilization of electronic information resources in Agricultural Research Institutes in Kaduna state. The major objective of the study is to ascertain the access, purposes and extent of utilization of EIRs for research activities in IAR, NAPRI and NAERLS. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey on a sampled 187 researchers from the population of 373 research scientists using Israel, Glenn (2003) table of determining sample size. Data were collected using questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study used Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Information Technology (UTAUT) model to assess the success of introduction of technology to research activities in Agricultural Research Institutes. The findings revealed a high level accessibility of electronic information resources and high extent rate of utilization for research activities. Research scientists access relevant EIRs on the Internet through passwords obtained from the institutes’ libraries and Agricultural CD-ROM for their research activities. E-books and E-Journals, On-line databases and CD-ROM/DVD are used for Laboratory and/or Field Research purposes to ensure qualitative research. The Regression Analysis rejected the null hypothesis which found that accessibility of EIRs have statistically significant correlation with utilization (r=0.763, N=127, r2=0.582 p<0.031) for enhancing research activities in Agricultural Research Institutes in Kaduna State. The general conclusion of the research is that high level of accessibility of EIRs and high extent rate of utilization will significantly enhance research activities. The study recommended ARIs in Kaduna state should indulge the timely interventions of stakeholders in investments on ICT infrastructural facilities, computer networks and provide more access point and improve the networking facilities in the institutes

INFORMETRICS ANALYSIS OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA INSTITUTIONAL DIGITAL REPOSITORY (IDR)

Employing Informetric analysis, the study investigated the features, types of documents, subjects spread and challenges affecting the growth and development of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Institutional Digital Repositories (ABU-IDR). The findings of the study indicated that the IDR has diverse features, deploying DSpace, Dublin core metadata elements and Open Archive Initiative – Metadata Harvesting Protocol (OAI-PMH) to make the repository robust and interoperable. As reported by earlier studies, ABU-IDR is also found to be dominated by theses and dissertations with 9,857(95.82) documents. Finding on subjects spread of theses and dissertations illustrated that Faculties of Sciences and Education have the largest subject coverage with 1979 (20.1%) and 1702 (17.3%) respectively. With diverse features and deploying DSpace, OAI-PMH and its interoperability, the study concluded that ABU-IDR has gained considerable traction in recent years. However, the IDR can be made more effective and efficient by creating institutional repository policy that will take care of copyright, deposition right, diversification of contents and advocacy which are the major challenges hampering the growth and development of the IDR

Use of Agricultural Information Sources and Services by Farmers for Improve Productivity in Kwara State

This study was carried out to investigate the use of agricultural information sources and services by farmers for improve productivity in Kwara state, Nigeria. The objectives of the study was to determine the information sources and services available to farmers in Kwara State and assess the purpose for which farmers in kwara state utilize available information sources and services. The study adopted the survey design in a population of 55,522 farmers from whom 447 were sampled in six local government areas, which were made up of two from each of the three senatorial districts in the State. Questionnaire and interviews were used to generate data, which were descriptively analysed to answer the research questions. The results showed that the information sources and service mostly used by the farmers included relations, fellow farmers, town criers, television, mobile phones, film shows, radio, etc. The need for information made the farmers to use it for crop and animal production; pests, diseases and weed control; fishing; disaster control and mitigation, fertilizer procurement and application; post-harvest technology; sourcing for labour; agricultural credit; etc. The study therefore recommended that Kwara State Government should train extension workers on how to use information communication technology such as mobile phone on how to subscribe for agricultural information and also there is a need to extend agricultural extension services to all the local government areas through established centers where farmers can obtain required information on agricultural productivity, marketing of farm produce and post harvest technology to increase their productivity

Use of Agricultural Information Sources and Services by Farmers for Improve Productivity in Kwara State

This study was carried out to investigate the use of agricultural information sources and services by farmers for improve productivity in Kwara state, Nigeria. The objectives of the study was to determine the information sources and services available to farmers in Kwara State and assess the purpose for which farmers in kwara state utilize available information sources and services. The study adopted the survey design in a population of 55,522 farmers from whom 447 were sampled in six local government areas, which were made up of two from each of the three senatorial districts in the State. Questionnaire and interviews were used to generate data, which were descriptively analysed to answer the research questions. The results showed that the information sources and service mostly used by the farmers included relations, fellow farmers, town criers, television, mobile phones, film shows, radio, etc. The need for information made the farmers to use it for crop and animal production; pests, diseases and weed control; fishing; disaster control and mitigation, fertilizer procurement and application; post-harvest technology; sourcing for labour; agricultural credit; etc. The study therefore recommended that Kwara State Government should train extension workers on how to use information communication technology such as mobile phone on how to subscribe for agricultural information and also there is a need to extend agricultural extension services to all the local government areas through established centers where farmers can obtain required information on agricultural productivity, marketing of farm produce and post harvest technology to increase their productivity

