THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF RURAL DWELLERS AND
INFORMATION PROVISION TO RURAL DWELLERS IN KWARA
STATES
Abdulwahab Olarenwaju Issa
Background to the Problem
To say that the rural dwellers constitute the “majority of mankind” tantamount to
stating the obvious. The picture as it exists for Nigeria, cuts across the entire developing
countries of Africa, Latin America and Asia. Ruralism, one may be tempted to hurriedly
conclude, is synonymous with the general condition of underdevelopment in these
countries. By rural societies, we imply according to Belshaw (1965:39), ways of life that
are traditionally oriented, linked with, but separated from urban centres, combining
markets activities with subsistence production.
The above implies that the rural populace is, in essence, characterized by such
features as widespread ignorance which results from their inability to read and write,
scattered settlements and high level of illiteracy. In addition, the rural populace represents
the constituency of the bulk of victims of inaccessibility to such urban amenities as good
network of road, pipe-borne water, electricity, good shelter and health facilities. In
relation to other parts of the globe, Rogers (1968:21) once found that “Asia, Africa and
Latin America have a total of no less than 1.75 billion peasants”, which implies that no
less than “three fourths of the population in most less developed countries are peasant
rural dwellers.
Coming to the specific instance of Nigeria, apart from the much quoted seventyfive (75%) percentage of rural and illiterate Nigerians, the 1963 Nigerian census indicates
a total population figure of 55,672,000 for the country. Of this, a staggering 44,943,000
Nigerians were found to be rural. For the fact that the country’s population had steadily
soared up since this last census exercise, it is better imagined what the rural population
situation will be as at the moment. It was not therefore surprising when UNESCO
(1985:1) placed Nigeria in the fifth (5th) position among those worlds nations having the
highest concentration of illiterates. In that report, Nigeria was credited to have some 27
million illiterates. And yet, this is a time national development and survival largely
hinges on societal self-reliance which only can be achieved through the enlightenment of
the masses in these rural areas by a way of efficient and effective information provision.
Obviously, the rural populace suffers from an acute low productivity, social and
economic retrogression due mainly to ignorance which is also a direct consequence of
either inadequate or total lack of information provision to them. Hence, their social
exclusion from active participation in national development efforts. Considering their
numerical strength in relation to the potential of what positively significant contribution
they stand to make in the society generally, their exclusion from the main-stream of
events can, at best, is described as a cog in the wheel of the nation’s progress.
After all, the fact that information has always played an important role in human
life and as a basic human need was never a subjected of controversy. if it is then true that
information and ideas, agreed upon by information experts, are basic human needs, it will
not be out of place making bold to state that free and equal accessibility to the society
irrespective of racial, religious, geopolitical and socioeconomic status becomes even
more foundational. This is even more so that every human society- urban and rural alikehad been found to be considerably dependent on various types of information thought at
different levels, for their existence, survival and growth on a daily basis.
It was therefore in an attempt to attend to all and sundry via information provision
that the philosophy behind the emergence of the popular mass media of communication
such as the radio, television and newspaper was rooted. The library as such information
provision instrument is however a comparatively recent phenomenon. The need to
adequately inform every segment of a society could not have been unconnected to the
realization of the essence of information and knowledge as a veritable democratic tool.
Effective access to it increases people’s ability to be informed on current issues, on how
to conduct personal as well as civic obligations and responsibilities.
In this way, every member is duly carried along the individuals, community and
natural drive towards a general societal emancipation with that much needed sense of
belonging. After all, an uninformed society cannot be free while a society devoid of
freedom can hardly endure. Hence the emergence of professionals in the field of
information whose specialties revolves around the primary functions of gathering,
processing, organizing and ultimately providing a wide variety of useful information to
an equally wide spectrum of audience. Due to the ever growing complexities of the
modern society as against the simple society of the old, products of technological
innovations have come to be quite useful to this end. This also led to the need for people
specially trained in the handling and use of such technological instrument as the raid,
television, newspaper and recently the satellite broadcast together with appropriate
techniques for ensuring a satisfactory provision of information. These are hereby refereed
to as the information professionals, in whatever guise or disguise for so long as they
perform whose earlier stated basic functions of information provision.
Statement of the Problem
It remains a fact that the rural information provision by information professionals
is far from adequate in Nigeria as a whole and Kwara State in particular. It has been
observed, and correctly too, that the specific area of information provision to rural
dwellers has suffered greatly and perennially from near-complete neglect. Thus, the rural
populace, in contrast to its urban counterpart, is information starved. The urban-oriented
nature of popular media of mass information provision outfits like the radio, television
and newspaper had further compounded the problem by creating the unwholesome
impression that information needs and efforts towards meeting such needs are strictly
urban affairs. This at best is a negation of rural interest in its entirety. Boardchart
(1977:403) underscores the essence of this problem when he remarked that:
None of the thousands of projects in the developing countries can be executed
without the fundamental condition of the establishment of a literate and numerate
society, and a system for the continuous provision of exchange of ideas, thought a
knowledge on which the society can feed and use with suitable modifications to
construct its own cultural and industrial destiny.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study were as follows:
1.
to identify the information needs of the rural populace in Kwara State;
2.
to determine the availability and appropriateness of exiting media of information
provision to them;
3.
to explore the applicability of the library in this respect.
