Effectiveness of Digital Extension Services in Enhancing Rural Development for Households in Kebbi State

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of digital extension services in enhancing rural development among farming households in Kebbi State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 343 respondents across Kebbi State’s four agricultural zones. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and logistic regression models. Results from the socio-economic analysis revealed that (60.1%) of respondents lacked access to digital extension services, while (75.2%) had some form of formal education and (82.5%) had more than five years of farming experience. A majority operated on 1–3 hectares of farmland and (65%) lacked access to credit, indicating limited financial capacity. Findings on accessibility and utilization showed that (61.2%) of respondents owned digital devices, primarily basic mobile phones (92.9%), yet only (42.9%) had internet connectivity. Awareness and utilization of digital extension services were low, at (37.9%) and (28.0%), respectively. Among users, the most common platforms included SMS-based agricultural information (73.7%), mobile farming applications (52.6%), and social media groups (42.1%). Paired t-test results demonstrated that users of digital extension services had significantly higher mean yields (3,850 kg/ha) and annual farm incomes (₦850,000) compared to non-users (2,920 kg/ha and ₦630,000, respectively) at p < 0.01. Users also reported greater access to market information (82.5%) and use of improved inputs (77.9%) than non-users (45.8%) and (50.4%), respectively). These findings indicate that digital extension services substantially improve agricultural productivity and income. Logistic regression results identified education level (β = 0.158, p = 0.001), farm size (β = 0.093, p = 0.002), access to credit (β = 0.564, p = 0.042), membership in farmer groups (β = 0.732, p = 0.012), and access to digital tools (β = 0.847, p = 0.006) as significant predictors of adoption. Farmers with higher education, larger farms, better financial access, and group membership were more likely to use digital extension services, while age and farming experience were not significant predictors. The study concludes that digital extension services have a positive and statistically significant effect on farmers’ productivity, income, and technology adoption in Kebbi State. To maximize their potentials, the study recommends targeted interventions such as digital literacy training, improved ICT infrastructure, affordable internet access, localized digital content in local languages, and expanded access to credit for smallholder farmers.