INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY, UTILISATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC VARIABLES AS PREDICTORS OF QUALITY OF LIFE OF RURAL WOMEN IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA BY YETUNDE ABOSEDE ZAID. B.A (OSU), MLS, Ibadan A Thesis in the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, Submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY of the UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN JULY 2011 i ABSTRACT The quality of life of people in developing countries, including Nigeria, is often adjudged to be lower than the expected standard. This is worse with women living in the rural areas whose lives are characterised by inadequate access and use of basic amenities of life. The situation is compounded by the women’s lack of access to valuable information and non-utilisation of available information which could help them meet the challenges of daily living. The rural environment and the attendant socio-economic milieu pose additional limitation to the women’s quality of life. Studies relating informational factors to quality of life of rural women appear to be rare in the field of library science. This study, therefore, investigated the extent to which information accessibility, utilisation and socio-economic variables (age, education, occupation, marital status, number of children, household size, type of house, rural dwelling status, employment status, income, average spending on food and standard of living), could predict the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive research design of the ex-post facto type. Multi stage sampling procedure was used to select 5000 rural women from 10 local government areas in Ekiti State. Three instruments were used: Information Accessibility Scale (r=0.87), Information Utilisation Scale (r=0.82) and Quality of Life Scale (r=0.84). Focus Group Discussions and interviews were also employed to complement the quantitative data collected. Six research questions were answered and four hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression. Socio-economic variables, information accessibility and information utilisation had significant multiple correlation with quality of life (R=.69;p<0.05). These taken together, significantly predicted quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State (F=325.17, df=14;4985, p<0.05). ii The variables contributed 47.7% of the total variance in quality of life of rural women. Out of these, seven individually predicted the women’s quality of life and these were information utilisation (β=.33), information accessibility (β=.32) type of house (β=.12) and marital status (β =.04), standard of living (β = .034), occupation (β=.03) and household size (β=.021). Information accessibility, information utilisation and socio-economic factors played significant roles in the quality of life of rural women. Therefore, government should provide special information centres to provide timely information that could improve the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. Key words: Information accessibility, Information utilisation, Socio-economic variables, Quality of life, Rural women in Nigeria. Word count: 437 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My deepest thanks goes to the ultimate source of knowledge, the creator, the Almighty God. I express profound appreciation to my supervisor, Dr Sunday Olanrewaju Popoola for painstakingly guiding me through this study. His expertise, diligence and encouragement will continue to inspire me to greater heights. This thesis could not have been possible without the congenial environment for scholarship provided by lecturers in the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies. I was inspired by Professor Bunmi Alegbeleye, Professor Iyabo Mabawonku, Professor Morayo Atinmo, Dr. Oshiotse Andrew Okwilagwe, Dr. Kenneth Nwalo, Dr Abiola Abioye, and Dr. Airene Adetimirin. I thank the other members of staff of the Department for their support; Mrs E.N. Emeahara, Mr. S.O. Fabunmi, Mr. B.B. Akpan and Mrs. T.O. Fakayode. I remain ever grateful. I also benefitted immeasurably from the scholarly contributions of these credible scholars: Dr Bennedict Oladele, University Librarian, University of Ibadan, Dr. Sola Olateju, Rev. Dr. Ogunleye, and Dr K.O. Kester who in addition to their regular attention provided unlimited access to their rich libraries. I remain eternally grateful to Mr. D.O. Bolarinwa and members of his family for the initiative to start this study. I treasure the support of Dr. Okanlawon Adedeji and Mrs Halima Egberongbe of the University of Lagos Library. They are pillars of strength and are worthy of emulation. There are not enough words to express my appreciation in this regard. I appreciate the encouragement from colleagues, friends and well wishers particularly: Mrs Funmi Balogun, Mrs Adenike Alabi, Mrs Opeyemi Odunlade, Mrs Bukola Olatise, Mrs Moradeke Olatunbi, Mr Femi Kayode, Mr Gbenga Adewuyi, Mr Christopher Okiki, Mr Onaade Ojo, Mr Romanus Ukaigwe and Mr David Adekunjo. iv The task of data collection for this study was made possible by the tenacity of the following people in Ekiti State: Dr Sikiru Tae Lawal, (Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, 2007 - 2009), Mr Ajibola Lucas Oluojo (Chairman, People’s Democratic Party, Ekiti State, 2007 – 2009), Princess Kunbi Obaisi (Director, Ekiti State Library Board), Mrs Ogunyemi ( Director, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ekiti State) and Mr Nurudeen Adio (Bureau of Rural Development, Ekiti State). I am particularly grateful to my field assistants headed by Sola Akinade and Muyiwwa Bolarinwa. I thank my pastors and church members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chief Shepherd’s Court and all those who remembered me in prayers. This work would not have been completed without the support of the members of my nuclear family. My loving and evergreen husband, Olajide and my children; Moyinoluwa and Oluwatamilore were very supportive and gave great understanding. I remain ever grateful to all that came my way in the course of this study. v DEDICATION To the Almighty God, the one that made the completion of this research possible and to my husband, Olajide Zaid, whose encouragement inspired me to success. vi CERTIFICATION I certify that this work was carried out by Mrs. Yetunde Abosede Zaid in the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. ……………………………………………………………............... Supervisor Dr. Sunday Olanrewaju Popoola B.Sc (Nig.), MLS (Ibadan), Ph.D (Ibadan) Department of Library, Archival & Information Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Title i Abstract ii-iii Acknowledgements iv-v DEDICATION vi CERTIFICATION vii TABLE OF CONTENT viii-x LIST OF TABLES xi-xii LIST OF FIGURES xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study 1-9 1.2 Statement of the Problem 9-10 1.3 Objectives of the Study 10-11 1.4 Research Questions 11-12 1.5 Hypotheses 12 1.6 Scope of the Study 12-13 1.7 Significance of the Study 13-14 1.8 Operational Definition of Terms 14-15 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 16 2.1 Concept of rurality and the role of Information in the Rural Development 16-21 2.2 Information Needs of Rural Women 21-27 2.3 Sources of Information for Rural Women 27-36 2.4 Accessibility to and utilization of Information by Rural Women 37-39 2.5 Socio-Economic Status of Rural Women in Nigeria 39-42 2.6 Quality of Life of People in Developing Countries 43-46 2.7 Accessibility to information and quality of life of rural women 46-50 viii 2.8 Socio-economic variables and quality of life of rural women 50-52 2.9 Constraints to access and utilisation of information by rural women 53-54 2.10 Theoretical Framework 54-56 2.11 Conceptual Model of the Study 57-58 2.12 Appraisal of Literature Reviewed 58-59 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 60 3.1 Research Design 60-61 3.2 Population of the Study 61 3.3 Sampling Procedure and Sample Size 61-62 3.4 Research Instruments 62-65 3.5 Validity and Reliability of the Instruments 65 3.6 Data Collection Procedure 66 3.7 Data Analysis 66 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 67 4.1 Data on Socio-economic Variables 68 4.1 Presentation of Results on the Research Questions 68-77 4.2 Research Question 1 77-79 4.3 Research Question 2 79-81 4.4 Research Question 3 81-83 4.6 Research Question 4 84-85 4.5 Research Question 5 85-86 4.6 Research Question 6 87-95 4.7 Test of Hypotheses 95 4.8 Hypothesis 1 95-96 4.9 Hypothesis 2 96-97 4.10 Hypothesis 3 97-98 4.11 Hypothesis 4 98-101 4.12 Discussion of Findings 101-114 ix CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 115 5.1 Summary of findings 115-116 5.2 Implications of the Study 116 5.3 Conclusion 117 5.4 Recommendations 117-118 5.4 Limitations of the Study 118 5.5 Suggestions for Further Research 118-119 References 120-140 Appendices 141-195 x LIST OF TABLES 3.1 Population of the Study 61 3.2 Female Population in each LGAs and Sample Selected 62 4.1 Questionnaire Administered and Retrieved 67 4.2 Information Needs of Rural Women in Ekiti State 78 4.3 Sources of Information Accessible to Rural Women in Ekiti State 80 4.4 Sources of information utilised by Rural Women in Ekiti State 82 4.5 Frequency of use of types of information accessible to rural women in Ekiti State 84 4.6 Frequency of use of types of information utilised by the rural women in Ekiti State 85 4.7 Frequency of the information services accessed by rural women in Ekiti State 86 4.8 Frequency of the information services utilised by the Respondents 86 4.9 Table showing means scores of (Housing) Quality of life 87 4.10 Table showing means scores of (Occupation) Quality of life 88 4.11 Table showing means scores of (Income) Quality of life 89 4.12 Table showing means scores of (Health) Quality of life 90 4.13 Table showing means scores of (Education) Quality of life 91 4.14 Table showing means scores of (Neighbourhood/Community) Quality of life 91 4.15 Table showing means scores of (Family Life) Quality of life 91 4.16 Table showing means scores of (Government) Quality of life 92 4.17 Table showing means scores of (Social Status) Quality of life 93 4.18 Table showing means scores of (Spiritual Life) Quality of life 93 4.19 The Level of Quality of Life of the Rural Women in each of the Local Government Areas 94 4.20 Correlation of Information Accessibility and Quality of Life of Respondents 96 4.21 Correlation of Information Utilization and Quality of Life of Rural Women in Ekiti State 96 4.22 Summary of Relationship among Social Economic Variables and Quality of Life of Rural Women in Ekiti State 97 4.23 Multiple Regression Analysis of Quality of Life on xi Socio- economic Variables, Information Accessibility and Utilization of the Rural Women in Ekiti State 98 4.24 Relative Contribution and Prediction of the Independent Variables to Quality of Life of the Respondents 99 xii LIST OF FIGURES 2.15 Conceptual Model of the study 57 4.1. Distribution of the Respondents by Age 68 4.2 Distribution of the Respondents by Level of Education 69 4.3 Distribution of the Occupational Status of the Respondents 70 4.4 Distribution of the Respondents by Marital Status 71 4.5 Distribution of the Respondents by Number of Children 72 4.6 Distribution of the Respondents by Household Size 73 4.7 Distribution of the Respondents by Type of Residence 74 4.8 Distribution of the Respondents by Rural Dwelling Tenure Status 75 4.9 Distribution of the Respondents by Type of Electrical Appliances 76 xiii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study Information is pervasive in nature. It is used by different people in many different areas of life to mean many things. According to Bawden (2002), it is one of the most over- used and poorly understood English Language terms because it has been assigned many meanings. However, it has been accepted and recognised as a survival input of man in the Information Age (Posner, 2009). Popoola (2006) defined information as facts, news, opinions, messages, symbols, signals and processed data that are capable of improving the knowledge state of a user on a random phenomenon. Information is a prerequisite to raising education standards, advancing democracy, participating in decision making, developing the economy and enhancing the quality of life of the populace (Tise, 2000). According to Mchombu (2000), one might not have knowledge unless one gets information. Information equips a person with power; the power to choose and to act in an informed manner. To promote economic independence and quality of existence, there is a lifelong need to be informed and be up-to-date. Instead of drowning in the abundance of information that floods the universe, it is expected that people should know how to access, evaluate and utilize information effectively to solve problems and improve their quality of life. Information could be obtained from computers, books, government agencies, non- governmental agencies, films and other possible sources. Information sources, according to Stoker, Tsang and Evans (2007) are tangible and organized collections of information, whether in print, microfilm or held on some computer storage media such as a compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD). Numerous sources of information are available from the Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) which is also relevant for improving the knowledge 1 INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY, UTILISATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC VARIABLES AS PREDICTORS OF QUALITY OF LIFE OF RURAL WOMEN IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA BY YETUNDE ABOSEDE ZAID. B.A (OSU), MLS, Ibadan A Thesis in the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, Submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY of the UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN JULY 2011 i ABSTRACT The quality of life of people in developing countries, including Nigeria, is often adjudged to be lower than the expected standard. This is worse with women living in the rural areas whose lives are characterised by inadequate access and use of basic amenities of life. The situation is compounded by the women’s lack of access to valuable information and non-utilisation of available information which could help them meet the challenges of daily living. The rural environment and the attendant socio-economic milieu pose additional limitation to the women’s quality of life. Studies relating informational factors to quality of life of rural women appear to be rare in the field of library science. This study, therefore, investigated the extent to which information accessibility, utilisation and socio-economic variables (age, education, occupation, marital status, number of children, household size, type of house, rural dwelling status, employment status, income, average spending on food and standard of living), could predict the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive research design of the ex-post facto type. Multi stage sampling procedure was used to select 5000 rural women from 10 local government areas in Ekiti State. Three instruments were used: Information Accessibility Scale (r=0.87), Information Utilisation Scale (r=0.82) and Quality of Life Scale (r=0.84). Focus Group Discussions and interviews were also employed to complement the quantitative data collected. Six research questions were answered and four hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression. Socio-economic variables, information accessibility and information utilisation had significant multiple correlation with quality of life (R=.69;p<0.05). These taken together, significantly predicted quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State (F=325.17, df=14;4985, p<0.05). ii The variables contributed 47.7% of the total variance in quality of life of rural women. Out of these, seven individually predicted the women’s quality of life and these were information utilisation (β=.33), information accessibility (β=.32) type of house (β=.12) and marital status (β =.04), standard of living (β = .034), occupation (β=.03) and household size (β=.021). Information accessibility, information utilisation and socio-economic factors played significant roles in the quality of life of rural women. Therefore, government should provide special information centres to provide timely information that could improve the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. Key words: Information accessibility, Information utilisation, Socio-economic variables, Quality of life, Rural women in Nigeria. Word count: 437 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My deepest thanks goes to the ultimate source of knowledge, the creator, the Almighty God. I express profound appreciation to my supervisor, Dr Sunday Olanrewaju Popoola for painstakingly guiding me through this study. His expertise, diligence and encouragement will continue to inspire me to greater heights. This thesis could not have been possible without the congenial environment for scholarship provided by lecturers in the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies. I was inspired by Professor Bunmi