Assessment of Internet And Mobile Phone Usage in Enhancing Fish Farming in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

This study assessed the use of internet and mobile phones in enhancing fish farming in Makurdi Local Government Area Benue State, Nigeria. Fish farmers formed the population of the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select one hundred and sixteen respondents. Primary data were used, and collected using a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that the mean age of the farmers was about 44years, 50.0% of respondents were married, and 87.1% had formal education. The mean household size was about 8 persons with mean annual income of ₦120,107.75. Mean pond size was 43.92m2, and mean farming experience was 7.42 years. Research revealed that majority of the respondents had high level of access to internet and mobile phones, as the mean value of their access to the internet and mobile phones were above the medium scale. The level of use of internet and mobile phones by the respondents was remarkably high, as the mean value of their level of use was also above the medium scale. The result of factor analysis revealed that two categories of factors militated against the use of internet and mobile phones; infrastructural and socioeconomic factors. Possession of formal education (W=19.173), household size (W=3.080) and marital status (W=4.236) significantly affected respondents’ level of use of internet and mobile phones. It was therefore recommended that government put in place relevant infrastructure to curb the various factors and challenges faced in the use of internet and mobile phones, and the facilities not accessible by the respondents be made more accessible to fish farmers by government and extension agencies so as to enhance their usage.