PERCEPTION OF YOUTHS TOWARD ELECTRONIC AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AMONG TERTIARY INSTITUTION STUDENTS IN MAIDUGURI METROPOLIS, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the perception of youths’ towards electronic agricultural extension, establishing the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and  their perception towards electronic agricultural extension as well as identifying electronic agricultural extension constraints as perceived by the youths in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria. Two stage sampling procedure was used to select 120 respondents for this study. Data used in this study were obtained through both primary and secondary sources. The analytical tool used for the study were descriptive (percentage, rank, mean) and inferential (regression analysis) statistics. Result reveal that majority (76.7%) of the respondent were male. Most (56.7%) were in Pre-ND level, 50.0% of the respondents’ parents were civil servants. Respondents’ Perception towards electronic agricultural extension indicated that 14.7% of the respondents perceived E-AE to be more of social status, while 35.9% of the respondents seen as encouraging the use of ICTs and few (3.4%) of the respondents perceived it as a career development. Inadequate power supply was ranked the major constraint to the E-AE. Regression analysis show that age (6.733), marital status (4.957), E-AE experience (2.235) and level of education (3.412) were significant to perception of the respondents towards electronic agricultural extension. Based on the findings of the study it is recommended that; government should educate, create awareness and sensitize the youths on the need to adopt agriculture as a career through electronic agricultural extension to impact on their future life.