Alegbeleye, Professor Iyabo Mabawonku, Professor Morayo Atinmo, Dr. Oshiotse Andrew Okwilagwe, Dr. Kenneth Nwalo, Dr Abiola Abioye, and Dr. Airene Adetimirin. I thank the other members of staff of the Department for their support; Mrs E.N. Emeahara, Mr. S.O. Fabunmi, Mr. B.B. Akpan and Mrs. T.O. Fakayode. I remain ever grateful. I also benefitted immeasurably from the scholarly contributions of these credible scholars: Dr Bennedict Oladele, University Librarian, University of Ibadan, Dr. Sola Olateju, Rev. Dr. Ogunleye, and Dr K.O. Kester who in addition to their regular attention provided unlimited access to their rich libraries. I remain eternally grateful to Mr. D.O. Bolarinwa and members of his family for the initiative to start this study. I treasure the support of Dr. Okanlawon Adedeji and Mrs Halima Egberongbe of the University of Lagos Library. They are pillars of strength and are worthy of emulation. There are not enough words to express my appreciation in this regard. I appreciate the encouragement from colleagues, friends and well wishers particularly: Mrs Funmi Balogun, Mrs Adenike Alabi, Mrs Opeyemi Odunlade, Mrs Bukola Olatise, Mrs Moradeke Olatunbi, Mr Femi Kayode, Mr Gbenga Adewuyi, Mr Christopher Okiki, Mr Onaade Ojo, Mr Romanus Ukaigwe and Mr David Adekunjo. iv The task of data collection for this study was made possible by the tenacity of the following people in Ekiti State: Dr Sikiru Tae Lawal, (Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, 2007 - 2009), Mr Ajibola Lucas Oluojo (Chairman, People’s Democratic Party, Ekiti State, 2007 – 2009), Princess Kunbi Obaisi (Director, Ekiti State Library Board), Mrs Ogunyemi ( Director, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ekiti State) and Mr Nurudeen Adio (Bureau of Rural Development, Ekiti State). I am particularly grateful to my field assistants headed by Sola Akinade and Muyiwwa Bolarinwa. I thank my pastors and church members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chief Shepherd’s Court and all those who remembered me in prayers. This work would not have been completed without the support of the members of my nuclear family. My loving and evergreen husband, Olajide and my children; Moyinoluwa and Oluwatamilore were very supportive and gave great understanding. I remain ever grateful to all that came my way in the course of this study. v DEDICATION To the Almighty God, the one that made the completion of this research possible and to my husband, Olajide Zaid, whose encouragement inspired me to success. vi CERTIFICATION I certify that this work was carried out by Mrs. Yetunde Abosede Zaid in the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. ……………………………………………………………............... Supervisor Dr. Sunday Olanrewaju Popoola B.Sc (Nig.), MLS (Ibadan), Ph.D (Ibadan) Department of Library, Archival & Information Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Title i Abstract ii-iii Acknowledgements iv-v DEDICATION vi CERTIFICATION vii TABLE OF CONTENT viii-x LIST OF TABLES xi-xii LIST OF FIGURES xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study 1-9 1.2 Statement of the Problem 9-10 1.3 Objectives of the Study 10-11 1.4 Research Questions 11-12 1.5 Hypotheses 12 1.6 Scope of the Study 12-13 1.7 Significance of the Study 13-14 1.8 Operational Definition of Terms 14-15 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 16 2.1 Concept of rurality and the role of Information in the Rural Development 16-21 2.2 Information Needs of Rural Women 21-27 2.3 Sources of Information for Rural Women 27-36 2.4 Accessibility to and utilization of Information by Rural Women 37-39 2.5 Socio-Economic Status of Rural Women in Nigeria 39-42 2.6 Quality of Life of People in Developing Countries 43-46 2.7 Accessibility to information and quality of life of rural women 46-50 viii 2.8 Socio-economic variables and quality of life of rural women 50-52 2.9 Constraints to access and utilisation of information by rural women 53-54 2.10 Theoretical Framework 54-56 2.11 Conceptual Model of the Study 57-58 2.12 Appraisal of Literature Reviewed 58-59 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 60 3.1 Research Design 60-61 3.2 Population of the Study 61 3.3 Sampling Procedure and Sample Size 61-62 3.4 Research Instruments 62-65 3.5 Validity and Reliability of the Instruments 65 3.6 Data Collection Procedure 66 3.7 Data Analysis 66 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 67 4.1 Data on Socio-economic Variables 68 4.1 Presentation of Results on the Research Questions 68-77 4.2 Research Question 1 77-79 4.3 Research Question 2 79-81 4.4 Research Question 3 81-83 4.6 Research Question 4 84-85 4.5 Research Question 5 85-86 4.6 Research Question 6 87-95 4.7 Test of Hypotheses 95 4.8 Hypothesis 1 95-96 4.9 Hypothesis 2 96-97 4.10 Hypothesis 3 97-98 4.11 Hypothesis 4 98-101 4.12 Discussion of Findings 101-114 ix CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 115 5.1 Summary of findings 115-116 5.2 Implications of the Study 116 5.3 Conclusion 117 5.4 Recommendations 117-118 5.4 Limitations of the Study 118 5.5 Suggestions for Further Research 118-119 References 120-140 Appendices 141-195 x LIST OF TABLES 3.1 Population of the Study 61 3.2 Female Population in each LGAs and Sample Selected 62 4.1 Questionnaire Administered and Retrieved 67 4.2 Information Needs of Rural Women in Ekiti State 78 4.3 Sources of Information Accessible to Rural Women in Ekiti State 80 4.4 Sources of information utilised by Rural Women in Ekiti State 82 4.5 Frequency of use of types of information accessible to rural women in Ekiti State 84 4.6 Frequency of use of types of information utilised by the rural women in Ekiti State 85 4.7 Frequency of the information services accessed by rural women in Ekiti State 86 4.8 Frequency of the information services utilised by the Respondents 86 4.9 Table showing means scores of (Housing) Quality of life 87 4.10 Table showing means scores of (Occupation) Quality of life 88 4.11 Table showing means scores of (Income) Quality of life 89 4.12 Table showing means scores of (Health) Quality of life 90 4.13 Table showing means scores of (Education) Quality of life 91 4.14 Table showing means scores of (Neighbourhood/Community) Quality of life 91 4.15 Table showing means scores of (Family Life) Quality of life 91 4.16 Table showing means scores of (Government) Quality of life 92 4.17 Table showing means scores of (Social Status) Quality of life 93 4.18 Table showing means scores of (Spiritual Life) Quality of life 93 4.19 The Level of Quality of Life of the Rural Women in each of the Local Government Areas 94 4.20 Correlation of Information Accessibility and Quality of Life of Respondents 96 4.21 Correlation of Information Utilization and Quality of Life of Rural Women in Ekiti State 96 4.22 Summary of Relationship among Social Economic Variables and Quality of Life of Rural Women in Ekiti State 97 4.23 Multiple Regression Analysis of Quality of Life on xi Socio- economic Variables, Information Accessibility and Utilization of the Rural Women in Ekiti State 98 4.24 Relative Contribution and Prediction of the Independent Variables to Quality of Life of the Respondents 99 xii LIST OF FIGURES 2.15 Conceptual Model of the study 57 4.1. Distribution of the Respondents by Age 68 4.2 Distribution of the Respondents by Level of Education 69 4.3 Distribution of the Occupational Status of the Respondents 70 4.4 Distribution of the Respondents by Marital Status 71 4.5 Distribution of the Respondents by Number of Children 72 4.6 Distribution of the Respondents by Household Size 73 4.7 Distribution of the Respondents by Type of Residence 74 4.8 Distribution of the Respondents by Rural Dwelling Tenure Status 75 4.9 Distribution of the Respondents by Type of Electrical Appliances 76 xiii state of the users. Information could be in media-print and non-print. Its transmission could be print, oral, audio-visual, telegraphic or electrical. Momodu (2002) reaffirmed that effective use of the various information sources will improve the cross-fertilisation of ideas that may lead to the generation of new information. Information professionals have maintained that the problem in Africa is not that of shortage of information. Sanders (1980) declared that information is not a scarce resource. Therefore, the problem of good quality of life is not that of scarcity of information but rather that of finding better ways to access and utilize the available information that could help to improve quality of life. Rural women need relevant information of all types for self development and improvement of their environment. However, they have developed a culture of silence, resignation and docility and only live their lives routinely using whatever information they may stumble upon or that is passed to them orally by relatives, friends, colleagues, community or religious leaders (Kongolo and Bamgbose, 2002; Rutakumwa &Krogman, 2000 and Olorunda, 2004). Rural women, who are either non-literate or semi-literate, are usually farmers and traders, speaking only the local language in their region though in constant communication with each other at the level of the household and in the community. Having little opportunity to go to school, they are dependent on word of mouth or radio for information that could improve the kind of life they live. They may share information about issues that are relevant to their lives, about childcare, disease control, economic issues, community programmes, and so on. They often belong to networks or associations that provide mutual support for their socio-economic activities. They also interact with each other in social gatherings such as religious events, wedding ceremonies or community meetings. This shows that there are opportunities and channels through which rural women have access to information which they think is relevant to their needs (Warren, 2007). 2 Harris and Dewney (1994) stated that rural women commonly look first for advice and information from interpersonal sources especially those similar to theirs and rely on institutional information only as a last resort. They prefer that their information be accompanied by emotional support as they acquire information not only through deliberate acts of searching but incidentally through the passive monitoring of everyday life in their environment. Saroleinen (1995), Williamson (1995) and Pettigrew (2000) opined that the knowledge of information sources will enable rural women to use functional information system that can satisfy their information needs and open an avenue of meeting their potentials. Various researches have been carried out on information provision, information needs and various information sources available to the rural communities (Adimorah, 1983; Aboyade, 1990; Camble, 1992; Sturges and Shinsey, 1996; Fayose, 1997; Mutua-Kombo, 2001 and Okiy, 2003).These studies emphasise that information for rural populace should always be in the right format for ease of use. This implies that the source of information and the format in which information is presented is important for such information to be adequately accessed and utilised. However, Mchombu (1992) emphasised that the amount of useable information in rural areas in Africa is still dismally low. Temu (1984) and Anderson (1985) agreed with Mchombu (1992) while acknowledging the gap in the information exchange process and information transfer chain linking rural communities with other knowledge centers An important consideration in the process of information collection is the accessibility and ultimate use of such information. Vernon (1988) and Aiyepeku (1992) confirm that the ease of access to information is the most important criterion determining whether important information is used or not. With the bewildering amount and variety of information available 3 in this Information Age, packaging information in the right formats via the right sources and making it accessible to the rural women may have an impact on their quality of life. Information has power only when used and applied effectively. Boon (1992) asked how information can be put to effective use when prospective users do not know appropriate sources to consult. Today, access to and utilisation of quality information have been identified as important variables which differentiate and determine whether a country is developed or underdeveloped. Advances in the awareness, availability and utilisation of information have influenced and changed the structure of many societies with far-reaching results in industrialisation and quality of life of the populace in developed countries (Tadesse, 2008). However, in Nigeria, these advances do not appear to have been sufficiently and extensively applied to improve the conditions of the rural populace especially rural women who continue to suffer from deplorably low standards of living, abject poverty, high incidence of diseases and illiteracy. For information to be accessed and utilised efficiently and effectively, some socio- economic factors become relevant (Akintayo, 2008). Socio-economic factors including age, marital status, educational qualification, occupation and household income may affect patterns of consumption, the distribution of income and wealth, the way in which people behave and the overall quality of life (Adetimirin, 2008). The need for increasing rural women‟s participation in rural development can be seen in the concern to alleviate the socio-economic status of the rural poor household. Many programmes sponsored by either the national government or international agencies have been designed to improve the quality of life of the rural women. Worthy of mention are the introduction of the Better Life for Rural Women (BLW) in 1987 under Mariam Babangida, (the then Nigerian First Lady) and the Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) under Mariam Abacha (the Nigerian first lady, 1993-97). The Federal Government of Nigeria 4 also established Oil Mineral Producing Development Commission (OMPADEC) and National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP). These programmes were planned to elevate the status of rural women in Nigeria (Onyenuchie, 2002; Fasoranti 2008). In recognition of the failure of the past government efforts, some non-governmental organizations stepped up efforts to improve the quality of life of the women folks living in rural areas. An Example is the Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN) which started in Ondo State, Nigeria in 1982 (Modupe, 2008). However, most of these programmes have failed to ameliorate the working and living conditions of rural women (Agbi, 2009 and Chukwuebuka, 2010). The authors further stated that the women in rural areas for which such programmes were meant lagged behind in terms of socio-economic advancement. Camble (1994) says that the success of any rural development programme rests squarely on the availability, accessibility and utilisation of information. The author concluded that many rural development programmes failed in developing countries because the programmes were planned with insufficient relevant information. On the other hand, Park (2007) claimed that the programmes have been hindered by family and work situation as well as lack of infrastructure for contact with urban-based information sources. This has obstructed the rural women from accessing information sources that could boost their economic opportunities thereby limiting their access to good quality of life. Jiyane and Ocholla (2004) corroborate this opinion when they observed in their study that rural women are overworked and so have no time to seek appropriate information or locate the right information sources or even learn to read even if education programmes were accessible. Mooko (2002) opined that rural women have been socially and economically isolated because they have no time to travel to urban areas or socialize because conditions of rural life such as lack of good roads, water supply, electricity, lack of information and communication technologies, etc, are major constraints that have prevented their representation and increased their low quality of life 5 (Ibeanu, 1998; Onyenuchie, 2002; Okiy, 2003; Olamigoke, 2004; Lawanson, 2005 and Ijatuyi, 2005). At first sight, quality of life is a simple, straightforward construct. Most people have a reasonably clear idea of what sorts of things would enhance their individual quality of life (and probably the quality of life of other individuals too). For example, higher pay, longer holidays, more satisfaction in working lives, time for enjoyable and satisfying leisure pursuits, emotional fulfillment in relationships, having a long healthy and happy life – all lived within a safe, caring and supportive local community, are among the things people conceive as what could improve their quality of life (Berman and Phillips, 2000) Quality of life in the rural setting, according to Phillips (2006) is a multifaceted phenomenon determined by the cumulative and interactive impacts of numerous and varied factors like housing conditions, infrastructure, access to various amenities, income, standard of living, satisfaction about the physical and social environment. The fundamental concepts of quality of life according to Adejunmobi