Utilization of Traditional Communication Media (tcm) for Innovation Dissemination in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State

The study examined various traditional communication media (TCM) used by rural farmers as sources of information to improve their production in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. Data were drawn from a sample of one hundred and twenty (120) randomly selected farmers using a structure interview schedule. The obtained data were described with frequency and analyzed using chi-square test. The results indicated that majority (62.8%) of farmers commonly received innovations through TCM such as discussion groups, market places, agriculture-based festivals, visits, cooperative society, traditional meetings, community elders, village squares, and relations. and found them effective. A significant relationship was established between farmers’ perceptions of effectiveness TCM and effectiveness of TCM .The variables that had significant relationship with TCM was socio-cultural lifestyles of farmers (χ = 49.9, α =0.05) and farmers’ level of education (χ=95.58, α =0.05) Based on the findings, it is pertinent to direct deliberate efforts towards the integration of traditional media of communication into the innovation delivery system for rural farmers. INTRODUCTION The Nigerian economy is still marked with the significant contributions of the rural populace. Nevertheless, the contributions rendered by the rural farmers that made up of the more than 80% of the Nigerian populace are producing below the optimum level when compared to their counterpart in the developed countries. In other words, increasing the economy base is essentially tied to increasing the agricultural productivity of rural farmers. Agricultural extension system has been used strategically to increase the productivity and livelihoods of the rural farm families. Part of their interventions is to provide a reversible linkage between research and farmers through communication process. According to Ojiambo, (1995) and Kaniki, (1995), for a sustainable development, there is a direct relationship between the research and the utilization of research findings. A weak linkage occurring between the research and users’ system (farmers) in Nigeria and other developing countries has been a major limiting factor to increased agricultural and sustainable development (Arokoyo, 2005). In other words, increased agricultural productivity depends to a large extent on the ability of the extension agents to continuously disseminate useful agricultural technologies to farmers through sustainable media (Ewuola et al 2003, and Ogunsumi, 2003).More often than not, innovation adoption has been constrained for poor selection of proper communication media which sometimes lead to outright rejection or rejection after adoption of such innovations. Although, the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) is gaining ground even in the rural areas of Africa but it is without its associated problems. The problems of access, connectivity, literacy, poverty, and rural infrastructures are the challenges confronting the use and spread of ICT in rural areas. (CTA, 2003, Arokoyo, 2005 and Omotayo, 2005). Meanwhile, the use of TCM has been identified as most influential in making adoption of innovations among the rural people (Aboyade, 1987 and Adedoyin, 1989). The sociology nature of the rural people often time makes communication to be more of interpersonal in approach than mass media where mutual interaction is restricted. In retrospect, all sorts of TCM have been used while some are still in use. It is the concern of this study therefore, to analyze the various TCM and ascertain their effectiveness in adoption of innovations.