Assessing Awareness and Adoption of Digital Technologies among Rural Communities

Abstract

The information super highway otherwise called the internet and other digital technologies like hurricane have dived into every aspect of human activities relying on information with rural communities inclusive which invariably include rural development and food security and as a result a better understanding of existing information practices and socio-technical processes is a sine-qua-non in rural areas if digital based projects are to be effective. This study therefore is an investigation into the Level of awareness and utilization of digital technologies by rural dwellers. The study adopted descriptive survey design with a sampled population of 400 rural dwellers selected through purposive random sampling techniques and drawn from 24 rural communities in 6 local governed areas in Ebonyi State, Nigeria which include Abakaliki, Izzi, Ishielu, Ohaozara, Ohaukwu and Afikpo North. The principle instrument used for data collection is a self-designed four point structured questionnaire. The questionnaires were personally administered with the assistance of each community youth leaders. Data collected were analyzed using frequency and percentages while the analyzed data were displayed in charts and tables. The result of the study revealed among other things that that most dwellers of the rural communities studied are too far from the digital ecosystem as the data reveal that the people are highly unaware of the existence of most contemporary digital information technologies and that most digital information technologies and sources are highly unavailable for the rural dwellers to utilize. The study then suggest inter-alia that all identified constraints in the utilization of digital information sources, facilities and gadgets by rural dwellers should be tackled by government and her concerned agencies head-on in line with the mandate of Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) which is to promote the provision of modern, universal, efficient, reliable, affordable and easily accessible communication services and the widest range thereof throughout Nigeria and that government with her agency should provide mandatory ICT training program designed for both male and female rural dwellers regardless of the occupation with a view to increasing their economic wellbeing through the acquisition of technology skills thereby making them relevant in the digital ecosystem.