and Odumosu (1998) are values. They play an important role in the experience of qualitative life because they represent the needs, aspirations and goals which are important to individuals and which they seek to fulfill. What quality of life means on a global scale can be distilled from the social indicators identified by major international organizations such as The World Bank, World Health Organizations, United Nations, European System of Social Indicators and Australian Bureau of statistics. Given the importance of indicators for project monitoring and evaluation in meeting a range of economic, social and environmental goals, the framework for choice of indicators used to assess quality are adopted by The World Bank. Such indicators are: economic growth, earnings growth, the absence of poverty and unemployment, decent housing, health and life expectancy, an educated population, high levels of cultural participation and low rate of crime, equity in social opportunities and the absence of political corruption in the broader 6 context of responsible environmental management (World Development Indicators; 2007). Such indicators share much with those described by Salvaris (2000) in a framework for national well-being and quality of life as: individual health and well-being, good work opportunities, a fair society, a secure and crime free society, a productive and responsive economy, good government and law, a healthy, sustainable environment, healthy communities and active citizenry, vigorous and good international relations. Nigeria is a developing country where majority of the people live in rural areas. The 2008 World Population Data Sheet shows that only 47% of Nigerian populations live in the urban areas while 53% resides in the rural parts of the country (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). Adetoun (2005) observed that Nigeria, since independence, has been undergoing some economic strangulation that has impoverished the nation and her citizenry. The situation is not better still with the population of 149, 229,090 in the 2006 census (National Population Commission, 2006). Nigeria‟s poverty figures released by the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) show that the poor in Nigeria represent 70.8% of the total population (Obioha, 2008). Judging by the global benchmark on poverty index, 70% of Nigeria Population live below the poverty line and this contributed to Nigeria being ranked 158 in the Human Poverty Index (World Fact books, 2009). The statistical breakdown of the poverty rates among the six geo-political zones of the country, according to Obioha (2008) shows that the North-East leads the pack with 72.2 percent. North-West closely follows it at 71.2 percent while North-Central came third at 67.0 percent. The South-West to which Ekiti State belongs came fourth at 43.1 percent; South-South fifth at 31.5 percent and South-East is sixth at 26.7 percent. It is evident from the foregoing that it might be difficult for rural dwellers; particularly women, to afford decent homes, portable water for safe drinking, children school fees and medical expenses for the family. 7 At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, world leaders adopted the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which are the world‟s time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions – income, poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, etc (UN Millennium Project, 2005). Many countries including developing countries like Nigeria are on track to achieve at least some of the goals at the appointed deadline of 2015. To achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, many countries need to quickly improve their economic growth, education and health systems, their management of environmental resources, and their infrastructure for water, sanitation, telecommunication and transportation will improve the quality of life of the people (The World Bank, 2007).The role which information could play in achieving these goals cannot be ignored. Information about the Millennium Development Goals will enable stakeholders to plan, control, manage and implement actions that could further enhance the quality of life of these rural women. Study Area: Ekiti State, the study area, was one of the states created on the 1st of October 1996 alongside five others in an exercise that brought the number of states in Nigeria to thirty six. The state was carved out of the old Ondo State and covers the former Ekiti zone of the old state. With its capital at Ado-Ekiti, the state has sixteen Local Government Areas. It is bound in the northwest by Kwara State, in the Northeast by Kogi State and in the South by Ondo State (www.ekitistate.com, 2009). The 2006 census puts the population of Ekiti State at two million, three hundred and eighty four thousand, two hundred and twelve (2,384,212), (National Population Commission; 2008).Women constituted 49% of the population. The people speak a version of the Yoruba Language known as Ekiti dialect. The names of major towns in the state take a common suffix – Ekiti. Figure 1 presents the map of Ekiti State. 8 Figure 1: Map of Ekiti State Source: http//wwwGoogleimage.com 1.2 Statement of the Problem Women living in rural areas of Nigeria are known to be suffering from general deprivations that include access to information resources. They often have difficulties accessing various information resources, especially formal sources even when they are available. In Ekiti State, it was observed that women living in the rural areas, to a varying degree, seem to have access to information from informal sources but seems to have 9 difficulties in accessing formal channels of information resources. The reasons for this may not be unconnected with the high rate of illiteracy among rural women, high level of poverty and lack of adequate and efficient information delivery mechanisms. Besides, government seems not to be conscious of its responsibilities to its citizens in the area of information provision. Where government makes conscious efforts to do so, rural women seem to be skeptical of government and its information agencies and suspicious of the motive behind the efforts. The negative attitude of information workers towards effective rural information service also seem to be a critical factor while most rural areas have proved to be difficult terrains for penetration by Non Governmental Organisations that could assist in bringing well-packaged information resources to the door steps of women living in rural areas due to poor infrastructural development. All these factors have placed great limitations on access to information by women living in the rural areas with the adverse implication on their quality of life. In response to the general need to improve the quality of life of the rural communities, the Federal Government of Nigeria established such bodies as Oil Mineral Producing Development Commission (OMPADEC), National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and recently, the Ministry of Rural Development. These bodies embarked on government intervention programmes such as poverty alleviation and health for all which could improve the quality of life of women living in rural areas. However, these programmes did not translate to good qualitative life for the rural women in Ekiti State. This study, therefore, investigated how socio-economic variables, information accessibility and utilisation could predict the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. 10 1.3 Objectives of the Study The major objective of this study is to examine the extent to which access to and utilisation of information as well as socio-economic variables could predict the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. The specific objectives are to: (1) find out the information needs of the rural women in Ekiti State; (2) ascertain the level of rural women‟s access to information in Ekiti State; (3) ascertain the information sources mostly utilised by the rural women in Ekiti State; (4) determine the types of information and services utilised by the rural women in Ekiti State; (5) find out the level of the quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State; (6) determine the relationship between information accessibility and quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State; (7) find out the relationship between information utilization and quality of life of the rural people; (8) ascertain the extent to which socio-economic variables correlate with quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State; and (9) find out whether information accessibility, utilisation and socio-economic variables will predict the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. 1.4 Research Questions 1. What are the information needs of rural women in Ekiti State? 2. What sources of information are the most accessible to the rural women in Ekiti State? 3. What are the sources of information mostly utilised by rural women in Ekiti State? 4. What types of information do the rural women in Ekiti State often utilise? 11 5. What major information services do rural women in Ekiti State utilise? 6. What is the level of quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State? 1.5 Hypotheses The following hypotheses have been tested in this study at 0.05 level of significance. 1) There is no significant relationship between information accessibility and quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. 2) There is no significant relationship between information utilisation and quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. 3) There is no significant relationship between socio-economic variables (age, marital status, educational qualification, occupation and household income) and quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State 4) Information accessibility, utilisation and socio-economic variables will not significantly predict quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State. 1.6 Scope of the Study This study covers rural women from ten local government areas in Ekiti State who were 25 years old and above. The rural women comprise women who were single, married, widowed, separated or divorced, rich, poor, educated and illeterates. The study is focused on information accessibility, utilisation and socio-economic variables as they affect the quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State. The choice of the state was informed for two reasons. Firstly, the state is one of those with the largest concentration of mainly rural and semi-rural towns in South West, Nigeria. Secondly, collaborative report of the Centre for Development and Action Research and Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research show that the World Bank once selected 12 Ekiti State for pilot activities of its Ekiti State Community Based Poverty Reduction Agency (ESCOBPRA) and reported the state as having the highest poverty level in the Southwest Region of Nigeria (CEDAR, 2002; Fasoranti, 2008).. Badly affected by this state of affairs are mostly rural women living in the state 1.7 Significance of the Study The central importance of information to almost everything man does makes this study to be of interest. A study of this nature becomes appropriate at a time when issues concerning women are given serious global attention. All efforts and activities that would improve the quality of life of rural women need to be given all necessary encouragement. The primary beneficiaries of this research are the women living in rural areas. This is because the study is designed to raise the consciousness of the rural women on the importance of information and the role it plays in enhancing the quality of life and also the consciousness of the policy makers in planning and strategizing schemes for the rural women. Consequently, in addition to the above, the researcher is optimistic that the findings of this research if properly understood and utilised would specifically: (i) Be a useful source of information for policy makers, enabling them to formulate good information policy for any rural development programmes designed to improve quality of life of people living in rural areas. (ii) Influence the political process because, the study is designed to be received, read, understood and acted upon by policy makers to effectively plan and deliver services that could give good quality of life to rural women in Ekiti State (iii) Assist information management professionals to design functional library and information services to meet the information needs in order to improve the quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State. 13 (iv) Assist the Federal Government, non-governmental organizations and other agencies who were concerned with rural development and gender issues to reorder their priorities in the event of poorly planned empowerment programmes and schemes tailored towards improving quality of life of rural women. (v) Provide the general public with the opportunity of knowing the role information plays in improving quality of life of rural dwellers (vi) Finally, this study will enrich existing literature in rural librarianship and gender studies 1.8 Operational Definition of Key Terms Information: Facts, news, ideas, messages opinions, processed data, symbols, images and signals that are capable of improving the knowledge of rural women Information accessibility: The degree of ease of location and retrieval of needed information by the rural women. Information sources: Means or channels from which information can be obtained by the rural women. Information utilisation: The application of information the rural women obtained for productive uses. Quality of Life (QOL): The degree of the rural women‟s well–being on account of availability of and access to good housing, health, occupation, income, education, family and spiritual life. Rural Areas: Sparsely populated areas and villages in Ekiti State with common elements of life like: geographical distance from large metropolitan areas, low population density, isolation and dense social networks. 14 Rural Women: Women, who are single, married, widowed, separated, divorced, rich, poor, educated and illiterates living in rural areas of Ekiti State. Socio-Economic Variables (SEV): These are personal characteristics of the rural women such as age, marital status, educational qualification, household size, number of children, rural dwelling tenure status, occupation, nature of standard of living, average spending on food and household income. 15 CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.0 Introduction This study relied heavily on the existing and current literature on the subject matter. The literature consulted was used as guides for the research inquiry. Understanding previous studies enabled the researcher acquire a thorough understanding of previous works, which have been carried out in the area of study. Besides sharpening the focus of this research, the review of related literature provided the necessary foundation or theoretical foundation upon which this study rest. The exercise helped in detecting the gap to be filled by the current work so as to expand the frontiers of knowledge in the subject area. The related literature was therefore reviewed under the following sub-headings: 2.1 Concept of rurality and the role of Information in rural development 2.2 Information needs of rural women 2.3 Sources of information for rural women 2.4 Accessibility to and utilisation of information by rural women 2.5 Socio-economic status of rural women in Nigeria 2.6 The Quality of life of people in developing countries 2.7 Accessibility to and utilisation of information and quality of life of rural women 2.8 Socio-economic variables and quality of life of rural women 2.9 The constraints to accessing and using information by rural women 2.10 Theoretical framework 2.11 Conceptual framework 2.12 Appraisal of literature reviewed 16 2.1 Concept of rurality and the role of information in rural development Many people have definitions for the term rural, but seldom are these rural definitions in agreement. For some, rural is a subjective state of mind. For others, rural is an objective quantitative measure. According to Ben and Ellah, (2004), a rural area is a typical rural setting. It is a small community in which people have similar background and life experience. Virtually everyone in a rural community seems to know one another. The June 2008 Amber Waves publication of the United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, provides new insight to rural definitions with an article,"Defining the “Rural”. In the publication, a rural area was referred to as sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled urban and suburban areas, and also from unsettled lands such as outback, live in villages, hamlets, on farms and in order isolated houses (United States Development of Agriculture, 2008). However, Olusanmi (2009) noted that in a rural setting, social interactions including negotiations are intimate and familiar. Social control in the rural areas is maintained through informal means such as moral persuasion, gossips, sanctions, and even gestures. The author concluded that there are no formal structures and institutions such as police, courts or prisons to regulate social behaviour of the people in a rural setting but the informal means of social control are more effective because of the communal sense of living in the rural communities. Olanrewaju (1992) opined that for purposes of classification, there is no concensus about the precise population size of a rural area. For Angola, Gabon, Ethiopia and Kenya, settlement with 2,000 or more inhabitants are classified as urban. For Ghana, Zambia and Somalia, settlement with less than 5,000 inhabitants are regarded as rural. He however agreed that “a rural settlement is usually one with a relatively small population” whose occupations are mainly agrarian. 