Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

ICT-Based Extension Services has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with rural-urban migration of farm households. This growing interest reflects the recognition that ict-based extension services does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Plateau State.

Plateau State presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While ict-based extension services is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on rural-urban migration of farm households within Plateau State remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to ict-based extension services are helping or hindering rural-urban migration of farm households — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of ICT-Based Extension Services on rural-urban migration of farm households in Plateau State.
2. To assess the extent to which ict-based extension services influences rural-urban migration of farm households within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with ict-based extension services in relation to rural-urban migration of farm households.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing ict-based extension services in order to improve rural-urban migration of farm households.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of ict-based extension services on rural-urban migration of farm households in Plateau State?
2. To what extent does ict-based extension services influence rural-urban migration of farm households within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with ict-based extension services in relation to rural-urban migration of farm households?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize ict-based extension services in order to improve rural-urban migration of farm households?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around rural-urban migration of farm households. For managers and practitioners within Plateau State, the study provides practical insight into how ict-based extension services can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on agricultural extension and rural development by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Plateau State, focusing specifically on how ict-based extension services relates to rural-urban migration of farm households within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.