Public Perception of Radio Surveillance in the Distribution of COVID-19 Palliatives to Smallholder Farmers in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to examine surveillance responsibility of the radio in the distribution of the COVID-19 palliatives to smallholder farmers in Nigeria. The study, most specifically, sought to: find out particular COVID-19 palliatives that the radio was involved in monitoring their distribution to smallholder farmers in Nigeria; determine various ways through which the radio was involved in monitoring the distribution of the COVID-19 palliatives to smallholder farmers in Nigeria; examine the extent to which the radio is involved in monitoring the distribution of such palliatives for farmers’ accessibility in Nigeria; ascertain the influence of the radio’s surveillance role on farmers’ knowledge of accessing the COVID-19 palliatives in Nigeria. The methodology adopted in the study was the survey which questionnaire was used as the research instrument for data collection. The data collected in the study was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that monitoring fertilizer distribution to smallholder farmers was the major surveillance role played by the radio while monitoring the distribution of improved seeds, finance, soft loans, agriculture mechanization services, and agric technology services to farmers were other surveillance responsibilities of the radio in distribution of the Covid-19 palliatives to farmers in Nigeria. The study also identified breaking news as format predominantly used on the radio in reporting the Covid-19 palliatives. Majority of the smallholder farmers (86%) expressed their dissatisfaction with the extent to which radio was involved in monitoring distribution of their Covid-19 palliatives in the country. As a result, only a small proportion of them (13.7%) have significant knowledge of how to access the COVID-19 palliatives in the country. The study concluded that although radio still remains a medium for the dissemination of agricultural information its impact in monitoring the distribution of the Covid-19 palliatives is not significantly felt among smallholder farmers in Nigeria. Hence, an urgent need for the radio to be more observant and critical in sufficiently addressing all aspects of farmers’ information needs in the country.