17 On his part, Idike (1992) noted that population is the main characteristics that differentiate “rural” from urban areas especially in the developed countries. According to him, based on this single characteristic, Nigeria classifies any area with a population of 20,000 people or below as a rural area. The main features of rural communities according to Idike (1992) are depression, degradation and deprivation. Many rural communities and villages are immersed in poverty so much that the people are the embodiment of it. In most rural Nigeria, basic infrastructure, where they exist at all, are far inadequate for any meaningful development. Physical infrastructures like motorable roads, good school, primary health care centres, electricity etc are often lacking. Population cannot be the only determining factor for a rural area in Nigeria because, there are other characteristics features that unmistakably tells people when they are in a rural area. Economic Research Services (ERS) has developed several classifications to measure rurality in America. The Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, the Urban-Influence Codes, and the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas are used to classify counties, census tracts, and ZIP codes by degree of rurality. The ERS typology code classifies rural counties by their economic and policy types. These classification schemes have been used to determine eligibility for Federal programs that assist rural areas in America (United States Department of Agriculture, 2008). Bunce (2010) noted that some of the characteristics of rural areas include: illiteracy, traditionalism, isolationism and an agricultural economy. The meaning of rural development has evolved over-time in line with the continual unfolding meaning of “development.” The concept of rural development stems primarily from the varied definition given to it. To many people, rural development could mean agricultural improvements, to some, it is primarily concerned with welfare and yet to others, it is equated with community development or rural transformation. Rural development, according to Garforth, Khatiwada and Campbell (2003) does not mean any of these. Rural 18 development implies gradual growth or advancement in cultural values and material systems through progressive changes over time. This is why in recent times, rural development has moved from the narrow concept of looking at it as being synonymous with agricultural development, income generation, creation of opportunities for rural people or rural transformation to include “the mobilisation of the rural masses so as to enhance their capacity to cope effectively with the daily tasks of their lives and with changes consequent upon this” (Muogbalu, 1992). Rural development is now concerned with the improvement of the living standards of the low income population living in the rural areas. Information can be used to solve a problem in development context; Meyer (2005) noted that those who know the value of information will inevitably see information as being a resource because it plays an important role in almost every human activity. Different studies here recognized information as an important tool for societal growth and development (Alemna; 1998, Igbeka and Ola; 2000, Brown and Duguid; 2000 and Rasmussen; 2001,). Though not necessarily the only resource with which to solve particular problems; studies have shown that things can change around when information is added to the four factors of production: land, capital, labour and entrepreneurship. Because information plays such an important role in almost every human activity, its value in the development process has been a topic of extensive discussions in various fields. Meyer (2005) pioneered the view of information as a corporate resource and argued that information like other resources such as people, money, raw materials, equipment and energy should be managed to give a competitive edge. The pioneer have helped developed both the idea of information as a resource and the idea of information resource management. Rasmussen (2001) in his study of information and development noted that people can participate in the development of society if they are aware of what information is meant for in the development process. He therefore identified four aspects of development to which information can contribute: 19 1. Social and democratic development 2. Cultural enrichment 3. Education and research 4. Microeconomic development Van Rooyen (1995) views information as one of the most important resources needed for rural development. Utilisation of quality information, to him, will boost the quality of life of the rural communities. He concluded by saying that, information has the ability to bring about change for the better which is the ultimate goal of development. The management of information is a determining factor in rural development. To play a determining role in rural development, three principal functions of information for development should be recognized. They are information: - as a knowledge tool: circulation of knowledge, innovation and experience; - as a tool to assist decision making and facilitate strategic choices by actors; - as a communication process: creating links between different actors virtually if not physically (Pacquet; 1996) Rural dwellers are yet to acknowledge the role of information as a basic resource. Rosenberg (1993), Manzvanzvike (1993), Ozowa (1995) and Okiy (2003) re-affirmed that rural dwellers in developing countries are still not aware of what information entails. These authors believe that the extent of use will determine the usefulness of information as a development resource since information has power only when used and applied effectively. According to Bell (1986), Boon (1992), Camble (1994), Sturges and Neil (1998), lack of information has impacted negatively in the development process. Mchombu (1992) noted that information is recognized as an essential resource for social and economic development of the third World but still accorded a low status. The author therefore emphasized that for any community to function effectively and productively, a basic minimum stock of usable 20 information is essential. Meaning that, every society needs to acquire stock and exchange information to allow it survive. Most importantly, the awareness, accessibility and utilisation of appropriate information sources will help to avoid pitfalls that could constrain development efforts. According to Alegbeleye and Aina (1985), any nations that neglect development and empowerment of the rural communities should not expect meaningful development. The authors reaffirmed that the Third World countries have recently come to realise that unless the rural areas are well developed, hardly would any meaningful development occurred. The authors concluded that development can only be effective if rural dwellers have access to relevant and diverse information for their activities. Okiy (2003) reiterated that rural development is a basis for economic development and information is an important ingredient in the development process. The author therefore concluded that people in the rural areas, whether literate or not, should have access to any kind of information which will help them to become capable and productive in their social, economic and political obligations to become better informed citizens. This shows that rural women, if equipped with relevant information and the right information sources, would contribute to rural development. 2.2 Information Needs of Rural Women The information needs of an individual or group of individuals depend highly on the work activities of such an individual or group of individuals. The information needs of a physician will definitely be on the treatment of sicknesses and correction of anomalies while that of a student is on academic curriculum. According to Mchombu (2000), a consensus is emerging among researchers that information needs is difficult to define. Kaniki (1991) and Mchombu (1992) noted that information needs are linked with specific situations. As Wathen and Harris (2006) put it, information needs arise from the situations, in which help-seekers find themselves. A need arises when the present level of knowledge of an individual is 21 incapable of dealing with a new situation. Okiy (2003) wondered how we can measure the needs of people who do not know what their needs are or what they should know. Ehikamenor and Apalayine (1996) also noted that the conceptualisation of information needs has been difficult. Zweizig and Darrin (1997) opined that determining the needs of the users‟ means knowing about their requirement for information. Kaniki (1994) has, however, observed that one of the most difficult activities in the provision of community information is the assessment of information needs. However, Okiy (2003) observed that need is a subjective experience that occurs only in the mind of the person in need and consequently, it is not directly accessible to an observer. The experience of need can only be discovered by deduction from behaviour or through the reports of the person in need and this is also applicable to information needs. In spite of the difficulties with the concept of information needs, various categorizations of the concepts have emerged. For example, Weights et al (1993) and Wilson (1997) suggested the following categories:  Need for new information  Need to elucidate the information held;  Need to confirm information;  Need to elucidate beliefs and values held and  Need to confirm beliefs and values held. Okwilagwe and Opeke (1998) opined that the five factors which affect the information needs of human beings include; background, professional orientation, full array of information sources available, motivation and other individual characteristics. Information is needed for many purposes, ranging from where to get a taxi, a hospital, a shop, an office to even a complex life issue like quality of life. Information is needed in all spheres of life to facilitate decision making and engender progress. According to Aguolu 22 (1997), People need information about new developments and techniques in agriculture, medicine, social life and culture, science and technologies so that they can improve on existing practices and better their lives. Kiteme (1992), Mchombu (2000) and Mooko (2002) observed that relatively little has been studied on the information needs of rural women in other developing countries. Quite a number of researchers have through case studies and observations identified some of the most prevalent information needs in African communities. Such studies include Wilson (1981), Aboyade (1984), Mchombu (1992), Okwilagwe (1993), Kaniki (1994), Dent (2006), Park (2007) and Dunta (2009). Aboyade (1984) while researching library use of non-literate people for the 1981 Rural Development Information System Research (RUDIS) Project, defined six areas of information need and documented specific requests from users in each category. The six areas were health, problems of daily existence, occupation, government and society, recreation and leisure, education and religion. According to her, one of the most prominent areas of need was health information. Specific requests included information on the treatment of malaria and post-natal care, nutrition, dealing with infertility, nearest hospitals/medical care, effects of smoking and environmental sanitation. Dhua (1990) who observed that rural womens‟ small business entrepreneurs in China have a wide range of information needs which include markets for products, sources of funds, competitors, suppliers of raw materials, new product development and foreign trade practices. According to this author, the specific area of needs of this category of women is economic information. Mchombu (1992) reported the information needs of the rural communities in two villages in Malawi and categorized the main area of needs as: adult literacy, agriculture, home craft, health/hygiene, government/party policies, vocational trade, Islamic education and Christian education. However, the author presents five common categories of 23 information needs from research done in rural communities in Botswana, Malawi and Tanzania:  health information specifically related to common diseases;  economic information to enhance small business endeavours and income generating activities;  information to support self-governance, self-management; and leadership;  environmental preservation and renewal; and  Literacy education Other researchers have encountered similar ambition among rural women in Africa to get the information they need to improve their life situations. In a study on the information needs of rural development workers in Borno State, Nigeria, Camble (1992) noted that information needs on the socio economic problems of the rural people in this locality ranked highest. According to Okwilagwe (1993), rural women have great needs for information which includes: Neighbourhood, consumer, housing, house-keeping, employment, health, education and educational centres, transportation, recreation, financial matters, social security, family planning, childcare and family planning, legal and public affairs. Atinmo, Darwa and Jimba (1996) in their study discovered that the need for socio-economic information was highly ranked among rural dwellers in Souther Nigeria. Fayose (1997) in her study found that rural women have diverse information needs which include agricultural business, health and social information needs. In a study on rural women in Melmoth, Kwazulu-Nathal, South Africa, the village women list many information needs out of which agricultural and farming information to boost their quality of life were their first priority and increase their food production, both for their family and for the market. Irrigation and planting methods, general farm skills and agricultural business strategies were also important (Ngimwa, Ocholla & Ojiambo 1997). 24 According to Mchombu (2000), rural women sought specifically business-oriented information on trading, investments, banking, saving and insurance. This demonstrates how family farming is used to create supplementary income for women through market sales and even the development of small businesses. According to Mchombu (2000) and Ikonja- Odongo (2002) in different studies carried out on women entrepreneurs and traders in Uganda, Botswana, Nigeria and South Africa, business owners needed information on business management. Technical skill training, sources for raw materials and their compared prices, ideas on business expansion, marketing where to get funds and grants, and information on socio-cultural needs were not emphasized. The World Conference on Women, India‟s National Adult Education Programme, Kenyan Government and various studies concluded that the expansion of women‟s earning power and economic self-sufficiency is crucial to their freedom from social and legal discrimination, overwork and lack of social services Nath 2001). From this review, true development of the rural areas means the development of the rural women themselves. The unfolding and realization of their creative potentials enabling them to improve their conditions of living through the use of the resources is important in meeting their information needs. Momodu (2002) opined in her study of information needs and information seeking behaviour of rural dwellers in Nigeria that the rural people need information of all types for the development of themselves and their environment. Olorunda (2003) corroborated Momodu‟s position in her study of women‟s information needs for economic development The author opined that women‟s information needs, whether personal, religious, social, domestic, professional or medical, are an important factor in determining their quality of life. Okiy (2004) identified the extensive information needs of the rural population in Nigeria as follows: 25  Primary rural occupation: for example agricultural activities such as produce farming, livestock, fishing and poultry farming,  Secondary rural occupation: traditional crafts and pottery, blacksmithing, weaving, carving and local beer brewing;  Modern crafts: tailoring, shoe-making, vulcanizing, welding; watch, radio and auto- repairs; hair-dressing and petty trading.  