MAINSTREAMING “GLOBAL SYSTEM OF MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION” (GSM) FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN IBADAN

Global System of Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) services play significant role in many facet of human lives. Specifically, it has been demonstrated that GSM services can be used to improve practice of agriculture in society. In line with the above position, this study was designated to examine access and utilization of GSM services in selected rural communities in Ibadan. The study was hinged on Merton’s theory of Manifest Function to explain conceptual issues in the study. Sample of 800 respondents was selected from designated population of farmers. Purposive, quota and accidental sampling techniques were adopted for selection of study locations, sample distribution and respondents respectively. Descriptive quantitative statistics and qualitative method were used. Access to GSM services among farmers was described as low i.e. three percent (3.0%), moderate (57.4%) and high (29.6%). Again, the utilization of GSM services among farmers was low (4.6%), moderate (28.8%) and high (66.6%). Only 5.6% of the respondents had no formal education or cannot read and write which made it difficult to effectively utilize GSM services. There were 70.1% of the respondents who could adequately utilize GSM services for various activities especially browsing internet to follow updates in daily lives. Respondents however expressed deep feelings that tariffs, quality of services, fraud and arbitrary charges continued to constrain benefits that could be derived from GSM economy. Yet GSM services can serve different purposes especially where it can be used to source agric information, crop and animal production practices and other sundry information which can be shared instantly by farmers who are connected on mobile service. Quality of GSM service has remained major problem in rural areas. There should be intervention at the level of government and service providers to improve utilization especially in the area of farming information system.