Awareness, Perception, And Utilization Of Open Access Resources Among Delta State University Research Scholars: A Research

The fundamental goal of this study is to evaluate the level of awareness, perception, and utilization of Open Access Resources among Delta State University Research Scholars in Abraka, Delta State. The study objectives was to determine the level of awareness of Open Access Resources among Delta State University Research Scholars, find out how Research Scholars became aware of Open Access Resources, determine Research Scholars\u27 perceptions of Open Access Resources, ascertain the extent to which Research Scholars use Open Access Resources, find out the purpose of Research Scholars\u27 use of Open Access Resources; as well as identify the factors impeding Research Scholars\u27 use of Open Access Resources in Delta State University Abraka, Delta State. The method of survey research was used, and the instrument used to collect data was a questionnaire. Two hundred and fifty questionnaires (250) were distributed to respondents, with a total of two hundred (200) of the two hundred and thirty-seven (237) duly completed were declared usable for the survey. Tables, frequency distributions, and percentages were utilized to assess replies. The findings indicated that the major problem encounter in using open-access resources include, delay in downloading the materials, unreliable power supply, inadequate computer terminals to access the Open Access resources and lack of search abilities, while majority of the researchers were aware of e-Journals, e-Books, e-Theses, and Dissertations etc. Attending conferences/seminars/workshops, and self-exploitation on the internet and through colleagues were the primary sources of awareness of the open access resources by the research academics. This demands the librarians to build additional knowledge regarding Open Access materials to the study academics. It was also found out from the open-ended question that the study researchers have limited awareness of alternative open-access pathways such as green and gold, and were worried about sharing the Open Access resources as they were not familiar with copyright issues

Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Nigeria

The market potential for stand-alone photovoltaic systems in agriculture was studied. Information is presented on technical and economically feasible applications, and assessments of the business, government and financial climate for photovoltaic sales. It is concluded that the market for stand-alone systems will be large because of the availability of captial and the high premium placed on high reliability, low maintenance power systems. Various specific applications are described, mostly related to agriculture

Towards Evidence-Informed Agriculture Policy Making: Investigating the Knowledge Translation Practices of Researchers in the National Agriculture Research Institutes in Nigeria

This study investigated the knowledge translation practices of researchers in the National Agriculture Research Institutes of Nigeria and the utilization of research knowledge by policy actors in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria. Data for the study was obtained from agriculture researchers and the policy actors through questionnaires and interviews. In addition, bibliometric and content analysis were carried out on documents from the research institutes and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to gauge the transfer and use of knowledge by the researchers and policy actors respectively. Out of about six hundred questionnaires that were distributed to the researchers in fifteen agricultural research institutes, four hundred and forty-eight usable questionnaires were analysed. Twenty-two researchers were interviewed about their knowledge translation practices and fourteen senior members of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were interviewed regarding their use of research knowledge generated at the agriculture research institutes. Majority of the agriculture researchers reported that they occasionally carried out knowledge translation activities targeted at policy actors in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with the most common knowledge translation method being the sending of annual reports to the ministry. However, the policy actors hardly made use of such reports in policy making either due to lack of emphasis on the part of the researchers on policy implications of their research or non-relevance of the research to policy making. Similarly, content analysis of the ministry’s documents showed that policy actors rarely made references to findings from the agriculture research institutes. Interestingly, journal articles from two of the research institutes seemed to have received a lot of citations from other authors affiliated with educational institutions in Nigeria. The most prominent barrier for knowledge translation noted by researchers was the high cost of translating research knowledge. Hence, this study recommends: provision of adequate budget, incentives and time to Nigerian agriculture researchers to enable them to do KT; and capacity building training / workshops for both researchers and policy actors to boost knowledge translation for agriculture policy making in Nigeria

Farmers’ Perceived Effects of Communal Conflicts on the Delivery of Agricultural Extension Services in North-Central, Nigeria

