Abstract: The study is set out to examine the Internet accessibility and usage in rural areas in Nigeria in order to reveal the extent at which people in the rural areas especially in Aagba, Ada, Ara, Ojo/Aro, Ipetu-Ile/Ase/Adaowode and Ilase/Idominasi are aware of the internet, the quality of the internet networks available to them and what they do with the technology. The research was anchored on the Technology Determinism Theory and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The research design for this study is the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative research methods with the use of Survey Method and Focus Group Discussion. These methods afforded the researcher to use questionnaire and FGD Guide in gathering data from the respondents. The two methods were triangulated to complement the limitation in each of the research methods. FGD is meant to elicit background information on the phenomenon among the participants while the survey is designed to elicit responses based on respondents perceptions of the phenomenon.  180 copies of the questionnaire were administered to respondents in selected communities in Osun state from which 174 copies were correctly filled and analysed using frequency and percentage table method with SPSS version 20 and Thematic analysis for the FGD. It is evidenced that there is a presence of the internet in most of the communities but the quality of the internet network is not encouraging in some areas while in some communities it is moderate. Also, at least many of the respondents spent 1-5 hours whenever they are surfing the internet while phones are the common means of browsing. MTN and Glo being the most internet service providers used followed by the Airtel network respectively. It is recommended that more telecommunication masts from more competitors should be built in various rural communities while electricity company should intensify more action to improve the power generation and distribution in rural communities across the state.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0       Background to the Study

            Man cannot, not communicate; this expression shows that man cannot do without communication. Also, numerous studies have confirmed that an individual in his entire life spends 75 percent of each day communicating. One of such studies according to Berlo (1960) cited in (Soul’e, 2016) said “each of us spends 10 or 11 hours everyday performing verbal communication behaviour.

            Communication begins with language, the distinctive ability which has made possible the evolution of human society. With language any message, no matter how complex, can be conveyed between people over a limited distance, within a room or place of assembly, or across a short open space. At a later time, ‘town criers’ shout a comprehensible message over the greatest distance. The world record is less than 100 metres. Already, at that short range, a more practical alternative is to run with the message (Gascoigne, 2001).

            The history of communication is mankind’s search for ways to improve upon shouting. When running with a message, to convey it in spoken form, it is safer to do it oneself. Messages carved on stone pillars communicate very well across time, down through the centuries, but they are an inefficient method of communicating across space. The message reads only within reading range; its recipients must travel to receive it. The system is altogether more efficient if it is the message which travels. This requires yet another ingredient in the communication package – a portable writing material such as papyrus (Gascoigne, 2001).

            Other earlier channels of communication device is through sending by horse, pigeons, etc. All these forms of communication had the benefit of being easy to use and did not necessarily need complex technologies but the weaknesses of not being able to communicate to large audience and the curiosity of man to communicate faster, easier and to a very large number of people led to the development of mass media such as: telegraph, newspapers, magazines, radio, television and to where we are now “the Internet”. The Internet otherwise called new media has helped in broadening the scope of interpersonal, group and mass communicationn and other forms of communication (Olayemi, 2014).

            Advancement in modern technology has revolutionized all faces of communication during the past decades, access to the people, information, businesses, governance, educations, social etc are practically available anywhere and anytime at a very quicker, cheaper and easier way.

            Awake, (2002) in Kur (2004) posits that the dynamic nature of the 2lst century and more centuries to come rest on technological revolution. No wonder, Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian English Professor in 1964 propounded the concept of “Global Village” regarding the entire globe as having the tendency of becoming a “global community” where information and news about anything and anywhere in the world would be readily available for anyone’s consumption in any part of the world and without mincing word, the impact of Internet in achieving this feat cannot be underestimated.

            The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers; more than 190 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. To access the Internet, you not only need an Internet connection, but you also need a device to access the Internet. The range of devices to connect to the Internet is increasing by the day. We access the Internet on desktop, laptop computers and now on Smartphone or tablet, and the Internet is now on a smart TV among other devices.

