CHALLENGES INFLUENCING THE ADOPTION OF NEW OFFICE TECHNOLOGIES AMONG SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMES) OPERATING THE FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, YOLA

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is was examine the challenges influencing the adoption of new office technologies among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating the Federal College of Education, Yola. The study aimed to achieve the following specific objectives to determine the effect of financial constraints on the adoption of new office technologies among SMEs in Federal College of Education, Yola, to assess the impact of technological infrastructure on the adoption of new office technologies among SMEs in Federal College of Education, Yola, to analyze the impact of electricity in the adoption of new office technologies among SMEs. This study employed a descriptive research design to investigate the challenges influencing the adoption of new office technologies among SMEs in the Federal College of Education, Yola, the population for this study consisted of the 58 SMEs operating within the Federal College of Education, Yola, data for this study was collected using a structured questionnaire. The study revealed that the high cost of acquiring new technologies, lack of access to credit or funding, and budgetary constraints in upgrading outdated equipment are critical obstacles. The most pronounced finding was that respondents strongly agreed they would adopt more advanced technologies if they had sufficient financial resources. This indicates that inadequate financial capacity remains the foremost barrier to technology adoption. Respondents strongly agreed that power outages, irregular supply, and unstable electricity that damages devices discourage the use of digital office equipment. The high cost of running generators was also highlighted as a limitation. Importantly, the findings showed that the availability of constant electricity would substantially enhance the adoption and sustained utilization of office technologies. The results further showed that poor access to technical support, inadequate ICT infrastructure, and lack of training opportunities hinder respondents’ willingness and ability to adopt modern technologies. In addition, unreliable internet connectivity and compatibility challenges with existing systems were identified as significant barriers. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening technical capacity and ICT infrastructure to support technology adoption. The study establishes that financial limitations, unstable electricity supply, and technical/ infrastructural challenges constitute the three most critical barriers to the adoption of modern office technologies in the study area.