Abstract
This paper evaluates the capacity for information and communication technologies (ICTs) to aid agricultural development. Generally, the researcher is interested in digitally enabled initiatives that increase the efficiency of government intervention programs. In the case at hand, the researcher analyse the effect of information and communication technologies in agricultural development in Nigeria through the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) developed by the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development in Nigeria. The GES Ewallet system was designed to track fertilizer and seed distribution, provide soft loans to farmers and educate farmers on farming practices that will increase their yield. The GES Ewallet system has delivered the development of a database of individual farmers to provide an electronic record of subsidy redemptions and to create transparency and accountability in the system. Thereby not only eradicating corruption in the implementation of fertilizer subsidies but also cut down on Nigeria’s dependence on imported agricultural products by half in just over three years. To ascertain whether farmers know about GES E-wallet and how they perceive the policy, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 farmers from Eleme and Tai Local Government Areas of Rivers State, Nigeria. Findings reveal that the farmers were aware of the GES E-wallet system, and many of them (12) have benefited from the scheme. The farmers’ comments suggest that the E-wallet system has eliminated corrupt practices in fertilizer and seed distribution while reducing the bureaucracy inherent in the loan system prior to the E-wallet system. The farmers’ comments further show that they used the E-wallet platform to improve their digital literacy skills. This paper suggests that digital media platforms such as E-wallet are not only useful in efficient agricultural subsidy implementation but also helps in improving digital literacy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 7 Jul 2017 |
| Event | Australia and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) 2017 Annual Conference - University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia: Australia and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) 2017 Annual Conference - University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia Duration: 4 Jul 2017 → 7 Jul 2017 https://anzca.org/conference-event/anzca-conference-2017/ |
Conference
| Conference | Australia and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) 2017 Annual Conference - University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | Communication worlds: Access, voice, diversity, engagement |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Sydney |
| Period | 4/07/17 → 7/07/17 |
| Internet address |