Government information provided as a social service: for example, agricultural information about new technologies for improving mortality rates to animals; information about better seed types and how to obtain them; information about farm equipments, fertilizers, pesticides, better storage facilities and how to use them. The author stresses the need for occupational information to enhance the socio-economic status of the rural women should be paramount. This kind of information according to the author is critical to the daily survival of the rural dwellers, perhaps more critical than information needs in the socio-cultural domain which relates to culture, religion, politics and health. Acccording to Saleh and Lasisi (2011) in the study of information needs of rural women in Borno State, Nigeria reported that the information needs of the rural women vary. It ranged from information needs of farmers to sewing, weaving, midwifery, animal husbandry etc. The needs are categorized into the following: agriculture (53%), education (12%), economy (11%), health (20%), political (0.3%) and others (0.1%) The highest percentage recorded by agricultural information needs is not surprising bearing in mind the large span of fertile land in the area and of course all are farmers even though at subsistence level. Meeting the information needs of the rural women requires a well-developed system of information transfer. The authors concluded that the information needs of people cannot be determined by simply questioning the rural people. There is tendency to under-express 26 information needs, particularly if the needs are requested for as an abstract concept for such needs to be met. The authors recommended the need to look at information needs in the context of production, social problems, rural organizations and rural development perspective of the different players in any development or empowerment process. 2.3 Sources of Information for Rural Women It is important to realize that knowledge and information is dynamic and continuously changing to respond to the changing environment. Great importance is attached to information because it can be exploited to advance man‟s progress in all fields. Aguolu (1997) emphasized that the economic growth of nations depends on effective utilisation of information. The sources of information are tools that can possibly meet the information needs of different categories of users. They are the information carriers through which information is passed to the user. The speculated and realistic benefit desirable from a source makes that source useful and sustainable. There are different source of information but what matters are sources which are available and relevant to the different categories of users. Aboyade (1990) reported that most of the information needs of rural dwellers are not met adequately because the information sources they easily utilise are limited. This is because majority of the rural women are non-literate. According to this author, most of the information needs of the rural dwellers are not met adequately because information sources in most rural communities do not provide the available information in formats that can easily be understood and utilised by the rural dwellers. The importance of knowing the information needs and sources that will meet the needs arises from some projects researchers embarked on in order to develop the information consciousness of the rural women by the provision of efficient, effective and reliable formal information delivery mechanisms to enable them enjoy qualitative life (Mchombu, 1992). Despite the efforts of various agencies to create access to information for the rural dwellers to utilise, the considerable expenditure by the government, 27 donor agencies and policy shift in favour of rural women have not yielded desired result because the amount of useable information is dismally low and its impact in creating conditions which foster rapid growth is still negligible (Mchombu, 2000). As earlier noted, information needs of rural women are diverse in nature and they are bombarded with information from all sides and from a range of sources. There are numerous sources of information and information services that are available from their community information system or elsewhere that are relevant to their use. The knowledge of the information sources and information needs of the rural women will enable researchers establish functional information systems capable of satisfying their information needs. Before attempting to examine the range of information sources which might be expected to be encountered within a specified type of environment, it is worth looking at those wider information sources which people use everyday. One way in which researchers have differentiated these sources one from another is through the division between formal and informal sources. Listed below are the available sources relevant to information in rural development. It is adopted from Itari (1994) who himself adopted it from Emereuwoanu (1980) but tailored it to suit rural needs. Personal sources – Included in this category are: - Discussions with change agents and communication leaders - Town criers - Oral poetry, stories and riddles - Folk songs: These appeal to the emotion and could lead to an almost unquestionable acceptance of the message, particularly among the younger generations - Village heads and school teachers 28 - Ministers and other religious groups Groups and Meetings – These include: - Organized Clubs and Classes - Women‟s groups and meetings - Study discussion and decision groups (radio rural forum) - Casual groups at bazaars, public events and market places - Age-grades Organizations - School visiting and addressing - Business and Industrial Organizations - Labour Union or town unions - Religious and political organizations - Social organizations and clubs Public Communication – This category includes: - Talking drum messages used to summon the people to action in rural communities - Traditional open-air theatre (dances, plays etc) focusing attention on the need for change. It could also be a means of bringing the people together. During these gatherings, development messages could be delivered to the people. - Public address vans and microphones Mass Media Sources – Includes: - Newspapers, magazines and periodicals where feature articles and stories on development or special development oriented articles are published for public consumption. 29 - Radio and television – news, drama, songs, interviews, panel discussion and documentaries on development. Films and audio-visuals on development related issues may also be developed. - Printed materials such as posters, bulletins, leaflets, folders and brochures, pamphelets and booklets, and calendars on development. Also charts, text, manuals, models, programmed development. Charts, texts, manuals, models, programmed industrial materials/manuals, flash cards and tapes are included here. - Permanent signs on buses, pathways, market squares, village arena or town halls and other public buildings, on trees, roadside culverts etc. Other means of distribution also include direct mails, air drop of leaflets and signs. All formal and informal sources of receiving information are valid. However, Atinmo, Darhwa and Jimba (1996) found that the rural dwellers of Southern Nigeria utilize the informal sources and did not patronise most of the formal sources of information such as libraries and reading rooms in obtaining information. The authors listed the reasons why majority of the rural dwellers do not utilise the formal sources of information as:  authenticity of the information  economic constraints  ignorance of information sources and  the nature of available information systems According to Desmond (1998), “the formal sources are those that have well established structures”. Such sources may be found both in the rural and urban areas but concluded in his study that rural population found informal sources easily accessible to use. According to Aguolu (1997), information is frequently transmitted orally and through audio- visual formats of discs, tapes, cassettes, facsimiles, radios, televisions and others but the 30 printed word in the form of books, journals, reprints and so on remains a universal, cheap and convenient mode of making information available. Mchombu (2000) reported in his study that most women in small business in Botswana obtained information for their occupation needs from informal sources or extension workers, thereby underscoring the need for information to be disseminated to them through more appropriate means. The sources of information most available to women in rural areas are friends, neighbours and relatives, radion, local elders and association. According to Leach, (2001) and Jiyaine & Ocholla (2004), rural women prefer to receive information from these people anytime, especially because they know them to have trustworthy intentions or because they are available round the clock People who are unknown and suspicious in agenda because of selfish behaviour are not trusted as sources of information. The authors opined that differences in culture and socio-economic class between information providers and rural women in need of information do not help either. Leach (2001) and Behrman, Kohler & Watkins (2002) reported in different studies that if outsiders visit their area, the rural women are more prone to trust them if they are known by someone else in their group and if the person is willing to take the time to discuss information with them and respond to their needs for clarification. Social networking is, therefore, a very powerful and widely used means of doing business and exchanging information among rural women. Basically, the information sources more relevant to the rural women are the interpersonal sources which have proved to be more appropriate to the information needs of the rural non-literate women. Olorunda (2003) in the study of 50 rural women use of information sources shows that the mass media was not considered by 45% of the respondents as a useful tool for information. This could be as a result of social or political influence. According to Tardine (2005) and Harris (2006), visual information supplements verbal or print information for the rural women. It gives more clarity, but it is not trusted as a 31 reliable source of information in itself. Poor knowledge of the language and norms and values presented in the particular medium may contribute to a skewed understanding of the message. This may be as a result of social or political influence. Dent (2006) maintained that consideration of how to meet the information needs of rural communities must first take into account the method of delivery for these services and how best to present information so that it is acceptable to and understood by the communities. The author opined that rural communities are used to oral tradition of communication because they have their peculiar way of handling information that is closely related to their social and cultural backgrounds. Formal sources of information according to Stoker, Tsang, and Evans, (2007), has a number of characteristics. It is:  produced according to a pre-determined and definite order and structure,  made available to the public at large, i.e. published or broadcast;  capable of being traced, collected, stored, and retrieved Examples of the formal sources according to Popoola (2006) are printed books, journal articles, newspaper and magazines, bill-boards, web pages, gazettes, digests, encyclopedias and directories, CD-Rom databases, conference/seminar/symposium/workshop papers etc. By contrast, an informal source can often be the opposite way. Thus, an informal source may be:  unstructured, following no pre-determined order, except that it has a beginning and an end;  not made available to a general audience i.e. it is not published, either because it is personal, or a one-to-one act of communication.  not traceable by external means, thus it cannot be connected, stored and received except by those originally involved. The classic example of an informal source is interpersonal information etc. 32 It is frequently claimed that radio is the main means of information in rural ares considering the inaccessibility of roads, high rate of illiteracy, and oral based culture. Radios, when available, are listened to in groups for discussion with others, rather than alone. The reason for radio emerging as the main source of information may be due to the daily broadcast of programmes and the convenience of carrying it around. Group discussion according to Kituyi-Kwake and Adigun (2008) is always preferred for processing information when confronted by outside information sources. Radio is more available and less costly than television. Nevertheless, rural women trust television more than radio because of the visual reinforcement. Again, they like to watch in groups. Leach (2001) also reported that in South Africa, the rural communities have radio listener clubs in addition to tape distribution of the radio shows to others without radio. They also have videos that provide information relevant to rural adults. This sounds interesting, because Jiyanne and Ocholla (2004) recommended something similar for information dissemination in the rural areas. The authors suggested placing audio- visual information resources in groccery stores, hospitals, clinics and schools, which are general places of convergence for rural women. This strategy would circumvent the obstacles of lack of time and lack of family permission to attend community information meetings. However, when it comes to housing and other related issues of livelihood, the role of traditional mainstream media such as radio, television, newspaper as major sources of information are less important. For information on housing, social networks such as family, friends, neighbours, community and church members were more important (Warah, 2004). Libraries are rarely used because they are located in urban areas and require literacy to be able to access effectively (Issak, 2000). Traveling libraries, according to Leach (2001), are impractical because of disheveled library materials. In addition, their materials are often irrelevant to people‟s need for current and direct information. Okiy (2003) reported that rural 33 library services exist in many parts of the world such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Phlippines, South Korea, India and Russia where the use of information serve as an agent for accelerating the quality of life of the rural population. Interestingly, in Nigeria, there are some professionals who have taken library outside the library building. They introduce library services in rural areas to overcome these obstacles. Ogundipe (2006) reported that they overcome the obstacles of illiteracy and time constraint with audiotape and tape recorder distribution. According to this author printed sources help rural women corroborate information they receive from others verbally because they are seen as authoritative but they are not always available. When they are, there is a need for a literate person in the community to read aloud or interprete to others. Information captured in written format is not accessible to the rural women since they cannot read. They cannot access this type of format to find solutions to their problems. The introduction of telecenters as a major factor to crossing the digital divide in some rural areas in developing countries like Uganda serves as another means of creating access to information (Leach 2001, Walker, 2006 and Tandon, 2002). Information Communication and Technology systems of communication are being explored as a rural-accessible source of information by many NGO‟s and service program in developing areas mainly in the form of internet connectivity in conjunction with radio, TV and phone dissemination (Park 2007). Saleh and Lasisi (2011) identified five sources through which rural women in Borno State, Nigeria satisfy their information needs. These include:  Government and its agents,  Elite groups,  Relatives and friends,  Market women, and  Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). 