Gender Participation in Agricultural Digitalization in Zangon-Kataf Local Government Areas, Kaduna State – Nigeria

Abstract

This research collected primary data by administering 80 structured questionnaires to rural women within their communities, focusing on the domain of agricultural digitalization in the Zangon-Kataf Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The data analysis employed various statistical methods, including descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation), correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between education level and digitalization engagement, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to identify factors contributing to rural women's ability to promote agricultural digitalization, and chi-square tests to assess the association between challenges/prospects and effectiveness in promoting agricultural digitalization. The findings revealed that 46.2% of respondents belonged to the 46 to 60 years age group, 38.7% had a higher educational level, 30.0% were classified as ‘married’, 37.5% identified farming as their primary occupation, and 46.3% reported a higher percentage of women earning below N50. The tested hypotheses indicated a moderate to weak negative correlation of -0.140, illustrating the relationship between variables such as the level of education and involvement in digitalization activities. In conclusion, the study unveils significant socio-economic characteristics of rural women in the study area, providing valuable insights into their demographic profile and pivotal role in advancing agricultural digitalization. The research recommends that telecommunication companies, educational institutions and community-based organizations implement digital literacy programs tailored to the unique needs of rural women.