Assessment of Mass Media Dependency for Climate Change Information Sourcing among Agricultural and Fishery Extension Service Field Agents in Akwa Ibom State

Abstract

This study assessed the field agents’ mass media dependency status for sourcing of environmental and climate-proof agricultural and fishery information for extension service delivery in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study evaluated how mass media dependent were the spatially distributed agents, when sourcing for information on climate change and agriculture. Also the extent of agro-fishery information sourcing among field personnel of AKADEP and the climate change friendliness of Agricultural Development Programme in Akwa Ibom State. All the field agents served as population and sample for the study. The data were obtained through a validated questionnaire and were subjected to descriptive statistics. The results revealed that 58.4 percent of the respondents rarely sourced for climate change information in textbooks; while about 30.9% frequently do. About 55.1% rarely sourced for it in libraries outside their department or office; while 19.7% do that frequently. About 51.1% of the respondents frequently sourced for climate change information on conference proceedings; while 38.8% rarely do so and 10.15% never do that at all. Furthermore, about 62.0%,57.9%, 52.2% and 58.4% frequently sourced for climate change information from journals, newsletters, newspapers, magazines and radio/television respectively while about 28.7%, 35.4%, 41.0% and 38.5% respectively do that rarely and 9.0%, 6.7%, 6.7%, and 2.8%respectively never do that at all. This could be suggesting that there is more dependency on print than audio/audio-visual media within the peri-urban and rural regions. Extension agents with low usage of some of the tools could be those without interest in using these tools or perhaps they have scanty knowledge of how to use these resources.