34 It can be seen from this study that radio, television printed sources and libraries were not options the rural women considered important. With the exception of Government and its agents, all the other sources are informal. This is an indication that either formal sources are lacking or the rural women prefer informal sources. The use of the Global System Mobile Communication (GSM) has opened up another source. It is evident that the diffusion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has come to play a major part in development programmes around the world. Among which is the use of the mobile phones as source of information. Kazanka and Dada (2011) identified the benefits rural women in northern Nigeria face when they adopt the use of mobile phones. The use presents a mixed blessing for women‟s empowerment and its use contributed to both integration and fragmentation of existing family structures.Part of the reason for the phenomenal growth in mobile phone use is the strong oral culture in Nigeria and the population‟s low literacy level. The Short Message Service (SMS) feature that makes mobile phones affordable was hardly used by participants, owing largely to low literacy capacities and a cultural preference for verbal communication. The number of languages used by these communities further compounded the issue of low literacy. While the most commonly used language for economic and everyday external transactions was Hausa, most of the women would use their own languages, such as Jju, Atyap, Gworok or Fantsuam, when having discussions with family members and friends. Mobile phones therefore presented opportunities for them to speak in their first languages. The use of mobile phones to send text messages has been found to be „easy, cheap and popular, and people can have access to information which is anonymous and discreet – particularly in rural areas of South Africa where stigma (HIV/AIDS) is still an obstacle to disclosure and openness‟ (Shackleton 2007). Hultberg (2008), in her study on women empowerment in Bangladesh portrays sixteen women‟s experiences of this program to give 35 the reader an insight in how the mobile phone has been implemented in the women‟s life and how the mobile phone have empowered them. In Bangladesh, the number of cellular subscribers increased from 0.06% 1998 to 13.25% in 2006 (United Nations Statistics, 2007) and it combat the socio- economic development problem from the rural areas. Khandakar (2010) reported that the government of Bangladesh granted a licence to Grameenphone to provide mobile phones service through Bangladesh, particularly its rural areas and by 2005, Grameenphone had eight million cellphone customers and that the rural Bangladesh women use mobile phones more than other sources to access information relating to their needs. Part of the barriers to the use of this source is when dealing with populations where there is low literacy and where the first language has not yet been digitised, however, this affordable facility becomes inaccessible. The various studies reviewed under this sub theme agitated that information for rural women must take a form that allows for diverse content from many different sources for it to be relevant. For this information to be used, it should be close in proximity to them, time- flexible and available around the clock. It must be direct and address their immediate day-to- day needs. It should mix work-related, immediately useful information with long-range skills like literacy or technology operation. It should be available in local language or a variety of languages. It should also provide for confidentiality to avoid possible social stigma or spouse interference. Additionally, it should have a networking quality that connects other women and their businesses to each other. The role of the state and society cannot be over- emphasized in the growth of information sources, especially formal sources. The state plays a major role in the level of information infrastructure development since it has the political and economic leverage Saleh and Lasisi (2011) concluded that because of political and economic consideration, the state has a major role to play in the provision and development of information sources to rural dwellers. 36 2.3 Accessibility to and utilization of information by rural women It is noteworthy that information is accessed through various channels. Several sources of information especially interpersonal sources are available to rural women but how accessible are the formal sources? Are sources that provide adequate information specifically for women existing and accessible? Lancaster (1979) reported that the single most important finding of user studies in general is that accessibility and ease of use seem to be the most important factor that determines whether or not a particular service is used or can be used. Researchers such as Aboyade (1990), Mchombu (1992), Wilson (1997), Alemna (1998), Onwubiko (1999), Rasmussen (2001) and Momodu (2003) have all emphasized the crucial role of relevant information in the economic advancement of rural people. These authors opined that an individual may be aware that the use of an information source may produce useful information, but doubts the capacity to properly access the source or to properly utilise it. It is therefore essential that information sources be made accessible to rural dwellers for accelerated development. Information is power and can be used for three major processes - for creating awareness, acquiring knowledge and improving knowledge. This view is supported by (Verhoeven, 1995, Daniel, 1999, Rasmussen, 2001 and Nwalo, 2002). According to these authors, one basic objective of information is that it must be relevant to the user‟s need at any given time. Studies have shown that information is one of the most potent tools for development and there are many benefits that could be derive from the usage. Information could only be accessed if users know where and how to access it. In other words, information sources could only be used if they benefit or provide relevant, useful, specific and accurate information that could help users solve their various social, cultural, political and economic problems. The need for a new system approach to create access to information sources is long overdue and recognized by The United Nations Educational 37 Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The UNESCO public library manifesto notes that library books should no longer be the main concern for the rural populace but materials on all subjects to satisfy the all tastes at differing educational and cultural standards (UNESCO, 1994). The consensus among scholars in African librarianship seems to be that libraries in Africa should develop a new approach to information management and provision in order to serve all rural communities. Some information providers have taken a cue from the UNESCO manifesto in order to give the disadvantaged rural communities access to information. The potentials of information in giving new knowledge, raising consciousness, strengthening links and achieving integration of social groups have made the use of information by rural women a matter of importance. Aiyepeku (1984) and Grudnitski (1986) have stressed that timeliness; availability and accuracy of information were by far the most important factors enhancing utilization of information in performing various functions. From the foregoing, the use of the various information sources by rural women could be influenced by the:  accessibility in terms of distance and cost of using the source;  awareness of the existence of the source; and  reliability, format and relevance Tiamiyu (1990) ascertained that certain objective characteristics of the source of information themselves can be used to explain the use or non-use of the various information sources. Firstly, the subject content of the information recorded by a source relative to the subject of the information required by users in a specific problem situation is very vital. Secondly, the structural linguistic format in which the information is presented is also important since some information sources may be used more often than others because of the brevity with which they provide accurate information. Recent empirical studies are not only 38 concerned with the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of information to individuals and organisations but also with the manner in which the information provided is put to use. Cho and Austear (1999), in a study of acquisition and utilisation of information found that many groups of users preferred sources that are local or close at hand even if they are not necessarily the best sources. The implication of this is that for such users, preferred accessibility of information source is more important. Okiy (2003) noted that rural people use one particular source because they are not aware of alternative sources. In most rural areas, there are many of local institutions and networks on which the rural women rely to obtain and utilise information. They can manifest themselves through kingship ties, religious organisation, city-based federations, non-governmental organisations and even political parties. These networks serve to fill the information gap between the rural women and the authorities. Bell (1986) in Harande (2009) opined that the dependence upon information to create innovation and change places a high premium on the ability of the people to use the various information sources to create advances in the community. Rural women use various sources of information to meet their information needs. 2.4 Socio-Economic Status of Rural Women in Nigeria The 2006 National Census puts Nigeria‟s population close to 150 million. Fifty two percent of which are women and about 47% of them live in the rural areas (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). As a developing country, the features that characterized the rural population in Nigeria include illiteracy, poverty, hunger, disease, and general absence of basic infrastructure such as roads, schools, electricity, etc. These, coupled with peculiar problems of rural women such as early marriages, lack of income, withdrawal of girls from school, Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), and pregnancy related deaths, has affected the quality 39 of life of the rural women. These women carry out activities that are unpaid (informal non market activities) such as domestic work care, giving day care, preparation of meals, working on husbands‟ farm and family farm apart from own farm, disposing of garbage, market and shopping etc. (National Bureau of Statistics, 2008). These informal and non -market activities that women perform is not officially accounted for in the Systems of National Accounts (SNA) thereby undervaluing their contribution and overlooking the impact of these activities on the overall development of the economy. This is due to the social constructs and cultural inclinations of the society in which they belong as well as those functions imposed on them by virtue of the fact that they are female (Okwoche and Obinne, 2010). The socio-economic activities of Nigerian rural women could vary across regions and it reflects different aspects of social stratification. The indicators at the individual level have been: income, education and occupation, household size, employment status, political participation, religious involvement and so on (Witwer, 1997). These variables are often used interchangeably even though they are moderately correlated with one another. There has been a marked increase in research on socio-economic status. (Kewachi, Kennedy, Grupta and Prothrow-Stitu, 1999) observed that the level of use of information was higher for people with educational qualifications. Corbett and Williams (2002), Keizer and Maesen (2003), Rapley (2003) and Gabriel and Bowling (2004) further emphasized that the location of one‟s residence as well as the household income affect the use of information. The authors posited that people with low socio-economic households have less access to information. There are number of factors influencing the socio-economic status and quality of life of people in developed and developing countries. (Axellson, 2004; Lawanson 2005 and Banmeke, 2005) categorised the factors as it affects women into two: demographic characteristics and attitudinal and situational factors. 40 The demographic characteristics include gender, age, education, marital status, occupation, race as well as personality factors. According to Food Agency Organisation (200, women from ages 16 to 39 are economically active. Age no doubt will determine whether or not rural women have good quality of life and whether they are economically active or not. Education also plays an important role in the socio-economic status of rural women. Oyekanmi (1990) opined that education would give women personal growth, knowledge and skill. The 2003 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) reported that majority of Nigeria women have had some level of formal education but 42% have never attended school. This is almost twice 22% of men who have never attended school. Despite the fact that more women are joining the league of the literate, there are still more women than men who are without education, especially in the rural areas. Basically, one‟s level of education influences one‟s personality. Wathen, Nadine and Harris (2006) noted that women generally are active information seekers especially in the context of managing themselves and their families. However, rural women with low level of education neither have time to seek appropriate information nor know how to access the right information sources. They do not learn to read even if education programmes are accessible. The reason for this, according to Jiyane and Ocholla (2004), is because the rural women have been overworked. They have been compelled to run the household and provide food and income for the family in addition to their child-care responsibilities while the men usually migrate to urban areas in search of employment. This, Burky (1993) said, is one reason for the rural women to enjoy good quality of life. Attitudinal and situational factors according to Lawanson (2003) have several clusters of situation that can be delineated. For example, one cluster concerns the rural woman‟s husband, his income and his general attitude to life. Some husbands are satisfied with the kind of life they are living and do not see the need to seek information on how it could be 41 better. Some are satisfied with the information they receive from friends, newspapers and radio and will prevent their wives from going the extra mile to seek various information sources that could boost their own quality of life. Another cluster has to do with the rural women‟s attitude towards large family size. Rural women of privilege want to have large family size to help on the farm. This is done at the expense of formal education and good occupation which could improve the quality of life of the entire household. Ability to understand the status and position of the rural women in developing countries like Nigeria must begin with an appreciation of the multiple effects of the disadvantaged socio-economic status they have endured over the course of their lives. Mona- Liza (1995),Okiy (2003) and Taylor and Lockery (2007) identified some of the problems associated with the rural women which have affected their socio-economic status. These problems are: 1. lack of access to financial services‟ 2. lack of access to land and other productive resources; 3. poor market infrastructure 4. lack of access to quality information 5. lack of appropriate technologies; and 6. lack of training From the author‟s observation of the identified problems, it shows that persons with the listed problems have poorer socio-economic status and are less likely to have adequate access to good quality living if the definition of World Health Organisation of quality of life is anything to go by. These authors advocates positives changes in the socioeconomic status of the rural women by means of pooling resources together and working for the mutual interest of all through cooperative and women‟s societies. 42 2.5 Quality of Life of People in Developing Countries It appears that the concept of quality of life is fast becoming a popular concept worldwide including Nigeria (Imhonde, Idiakheua and Ewanbhorshioria, 2010).Though, there is lack of general definition of the term “quality of life,” majority of individuals have a reasonably clear idea of what sorts of things would enhance the quality of life. There is an adage that says, “He who wears the shoe knows where it pinches”. The concept embodies new ideas about the state of the environment, housing, people‟s state of happiness, work and marital satisfaction and the total well being of the populace. The quality of life of a person is what he/she perceives it to be. For example, higher pay, higher income from farming products, farming land, longer holidays in urban areas, more satisfaction in working lives, time to pursue enjoyable and satisfying leisure pursuits, emotional fulfillment in relationships, blissful married life, self-actualization, provision of education of children and having a long healthy and happy life within a safe, caring and supportive local community could be what a rural woman would call a good quality of life. Rice (1984) defined quality of life as the degree to which the experience of an individual‟s life satisfies that individuals wants and needs. The author stressed that it is the state of material well being of a community or an individual on account of availability of, access to, and consumption of the requisites conditions of living. According to Oluwoye (1990), quality of life is an important objective of almost all socio-economic endeavours. Wolfensberger (1994) opined that quality of life is great in species but that when it is given the status of a research concept, it becomes an uncertain tool unless it is controlled by precise definition and rigorous discipline in thought and word. From this observation, it is clear that the methodology of constructing a measure of index of quality of life may vary from place to place as well as from purpose to purpose. The term „quality of life‟ according to Odumosu (1999) was considered as an evaluative inclusive concept which 43 covers all aspects of living as it is experienced by individuals rather than with some state of society. However, this study did not ignore the fact that while quality of life is experienced by individuals, it is also closely linked to that of social groups, communities and nations. In 2002, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) monitoring team reported that United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) since 1974 has undertaken work towards the development of indicators of quality of life. The result of the round table meeting has redefined the problem which formed the basis of the subsequent studies on quality of life. The UNESCO conclusion about quality of life includes the following: i. The QOL refers to all elements of the conditions in which people live, i.e. with respect to all their needs in life and level of satisfaction attained for such needs. It is broader than welfare or level of living as traditionally understood; ii. That QOL can be divided into its social aspects (including social relations) and physical aspects (physical environments). iii. That the notion of QOL has universal applicability iv. That it is the exact meaning which the QOL takes under various conditions (cultural milieu, levels of development and social system) v. That there are three main methods of assessing the QOL. These are:  Observation of objective facts  Observation of the behavioural facts  Observation of expressions of opinions, attitudes, beliefs and values. The research team from NISER identified fairly comprehensive lists of human needs and has subsequently measured the subjective perception that individuals have of the extent to which such needs are fulfilled. The team, NISER (2002) equally picked indices in different domains to review the quality of life of Nigerians from 1990-2000. 