            The Internet Live Stats (2015) establishes that as of August 7, 2015 there was an estimated three billion, one hundred seventy nine million, thirty five thousand two hundred (3,638,255,378) Internet users worldwide. The number of Internet users represents nearly 40 percent of the world’s population. The world population is below 7.4 billion with projection that more than 5 billion people will be online by 2020. (CiCso, 2015). The largest number of Internet users by country is China, followed by the United States and India  in September 2014. Today Nigeria is in 7th position worldwide, the total number of websites with a unique hostname online exceeded 1 billion. This is an increase from one website (info.cern.ch) in 1991. The first billion Internet users worldwide was reached in 2005 (Vangie, 2016).

            However, with the growing and penetration rate of the Internet in Nigeria (86,219,965) while its population is (186,987,563) as at 2016 indicated that about 46% of the population are already using Internet yet many communities did not have access; where it exists, it is not a broadband or its speed to access network might be weak and affect the browsing speed and general performance of the users.

            Bernard (1996) posits that  the greatest potential of the technology lies in enabling us to do new things. This applies particularly to the people-centred approach to rural development. As many of the social prerequisites of sustainable development have fallen between rather than within any one of the traditional mandates of the UN technical agencies, new cooperative programmes can focus on these needs using technology, the Internet and the World Wide Web.

            Access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) implies access to channels and modes of communication that are not bound by language, culture or distance. New forms of social organisation and of productive activity emerge (International Development Research Centre, (IBDC), 1996).

            However, the world cannot become a global village as forecasted by McLuhan if the villages, rural communities even urbanised areas cannot get connected to the Internet faster and performance range of activities from sharing information, to the comment on public issues and even shop or apply for job or admission online.

            It is against this background that the research investigates the Internet awareness, accessibility and usage in some selected communities in Osun State with the view to know the extent at which those communities have access to the Internet, of what quality, what do they do with the Internet and what the experience have been.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

            The dynamic nature of the 2lst century and more centuries to come rest on technological revolution. No wonder, McLuhan in 1964 propounded the concept of “Global Village” regarding the entire globe as having the potentials of becoming a “global community” where information, business and news about anything and anywhere in the world would be readily available for anyone’s consumption in any part of the world. The assertion of McLuhan’s ‘Global Village’ has not been met and appears unrealistic and achievable especially in the rural areas despite over a decade Internet presence in the country.

            Unavailability or epileptic power supply, lack or poor Internet facilities, high level of illiteracy, lack of Internet service and many more are the major identified challenges hampering Internet proliferation, penetration and effective usage in most rural communities in Nigeria particularly in Osun state (Obasi and Kalejaye, 2013).

            The Internet penetration though is high in the cities and in some urbanise areas but the quality of services and infrastructure expansion remain a challenge in the rural area where majority of Nigerians estimated to be 52% were residing in 2016  (World Bank, 2016).

            However, for Nigeria to realize its goal of becoming one of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020, it must take advantage of the Internet. This entails serious efforts in moving from lack, poor, slow, low-capacity copper wire to fibre-optic networks; and making sure that  rural communities are not left out of the access to the information society.

            Many of the previous researches in the likes of Osang (2012) and Adeagbo (2013) explored Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in general but this research is tailored towards ascertaining the level of the Internet awareness, accessibility and usage in the rural communities

            It is against this background that the research examines the Internet awareness, accessibility and usage in some selected rural and urban communities in Osun state with the view to know the extent at which they have access to the Internet, the quality of the signal, what do they use the Internet for, what is the demography of the users and exposure of the selected communities.

1.3       Objectives of the study

1. To examine the level of Internet penetration and awareness among the selected rural communities in Osun State.
2. To find out the rate at which the rural dwellers use the Internet in some selected communities in Osun State.
3. To know some of the challenges hampering effective use of the Internet in some selected communities in Osun State.
4. To ascertain some benefits derived by the rural dwellers in using the Internet.

1.4       Research Questions

1. What is the level of the Internet penetration and awareness among rural communities in Osun State?
2. What is the frequency of the Internet usage by the rural dwellers in some selected communities in Osun State?
3. What are the challenges hampering the Internet usage among rural communities in Osun State
4. What are the benefits derived by the rural dwellers in using the Internet?

                                     WHAT TO EXPECT: (Format: MS WORD, Chapter 1-5, Abstract, Table of Contents, Questionnaire and References)

How To Get Complete Project Material

Views: 142