The study examined the perceived effects of communal conflicts on the delivery of agricultural extension services to farmers in North-central, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to; describe the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers; determine the perceived effects of communal conflicts on the delivery of agricultural extension services by field extension workers of Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) to farmers in the study area, and; identify the relationships between selected socio-economic characteristics and perceived effects of communal conflicts on agricultural extension services delivery. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain a sample size of 391 farmers. Information was elicited using questionnaire, interview schedule and focus group discussion and analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean and Likert-type rating scale and Ordered Logit Regression analysis. The major findings show that the majority of the respondents in the study area perceived communal conflicts to have high effects on accessibility of extension services (xÌ…=2.50), timeliness of extension services (xÌ…=2.49), efficiency of extension services (xÌ… =2.49), targeting of extension services (xÌ…=2.48), effectiveness of extension services (xÌ…=2.41), relevance of extension services (xÌ…=2.36) and content accuracy of extension services (xÌ…=2.27). The findings further reveal that sex of the farmers, marital status, educational level, number of extension contacts, farm size and distance from the farming communities to a major town had significant relationships with perceived effects of communal conflicts on extension services delivery. The study recommended that government should adopt policies that would tackle the causes and occurrence of communal conflicts in communities in the country so as to reduce the effect of the conflicts on timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, targeting and usefulness of extension services

Consumer Health Information Needs, Seeking and Searching Behavior By Rural Residents in the Kachia Grazing Reserve, with a Focus on Vector-borne Diseases

Information is considered the basic material for making decisions. People from all walks of life have information needs for business and personal use. Consumer Health Information (CHI) is an emerging form of information made accessible to the layperson. It is a simplified form of information from the types of information available to medical professionals. This study examines the health information behavior of the residents of one region in the Kachia Grazing Reserve (KGR) located in the North West of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. This dissertation explores the health information needs, seeking and searching behavior of the residents of selected communities that are affected by two vector-borne fly diseases in Nigeria. Insects such as flies are responsible for the transmission of diseases to humans, including trypanosomiasis, caused by the tsetse fly, and malaria, caused by mosquitos. These flies are commonly found in and affect mostly rural dwellers in Nigeria. This study investigates some of the broader contextual issues that may influence consumer health care needs as well as seeking-searching behavior. It asks participants whether they believe their health information needs are being met or not. The study applied a qualitative approach to sampling 50 adult participants. It relied on a triangulation data collection method using a questionnaire, interview instrument, and focus group discussion. NVivo version 12 was used in the data analysis to create a coding scheme following the stages of open, axial, and selective coding processes to develop a grounded theory of rural residents’ information behaviors. The findings of the research revealed various health information needs and seeking behavior the rural residents engaged in; it also revealed the factors that influenced their seeking and searching activities. Furthermore, the findings highlighted the information sources they used and the problems associated with the information-seeking and searching process. The model that was inductively derived from the grounded theory data analysis explains further in detail the strategies and processes members of the community use in their health information-seeking and health-searching behavior

Farmers’ Perceived Effects of Communal Conflicts on the Delivery of Agricultural Extension Services in North-Central, Nigeria

The study examined the perceived effects of communal conflicts on the delivery of agricultural extension services to farmers in North-central, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to; describe the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers; determine the perceived effects of communal conflicts on the delivery of agricultural extension services by field extension workers of Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) to farmers in the study area, and; identify the relationships between selected socio-economic characteristics and perceived effects of communal conflicts on agricultural extension services delivery. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain a sample size of 391 farmers. Information was elicited using questionnaire, interview schedule and focus group discussion and analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean and Likert-type rating scale and Ordered Logit Regression analysis. The major findings show that the majority of the respondents in the study area perceived communal conflicts to have high effects on accessibility of extension services (xÌ…=2.50), timeliness of extension services (xÌ…=2.49), efficiency of extension services (xÌ… =2.49), targeting of extension services (xÌ…=2.48), effectiveness of extension services (xÌ…=2.41), relevance of extension services (xÌ…=2.36) and content accuracy of extension services (xÌ…=2.27). The findings further reveal that sex of the farmers, marital status, educational level, number of extension contacts, farm size and distance from the farming communities to a major town had significant relationships with perceived effects of communal conflicts on extension services delivery. The study recommended that government should adopt policies that would tackle the causes and occurrence of communal conflicts in communities in the country so as to reduce the effect of the conflicts on timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, targeting and usefulness of extension services