44 In the review, the quality of life of Nigerians urban experienced and rural sub- population from 1990 – 2000 revealed that Nigerians over the years (1990 – 2000) had the highest sense of fulfillment in the spiritual life domain, family life and education domains in that order. The worst sense of fulfillment was experience in the government, society and health domains. The result shows that Nigerians living in the rural areas had their highest sense of fulfillment in the spiritual domain and the lowest in the income domain. Their result shows that those in the rural areas are of the view that they do not have enough money to be able to afford what they really need and this has affected their socio-economic status. Before 1970, according to Rapley (2003), quality of life as a construct received little attention in literature, but since then the situation has been reversed. Despite its widespread use, the term has different meanings to different people. For some researchers, quality of life means almost anything beyond information about death and death rates. For others, quality of life is an umbrella concept that refers to all aspect of a person‟s life, including physical health, psychological well-being, social well-being, financial well-being and family relationship. However, quality of life in the rural area according to Phillips (2006) is a multifaceted phenomenon, determined by the cumulative and interactive impacts of numerous and varied factors like housing conditions, infrastructure, access to various amenities and facilities, income, standard of living, satisfaction about the physical and social environment etc. According to this author, the two indicators of quality of life, which are subjective and objective, are pointing to two different things. Subjective indicator focuses on pleasure as the basic building block of human happiness and satisfaction of quality of life. Objective indicator, on the other hand, focuses on a radically different perspective. To those who are working with this indicator, the important question to ask at the individual level are whether people are healthy, well fed, appropriately housed, economically secure and well educated 45 rather than whether they feel happy. Basically, the central concern of those working with the objective indicator has to do with meeting needs. So there are two completely different criteria for quality of life: subjectivists promote happiness whereas objectivists want to meet needs. Imhonde, Idiakheua & Ewanbhorshiora (2010) in their study concluded that quality of life is the conception of the desirables by which people judge the “goodness or badness” of daily life. 2.6 Accessibility to and utilisation of information and quality of life of rural women Access to basic human rights is increasingly being linked to access to information (Warah, 2004). Muhammed Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work in microcredit in 2006, has long argued that access to information should be a fundamental human right in a world where billions struggle to find a meal, while hundreds of billions struggle not to eat too much and where billions are forced to cook and heat their water with dangerous and dirty fuels (Yunus, 2007). According to this author, access to information may be the only way to begin to close that gap. McCreadie and Rice (1999) opined that access to information affects everybody‟s life from economic well-being to privacy rights, from workplace management and monitoring to policy and decision making, and from daily errands to transnational business. Mutua-Kombo (2001) noted that information is needed to eliminate the worst effects of poverty, lack of shelter, education, health, and unemployment and so on. Concerted efforts are being made worldwide to promote access to the world‟s accumulated knowledge by tackling the constraints to accessing and using of information. Section 39 (1) and 39 (2) of the Nigerian constitution states that “everyone has the right to information”(The Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999). Access to information is critical to letting people know their entitlement to welfare benefits and sources of support to qualitative life. Ikporukpo (2002) conceptualised accessibility to information in terms of ability to get a place quickly and cheaply and 46 availability and affordability of a utility. Consequently, in utilising any information whether oral, printed or electronics, its accessibility is crucial to the making of choices for living. In the last few years, more and more development agencies have recognised that information can mitigate risk and improve the quality of life of the rural dwellers (Issak, 2000). According to Okiy (2003), access to information has the potential for breaking social, economic and political barriers and improving the quality of life of the rural women. Rural women are disadvantaged and become increasingly vulnerable if they do not know about their rights, what services they could access, what their goods are selling for in the market, the best practices in farming, the plans for areas of interest or the opinions for tackling certain problems. (Tise, 2000 and Jimba, 2002) reaffirmed that access to information by rural women is critical because it helps them to acquire skill, knowledge and confidence to participate fully in community affairs and improving their quality of life. These authours opined that it is a truism that the urge of the rural women in developing countries for different kinds of information connected to their livelihood is a natural human attribute. Information empowers human beings. In South Africa, the provision of access to information and the people‟s right to it has become a topical issue. The promotion of access to information Act No 2 of 2000 was passed in order to actualize the people‟s right to access information. Global information networks are now in existence in most developing countries because of the modern invention of telecommunication appliances such as telefacsimile, telex, television, mobile telephones, telecentres and satellite that serve as sources of information. It is expected that in the near future, the whole world will form an information village or society as predicted by Garfield (2001). The rural communities may remain so for a long time, excluded from the global information society because of their low quality of life and lack of basic infrastructure. For rural women living in these rural communities, good 47 quality of life may continue to be a mirage unless they are able to obtain access to the world‟s store of knowledge and information available in various information sources, and use the knowledge to enjoy improved quality of life. Greenhulgh (2005) submitted that access to and utilisation of information to improve the quality of life of the rural dwellers cannot be achieved without involving the librarians and other information professionals because they are the building blocks of the local information and knowledge infrastructure. It is noteworthy that the white paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage issued by the South African Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST) notes that libraries will play a decisive role in providing access to information for reconstruction, development and enhancing quality of Diso (2006) says access and adequate use of information would no doubt transform rural communities into a lively and enlightened society where structural and infrastructural problems, official corruption, unstable polity and public policies and growing insecurity hamper these developments.. Harande (2009) noted that the prosperity, progress and development of any nation depend upon the nation‟s ability to acquire, produce, access and utilise pertinent information. If access to information can improve the quality of life of rural women, then it is important to know how utilisation of information can improve their quality of life. Over the years, Nigerian government has designed plans and policies targeted at improving the quality of life of the rural populace but the condition of the rural women is degenerating instead of advancing. What could be responsible? Issak (2000) answered the question when he concluded that the success of any government programme depends on effective utilization of information in daily activities. One example of information service provision that was easily accessible for the rural populace was reported by Ngulube (2000) in the Mudzi District, a remote rural area in North 48 Eastern Zimbabwe as a library. The Mudzi library is responding and contributing to social change and economic development in the district through the creation of access to information that the rural community found easy to utilise. The aim of the library is to provide materials and services to help the rural community obtain information to improve their quality of life. The library stock comprised books, pamphlets, magazines, newspapers and audio-visual materials such as films, tapes, posters and photographs. The library also mounted exhibition for daily living and decision making. Aspects covered by the displays include the importance of information, career guidance, scholarship opportunities, health issues, local service organisations, government gazettes, newspaper cuttings, current affairs and calendar of community event. The library also circulates tape recordings of radio news and national events in local languages. The displays are both in English and local languages. This approach ensures that the rural dwellers felt that they are part of the information society which has an impact on their socio-economic status. Ngulube (2000) concludes that provision, accessibility and utilisation of information are essential factors for improving the quality of life of rural dwellers. Rural women have considerable experience at wrestling a living, no matter how meager, from the land and other resources available to them. According to Okello (2007), accurate, adequate and timely utilisation of required information would result in enhancing the economic and social development of the rural women. The author reported that because The Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), a non- governmental organisation established in Uganda in 2000 discovered that achieving good quality of life is increasingly dependent on the acquisition of information and knowledge. The organisation is committed to directing all efforts to supporting women and women organizations to access and utilise information in their development activities. 49 Uhegbu (2004) and Okiy (2004) in different studies noted that information that could be utilised to improve individuals‟ lives varies depending on their information needs and socio-economic dictates. Uhegbu (2004) surveyed how political information as provided by information agencies were utilsed for enhancing women‟s‟ involvement in politics. He found that a positive relationship existed between political activity and utilisation of political information. Okiy (2004) findings also show that occupational information availability and utilisation when taken together were effective in predicting the occupational income of the rural women in the South senatorial district of Delta state. According to Harande (2009), Nigeria has been an independent nation for the past 49 years churning out policies on development of rural communities, but the rural areas are still not developed. The quality of life of the people continues to deteriorate under both civilian and and military regimes. Could the absence of effective utilisation of information be a cause? The author concludes that the rural communities have the potential to enjoy good quality of life if information services are fully enhanced in rural communities throughout the country. 2.8 Socio-economic variables and quality of life of rural women The number of people living in rural areas is growing rapidly, especially in developing countries. Worldwide, at least 1 billion people are estimated to live in rural communities and experts project that the number will rise to 1.6 billion by the year 2020 and to 2 billion by 2030 (Kraemer, 2008). Poverty, poor housing, high population densities and inadequate living conditions combined with environmental conditions that readily promote the spread of communicable diseases are prevalent in rural communities in Nigeria. In the Nigerian society as in other African societies, rural women play a variety of roles in the family. They are responsible for child rearing, providing labour in the field, education of the children and generating income for the family. Mooko (2005) listed the 50 number of reasons why women find themselves involved in the informal work which includes: low level of education, child rearing, and lack of access to information on opportunities that are available for them. According to George and Domi (2002), the living conditions, facilities and basic infrastructure play an important role in the quality of life of women living in rural areas. Availability of latrine, rural dwelling status, type of roof and walls of home, as well as domestic source of water were the variables which the authors used in their study to determine the quality of life of the sample populations. According to George, Dineshi and Balakrishnan (2009), the source of income and employment status of the rural women was another important factors contributing to their disillusionment The effects of selected socioeconomic factors on health related variables among rural women in Bangladesh were studied by Khan and Kraemer (2008). Age, residence of the rural women, level of education and economic status of the household were found to be important determinants of their quality of life. In the context of Bangladesh, factors such as education, household characteristics, and access to mass media can be taken as indicators of poverty because poverty causes high illiteracy, is associated with less access to mass media, and increases the likelihood of living in a poor household condition. Their results indicate that increasing access to mass media has potentials for effectively improving disease prevention and health promotion. Choe and Kwon (2004) in a study on health-related quality of life by socioeconomic factors and health-related behaviors of the elderly in rural areas showed health related quality of life to be significantly associated with education, job, and family type. The author concluded that health related quality of life for the older adults in rural areas was dependent on socioeconomic characteristics, health-related behaviours and self-rated health status and recommended that a better understanding of socio-economic factors would help to improve the older adults' quality of life. 51 Wachenfeldt, Brandberg and Hemming (2009) examines the socioeconomic status of women with a family history of breast cancer using three indicators: marital status, level of education and household income. Socio-economic factors consistently made significant and independent contribution to health outcomes when included in multivariate analysis. The result of the study shows that women with the highest level of education and household income appear to have higher socioeconomic status and high quality of life. The authors recommended that efforts to reach women in lower socioeconomic groups should be elaborated. In traditional society, women were supposed to do housework, take care of children, and give the family emotional stability. However, with the social and economic changes that affect rural societies, the traditional values have changed. More women are engaged in full- time jobs. No longer are they only women and mothers; they are also business women, politicians, and contributors to society. They also exposed themselves on various fields of financial acquisitions including commerce, service and agriculture which require them to know how to perform these economic activities in order to get more return on their effort. They need to know the way to grow vegetables, how to produce a marketable product and how to advertise the services provided. Women staying at home also can run business through application of adequate information. It is pertinent to note here that in Nigerian rural setting, there is a strong kinship relationship that existed among the villagers, especially among the community of women in the villages. It is believed that women roles have an impact on families and societies. If they perform their roles and duties accordingly, a quality generation will be produced. Of course in order to achieve that, a sufficient amount of information is a necessity. 