By Ayo Onikoyi

As Nigeria faces rising food prices and renewed calls for agricultural transformation, a new study has surfaced with striking insights into one of the most underreported challenges in the country’s food production system: farmers have mobile phones, but many are not getting the information they need.

The study, “Determinants of Mobile Phone Usage for Agricultural Information and Social Networking among Farmers in Oyo State,” was conducted by researchers from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and Osun State University. It surveyed 180 maize farmers across four local governments and found that while over 90% own mobile phones, their use for accessing agricultural information is hampered by low digital literacy, poor network coverage, and erratic electricity supply.

The research comes at a critical time when stakeholders are demanding innovative solutions to Nigeria’s food insecurity, which worsened in 2021 due to climate disruptions, insecurity, and input shortages. Although farmers rely heavily on phones for personal communication and social engagement through WhatsApp and Facebook, only a small fraction use them to connect with researchers or extension agents.

“We found that most farmers primarily interact with friends, middlemen, and agro-input dealers via phone, but rarely with agricultural experts or institutions,” said lead researcher Emmanuel Olayide Olakanmi. “This gap limits the dissemination of improved practices and technologies.”

Despite mobile phones being recognized globally as a low-cost ICT tool for empowering smallholder farmers, the study reveals that the infrastructure to support effective use—such as reliable electricity and network reach—is still lacking in rural Oyo.

The study also identified a gender imbalance, with men making up 78% of users, and highlighted that farmers with higher income and more years of experience were more likely to use phones productively.

This report comes as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, NITDA, and various NGOs emphasize digital inclusion and e-extension as keys to modernizing Nigeria’s agriculture. However, the findings suggest that ownership alone is not enough—there must be targeted support for digital capacity building, network investment, and localized app development.

Agricultural economist and development consultant Dr. Bisi Ogunlana noted: “This is exactly the kind of evidence policymakers and telecoms companies need. If we want to close the productivity

The researchers recommend a more aggressive investment in rural ICT infrastructure and extension worker training to leverage mobile phones as true productivity tools—not just social accessories. They also call on NGOs and the media to create more agriculture-focused digital content in local languages.

In the face of food inflation and the country’s digital ambition, this timely study offers a clear message: owning a phone is not the same as being digitally empowered. Bridging that gap may hold the key to Nigeria’s agricultural future.