DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES ON INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN BENUE STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the perceived influence of dissemination of information resources on indigenous knowledge for sustainable agricultural development in Benue State. Two research objectives with corresponding research questions were raised and one hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance for the study. The population of the study comprises 123 professional and non-professional librarians in Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi and Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev in Benue State. The research employed census sampling technique thereby sampling all the population since it was small and could be relatively handled by the researcher. The instrument employed for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled “Perceived Influence of Dissemination of Information Resources on Indigenous Knowledge Questionnaire” (PIDIRIK). Data for the study was collected with the help of research assistants who were staff of the libraries of the two institutions sampled. Out of 123 respondents from the sampled institutions, only 115 were available as at the time of administration of the instrument and responded to items on the instrument. Data collected were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions while the null hypotheses were tested using Chi-square. The findings of the study revealed that types of information resources and indigenous knowledge significantly influence sustainable agricultural development in Benue State. The study also revealed that methods of dissemination of information resources significantly influence sustainable agricultural development in Benue State. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommended that professional and non-professional librarians should incorporate strategies of indigenous knowledge in dissemination of information resources for sustainable agricultural development. the researcher also recommended that the use of agricultural shows, agricultural demonstrations, ICT, agricultural seminars and other methods of dissemination of information resources should be given to farmers periodically to ensure sustainable agricultural development in Benue State. Among others.