IMPACT OF DIGITAL EXTENSION SERVICES ON FARMER’S PRODUCTIVITY IN MAIDUGURI METROPOLITAN COUNCIL

ABSTRACT This study assessed the impact of digital extension services on the productivity of crop farmers in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria, in 2025. The specific objectives were to examine the socioeconomic characteristics influencing adoption of DES, evaluate farmers’ perceived benefits of the services, and identify the major challenges affecting their utilization. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 70 crop farmers from three randomly chosen wards (Bolori, Maisandari, and Gamboru Liberty) in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results revealed that the majority of respondents were male (57.1%), youthful (35.7% aged 20–29 years), and possessed at least primary education (42.9%). Most farmers earned ₦20,000–₦39,999 monthly and had farming experience of 11–20 years. Farmers strongly perceived digital extension services as valuable, with over 78% agreeing/strongly agreeing that DES improved agricultural knowledge (71.4%) and decision-making (78.6%). However, adoption and effectiveness were severely constrained by poor network coverage (98%), high cost of data (92%), limited digital literacy, and accessibility issues. The study concludes that although digital extension services are highly valued by young and relatively educated farmers in Maiduguri Metropolis for enhancing knowledge and decision-making, their potential to boost productivity is significantly undermined by inadequate telecommunication infrastructure and affordability barriers. Recommendations include urgent investment in rural network infrastructure, subsidised data and low-cost smartphones, delivery of advisory content in local languages (Hausa and Kanuri), and increased use of radio and social media platforms to complement mobile-based digital extension services.