Methodology
The survey research method has been opted for. it is most appropriate for this
study since it focused on a large population that is spread across a large expanse of land
with research subjects numbering several thousands. The population, here, is made up of
the entire Kwara State numbering some 1,560,421 spreading over some twelve (12) local
government areas (LGA) occupying a land mass area of about 32,500 square kilometers.
Meanwhile, six (6) of these were randomly chosen out of which three (3) local
districts/villages were further randomly selected giving a total number of sixteen (16)
altogether for the conduct of this research. This gave a total sampling figure of 433,763
or 27.7%, which is representative of the entire population.
Data Gathering and Processing Procedures
For the study, 800 copies of the questionnaires, to each of the 16 local districts,
were administered adopting the convenience sampling method. Of the number, 769or
96.13% were completed and returned by the respondents while only 740 or 92.5% were
useable. On the other hand, the interview method of data gathering was also employed,
and it has to do with principal officers of targeted media houses in the state capital. They
include the secretary, Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation, the librarian/information
officers, Nigerian Television Authority; the sole administrator, Kwara State library
services- all in Ilorin. The interview question is of a structured pattern. These too
methods are aside from the personal observation strategy adopted by the researcher. In
all, responses from the questionnaire were analyzed using tables and percentage method
while other responses took the descriptive format.
Data Analysis
Preliminarily, the research sought an understanding of respondents’ age
distribution which spread across 17 to above 67. But those within 37-46 range numbering
some 215 or 29.05% were in the majority. As for respondent’s sexes, 390 or 52.70%
were males and the remaining 350 or 47.30% females. And whereas 664 or 89.73% of
them were found to have married, only 76 or 10.27% had not.
On the occupational engagements of respondents, the data below suffice:
Table 1: Occupational Distribution of Respondents
Occupation
No. of
Percentage
Respondents
Farming
136
18.38
Hunting
33
9.86
112
5.14
Teaching
57
7.72
Animal rearing
34
4.59
practicing
32
4.32
Health work
42
5.68
Government work
34
4.59
Farming and hunting
55
7.43
Farming and petty trading
58
7.84
Farming and teaching
26
3.51
Farming and animal rearing
23
3.11
30
4.05
work
16
2.16
Farming and health work
12
1.62
Petty trading
Traditional medicine
Farming and traditional
medicine practicing
Farming and government
Total
740
100
The fact that farming remains the most dominant occupation of the rural majority
as shown above is not disputable. That other varieties were often combined with it goes
to confirm its fundamentality in their lives. Thus, when asked about their needed types of
information, a total of 459 or 62.03% indicated that they needed information of farming
activities as contained in the summary below:
Table II: Types of Information Needed by Respondents
Types of information
No. of Respondent
Percentage
On farming activities
459
62.03
On non-farming activities
113
15.14
social, and public matters
139
18.78
Others
30
4.05
Total
740
100%
On cultural, health,
Interestingly, the picture thus created above attests to the vast and divergent
information needs of respondents even as they are rural dwellers. Hence, the muchvaunted claim about the universality of the need for information. and talking about the
means/channels of providing these information needs to them, the following responses
are indicative enough. The radio came top with some 634 or 85.68% responses; 28 or
3.78% for village/district heads and the remaining 16 or 2.16% for friends and neighbors.
As for the television, newspaper and library, no response was gotten to that effect.
From a subsequent question, the researcher found that some 723 or 97.70%
respondents actually posses and make use of the radio. Even the 17 or 2.30% who
claimed television ownership were found to also possess and make use of the radio a
trend which, as was later claimed, was consequent upon its afford-ability with 379 or
51.22%; absence of electricity, 203 or 27.43%; portability, 90 out 12.16% and finally,
maintenance 108 or 9.19% responses.
Sequel to the revelation above, respondents were asked to indicate reason for their
preference for the radio mostly, on their information needs as well as efforts towards
satisfying same. The emerging picture was given better image as indicated here under:
Table III: Reasons for Respondent’s Preference for Radio Mostly
Reasons
No. of Respondents
Percentage
Provides needed
information on farming
activities
112
15.14
90
12.16
147
19.86
purposes only
391
52.84
Total
740
100
Provides needed information
on non-farming activities
Provides relevant cultural
& public information
For entertainment
Quite starting indeed was the above response against the background that such a
popular medium as the radio among the rural majority would have ordinarily been
considered almost automatically as the most veritable instruments for needed rural
information provision generally. This is more so that they are already oriented to it, can
afford it and in fact have and listen to it, implying that more than any other sources the
radio combines a number of advantages which places it tall and high any day as a means
of proving information to both the rural and urban people alike. Contrarily however,
respondents were found to have come to consider that pas occupational related
information disseminated via the radio as mere propaganda.
