AWARENESS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION AMONG FARMERS IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA
Publication Type: Journal Article.
Publication Year: 2026
Author(s): Adara C.T; Adefila O. A; Ajiboye I. O; Yakubu, S; Ilori.T.O and Iyiola. O.A
Journal Name: (IJAEMD)
ABSTRACT
This study examined farmers’ awareness and use of social media tools for agricultural information dissemination in Southwest Nigeria. Social media platforms have increasingly become important channels for sharing agricultural knowledge and improving communication among farmers, researchers, and extension agents. Despite their potential, the level of awareness and utilization of these digital tools among farmers remains uncertain. The study specifically investigated the socio-economic characteristics of farmers, their awareness of social media tools, and the constraints affecting their use of social media for agricultural information dissemination.
A multistage sampling technique was used to select 300 farmers from three states in Southwest Nigeria—Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were male (65.9%) with an average age of 49 years, and most had primary education (46.8%). Findings also revealed that awareness and use of many social media tools for agricultural information were relatively low, although platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, video calls, and Zoom recorded moderate awareness. Major constraints to the use of web tools included language barriers, high costs of internet services, power failures, limited digital skills, and security concerns.
The study concludes that improving digital literacy, infrastructure, and affordable internet access will enhance farmers’ use of social media to disseminate agricultural information.
Keywords: Social media tools, Agricultural information dissemination, Farmers’ awareness, Southwest Nigeria