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

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.
Keywords: Perceived Influence, Dissemination, Information, Resources, Indigenous,
Knowledge, Sustainable, Agricultural Development, Benue State.