Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Abstract:
The purpose of this inquisition was to examine the implications of the national information technology policy for agricultural extension services in Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: examine the provisions of the Nigerian National Policy for Information Technology for agricultural extension services; and identify areas of the policy that need updating for effective agricultural extension practice. The study was based on desk review. The information presented was from secondary sources. Namely the National Information Technology Policy for Nigeria and relevant literature.The general objectives of IT policy in Nigeria are to include the following: Ensure that information Technology Resources are readily available to promote efficient national development. Guarantee that the country benefits maximally, and contributes meaningfully by providing the global solutions to the challenges of an information age. Empower Nigerians to participate in software and IT development. Empower the youths on IT skills prepare them for global competitiveness. Integrate IT into the main stream of education and training. Create IT awareness and ensure universal access in order to promote ICT diffusion in all sectors of our national life. Stimulate the private sector to become the driving force IT creativity and enhance productivity and competitiveness. Build a mass pool of IT expertise using the platforms as "train the trainer" scheme (TTT) for capacity building. The aspects of IT policy that are relevant to agricultural extension can be arranged in six areas, namely to: access to relevant information for improve food production and food security, access to relevant information to enhance the effectiveness of environmental monitoring and control systems, access to relevant information to re-engineer and improve urban and rural development schemes, access to relevant information to empower children, women and the disabled by providing special programmes for the acquisition of IT skills, access to relevant information to empower the youth with IT skills and prepare them for global competitiveness; and access to relevant information to integrate IT into the mainstream of education and training. Communities and farmer organisations can be helped through the use of ICTs to strengthen their own capacities and better represent their constituencies when negotiating input and output prices, land claims, resource rights and infrastructure projects. ICT enables rural communities to interact with other stakeholders, thus reducing social isolation. It widens the perspective of local communities in terms of national or global developments, opens up new business opportunities and allows easier contact with friends and relatives. A role is also played by ICT in making processes more efficient and transparent. It helps in making laws and land titles more accessible. Rural communities benefit from better access to credit and rural banking facilities. Recent mobile banking initiatives offer further scope to reduce costs and stimulate local trade through ICT facilities. There is the need to review the national IT policy objectives in order to ensure that more aspects of agriculture are captured such as in specific extension programmes of Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs), Fadama Projects and E- wallet for fertilizer distribution in Nigeria in the information dissemination. Measures must be taken to make ICTs affordable, accessible and easy to use by educating major stakeholders and extension personnel through extension education for farmers and national seminars/workshops for extension officers.

Keywords: implications, information technology, agricultural extension services and education and training.

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