Understandably enough, the lack of electricity in most rural settlement and wide
spread illiteracy among them hamper the use of television and newspaper as information
provision media. But then, the idea of the library was completely alien and strange to
most of them since it is almost entirely not existing in these rural communities studied.
But once briefed, they become alive once again in their responses forming the basis upon
which their opinions were sought on the relevance of community library toward
information provision efforts for them. 492 or 66.49% answered affirmatively while 199
or 26.895 did contrarily and the remaining 49 or 6.62% were undecided. Reasons for the
last two categories of responses range from inability to read especially in English
language, non-awareness of it, and importance to absence of leisure time. However a
good number of them came to an appreciation of the potency of the community library in
respect of their dream. Below is the response:
Table IV: Activities that Respondents would wish to see taking place in a Library of
their Choice
Library activities
No. of Respondents
Percentage
Social, cultural
meeting and concerts
96
12.97
103
13.92
112
15.14
94
12.70
A combination of the above
335
45.27
Total
740
100
Radio and gramophone
records listening
Television and cinema
(video) viewing.
personal and public
related discussions.
The conception of ideal rural/community library activities as indicated above is to
say the least, a clear departure from the traditional (conventional) library setting and
practices. The view thus expressed had a profound meaning since the hinged basically on
the bearing and relevance which those activities have on rural information needs
specifically.
Consequently, the unfolding scenario when asked about the desired formats for
proving them with information was a true attestation to the above. some 441 or 59.59%
respondent indicated desire for a combination of such formats ranging from books,
newspapers and magazines; audio recording and radio programming to television (video)
and cinemas shows.
Lastly, as for the chief executives of the information media houses interviewed, a
central problem of financial helplessness leading to a catalogue of hindrances towards a
better performance in respect of rural majority especially was common. This, is return,
has led to the obsolete conditions of both structures and equipment necessary to deliver
the goods in this respect. This situation was not quite different from one media house to
the other on this.
Conclusions
This research work is concerned with the challenges of rural information
provision by information professionals in Nigeria using Kwara State as an instance.
Essentially, it is a study whose investigation revolves around the near perpetual
information neglect leading to information deprivation of the rural majority in the state.
The study established that hardly can a society whose majority are in these rural areas
develop without their active participation. But this active participation remains an illusion
for as long as they are poorly informed. Traditional media of mass communication were
examined to determine their appropriateness in the effort. A remarkable vacuum was
created by the near complete non-existence of the library in this regard. Based on the
findings of the study, a “marriage of convenience” was contracted between the
conventional information provision outfits like the radio, television, etc. and the library
so that they could complement one another in this pursuit. Specifically, the study came up
with a proposal for the establishment of rural community information centres in our rural
localities with specified ideals in mind. at the centre of the proposal was the
responsibility of the information professional via their training and practices representing
the ultimate in this efforts.
Recommendations
On the basis of the foregoing, the following recommendations are hereby made:
1.
Considering the enormous potentialities and subsequent gains accruable from
the vast majority of a well informed rural citizenry it will not be too much a
trouble to take for information professionals from their respective callings to
ensure that all hands are on desks. Specifically, they should, as a matter of
urgency, and in liaison with local government authorities, help in setting up
rural community information centres in every local district or village.
2.
the centre should serve as a melting point for a number of information related
activities such as:
(a)
a regular television and occasional video-viewing as well as radio and
gramophone record listening centre;
(b) a centre for exhibitions of relevant posters and other bills in aid of pubic
enlightenment on their various local activities.
(c) a convergent point for the community’s multifarious socio-cultural and
political activities like ‘farmer’s talks for adult’; story telling hours for
children; personal health (ante-and pre-natal) care talks for women;
(d) a centre for promoting mass literacy classes in conjunction with other
relevant agencies-specially, the centre can develop simple relevant book
collections to augment such exercise; meanwhile, a permanent generating
plant attached only to the centre for the specific purpose of operating its
electronic gadgets need to be installed.
3.
Rural broadcasting by the electronic media and especially the radio has to
be vigorously pursued.
To achieve this, rural information needs must be constantly surveyed and
adequately reflected in its programmes while recognizing the peculiarity
of their occupation in respect of rural broadcasting hours, language and
contents of messages.
4.
To make all these work, the services of a dynamic crop of professionals
full of information gathering and disseminating initiatives remained the
ultimate. Extra efforts which may take the information professional extra
length, may, after all, be unavoidable here in that services by professionals
need be tailored along realistically established needs of the targeted
communities. Schools for training information professional would
henceforth, more than ever before, are saddled with a responsibility to
ensure that professional training is near-perfect conformity with local
circumstances and peculiarities.
References
1.
Belshaw, C.S. (1965) Traditional exchange and modern markets. Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall.
2.
Boardchart, D.H. (1977) aspects of library and information services in the
framework of social policy planning. International Library Review, 4(4).
3.
Federal Office of Statistics, census report (1963)
4.
Rogers,
E.M.
(1968)
Modernization
among
peasants:
communication. New York: Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
the
impact
of