52 2.9 Constraints to accessibility and utilisation of information by rural women Though information is widely recognised as a catalyst for both national and personal development (Aguolu, 1997), many women living in rural areas are still unaware of the need for information and therefore fail to exploit it to improve their quality of life even when information resources are available. This is because the availability of information does not necessarily mean its accessibility or utilisation because of the wealth of information available in the world today is tremendous but the sheer volume of it in myriad formats, makes it impossible for the rural women to have complete access to it. Aguolu (1997), Mutua-Kombo (2001) and Mokoo (2005) enumerated the obstacles to information accessibility as: illiteracy; geographical distance; poverty; lack of awareness of the need for information; lack of infrastructure and facilities, (good roads, postal and telecommunication services, information centres) and poor communications. Whenever information of any sort is available in a language or format that is inappropriate or unfamiliar to them, such information would not be utilised. Okiy (2003) observed that even when rural women are in contact with other people or urban population they still encounter obstruction to vital information they need for financial self-sufficiency. Ikonja-Odongo (2002) noted that in some areas, majority of these women do not even know that information services exist that can solve their income problems. Saleh and Lasis (2011) identified the constraints rural women in Borno State, Nigeria have accessing information. The barriers include:  High rate of illiteracy  Inability to access formal channels of information due to poverty  Lack of adequate and efficient information delivery mechanism  Ignorance of governments responsibilities to its citizens  Skepticism of the rural woman towards government and its information agencies 53  Attitude of extension workers towards effective rural information service  Inaccessibility of the rural areas by NGOs The use to which information is put depends on its availability, accessibility, purpose and dissemination process among other factors. However, barriers do exist in accessibility and utilisation of the various information sources. Metcalfe (1989) identified some factors limiting effective use of information as: lack of knowledge about users‟ needs, inadequate access, lack of awareness of conventional and unconventional sources of information, lack of attention to the creation of local data sources, lack of knowledge about how to find information and how best to communicate it. Tiamiyu (1990) in a study of factors underlying the use of information sources in government institutions in Nigeria observed that certain characteristics of information sources can be used to explain their use or non-use. The characteristics are; (i) subject content of the information provided by a source relative to the subject content of information required by users in a specific problem situation; (ii) linguistic format in which the information is provided; and (iii) extent to which the information source provide accurate information However, concerted efforts are being made worldwide to promote access to the world‟s accumulation of information by tackling the constraints. The developing countries have a great desire for rapid growth in information utilisation and are striving to provide adequate basic infrastructures that foster the quality of life of the populace. 2.10 Theoretical Framework The Information Utilisation Capacity Theory The theoretical framework adopted for this study was the information utilisation capacity theory propounded by Curras in 1986. The theory stated that the user of information has limited capacity to profit maximally from the use of available information resources and 54 services. This is partly due to language barrier, cognitive ability, income, level of education, information media or format and access to pool of information resources at the disposal of a user. It explains information utilization in terms of access (both physical and intellectual) to information. Information utilization is dependent on the capacity of the user to access information and later utilises it. The capacity to utilise available information is dependent on certain cultural, socio-economic, political and geographical variables. It also includes the appropriateness of the information, the information channel and the information provider‟s characteristics. One of the prerequisites for information utilization is accessibility. Information may be physically accessible but may not be intellectually utilize. For certain important information such as that dealing with information needs of rural women, cognitive and retrieval ability of information from various information sources is quite important. Rural woman, who possesses the intellectual capacity to utilize particular information that could improve her quality of life, may suffer from lack of the financial capacity necessary for physical accessibility. This introduces education and income as socio-economic variables and indicators of quality of life as inhibiting factors in information utilization. Exposure to education permits the ability to store and retrieve information from formal sources for later use. Education enables the individual to know how to seek for and apply information to explore the various information sources for day-to-day problem solving. For example, as an individual gains the ability to read, he/she is able to extend the scope of his/her experience through the print media. Since messages in the print media tend largely to promote change, the rural women who can engage in adult literacy and vocational training is exposed to a generally favourable attitude toward new ideas, as well as to various information 55 sources which she may consider and use to attain good quality of life. Education thus increases the individual‟s capacity not only to access information but to use it. The information capacity theorists believe that various aspects of inequality in access to, and utilisation of its availability, individual‟s awareness of it, its availability in a form suitable to their needs and their capacity to put it to use are contributory factors to social and economic inequality. Income, another indicator of quality of life is assumed to be a determinant in the rural women‟s capacity to utilise information sources. This is because the higher the income the women realised, the more likely they will seek and obtain information for use. Limited access to information and its various sources incapacitates the rural women‟s quality of life and hinders her capacity to participate in development programmes. 2.11. Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework of this study is based on the assumption that quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State is influenced by accessibility, utilisation and socio-economic variables. The conceptual framework presented in figure 2.1 presents the most important variables hypothesized to predict quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. To improve quality of life of rural women, the options would be to increase rural women‟s access to and effective utilization of information through formal and informal sources. 56 Conceptual Model of the Study ACCESSIBILITY QUALITY TO INFORMATION OF LIFE UTILISATION OF Housing FORMAL INFORMATION SOCIO-  Newspapers ECONOMIC Health  Posters and billboards VARIABLES  Libraries/Information Family life centres  Age  Correspondences Education  Books Utilisation of  Marital Status  Reports, Newsletters, Occupation Bulletins information  Education  Manuals Income  Radio sources  Occupation  Television Spiritual life  Extension agents  Income  Health workers The society  Agricultural workers  Family Size INFORMAL Government  Family and friends  Tribe/Locality  Local leaders  Community  Religion associations  Religious/  Social strata worship/centres  Community viewing centres  Mobile phones  Agricultural Workers  o r g a n i s a t i o n s INDEPENDENT 5 7 DEPENDENT  O Ftihgeursr e 2.1 Accessibility and utilisation of information in relation to quality of life The outlay of this model is self-explanatory. The information needs of rural women are diverse in nature and therefore seek information to meet these needs. The type of information need would lead to the sources of information which rural women could utilize. The various sources which could be formal or informal if available to be accessed could be utilise to improve the quality of life of the rural women. It is assumed by this model that accessibility to the various information sources could promote utilisation of the sources. However, the utilization of information that could improve the quality of life of rural women is determined by some socio-economic factors. These factors may affect the use or non-use of information by the rural women. The financial capability of a rural woman greatly determines the use or non-use of formal sources of information. This is because costs are sometimes placed on the use of most of the formal sources. A rural woman whose income is classified as being low will find it difficult using some information regularly. A woman that is literate may not have problems with deciding on which information sources to utilise because such a woman knows the type of information she wants and the sources to use to access the relevant information without delay. It is assumed by the model that activities packaged to improve the quality of life of rural women should begin with access and use of information. 2.12 Appraisal of Literature Reviewed The review has shown that information is of utmost importance to human society. It has also shown that rural women need information to improve their knowledge and in making decisions that could improve their quality of life. Rural women, therefore, try to meet their information needs by utilizing the information sources which are accessible to them and which they feel comfortable to use. From this review, it is clear that the traditional informal sources of information are very popular sources of information sought and used by rural 58 women. Formal sources are rarely available and the few that are available are not accessible to the women because of their socio-economic status. Availability of sources sought, distance, and time taken to find a source could influence the utilization of sources of information by these rural women. Accessibility and ease of use are the most important attributes of utilization of any source of information. Information technology has enhanced development in every sphere but the rural women in developing countries like Nigeria do not have access to utilize sources like libraries, telecentres, the internet etc, hence the popularity of the informal sources The review shows that accessibility and utilisation of information would improve quality of life since information is an important tool that could increase and boost socio-economic status of rural women. Several studies on quality of life have been carried out in the field of sociology, psychology, medicine and economics but it appears there is a lack of emphasis on the manner in which the concept is related to the circumstances of rural women‟s socio-economic expectations. Informational factors such as information accessibility, requirements, relevance, preference and utilisation have not been considered as crucial factors that can enhance or affect the quality of life of the rural people. This is the main thrust of this study. 59 CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction This chapter contains the methodology used in carrying out this study. It gives detailed information about the research design, variables in the study, population, sample and sampling procedure, instrumentation, validity and reliability, data collection and methods used in analyzing data through the use of statistical tools. 3.1 Research Design Research design according to Powell and Connaway (2004) is the plan and structure of the research farmework developed to systematically collect, analyse and interpret data to answer certain question or solve a problem. In order words, research design is an overall strategy employed by a researcher to obtain information in order to find likely solutions to problems. (Ingwu, 2003). Based on the above therefore, the research design adopted for this study is the descriptive survey research design of the expost-facto type. Sproul (1995) recommended the survey design for research where attitudes, ideas, public opinions and problems on issue are studied. According to Kerlinger and Lee (2000), survey research attempts to determine the incidence, distribution and inter-relatedness among sociological and psychological variables and usually focus on vital facts, beliefs, opinions, attitudes, motivations and behaviour of people. This research design was considered appropriate for this study since the variables of interest have all existed and are studied as they were. The researcher did not manipulate any of the variables but studied the dependent variable in terms of the retrospective influence as a result of the independent variables. It was also selected as a design because it allows inference to be made from the results, which was obtained from the field survey. 60 3.2 Population of Study The target population of this study is eight hundred and nineteen thousand, five hundred and forty-five (819, 545) rural women living in twelve (12) local government areas out of the existing sixteen (16) local government areas in Ekiti State. These local government areas were categorised by the Ekiti State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The rural women comprise farmers, traders, artisans, civil servants, clergy and students. Distribution of the population of study is presented in Table 3.1 Table 3.1 Population of Study LGA Population Male Female Ilejemeje 43,530 22,612 20,918 Oye 134,210 64,576 69,634 Ekiti East 137,955 71,897 66,058 Gbonyin 148,193 77,213 70,980 Ado Ekiti 308,621 155,073 153,548 Irepodun/Ifelodun 129,149 61,892 67,257 Ido/Osi 159,114 83,201 75,913 Efon Alaaye 86,941 44,869 42,072 Ekiti Southwest 165,277 86,136 79,141 Ikere 147,355 72,796 74,559 Ise/Orin 113,754 59,326 54,428 Emure 93,884 48,847 45,037 Total 1,667,983 848,438 819, 545 Source: National Population Commission (2007) 3.3 Sampling Procedure and Sample Size Sampling is a procedure for selecting a part of the population on which research can be conducted, to ensure that conclusions from the study can be generalized to the entire population. For this study, the multistage random sampling technique was used to select 5,866 out of a population size of 819, 545 rural women from 12 local governments areas that 61 were categorized as pure rural by Ekiti State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (please see appendix iii). From these 12 local government areas, 10 were randomly selected by balloting given a sampling fraction of 83.3%. The 237 existing communities in the 10 local governments areas selected were covered. The total number of housing units in the 237 communities covered was 8,199 out of which 820 were randomly selected given a sampling fraction of 10 percent based on probability proportionate size. A total sample size of 5,866 women was obtained from the 820 housing units selected. (please see table 3.4) The sample selected was considered adequate for generalization based on Yamane (1976) cited in Popoola (2007) who stated that sampling fraction in a survey research must be done on the population of study. This sampling method was adopted because of the heterogeneous nature of the population of study, to reduce sampling cost, field administration convenience, time constraint and to reduce the energy involved in carrying out the study. Table 3.2: Female Population in each LGAS and Sample Selected LGA Female Number of Number of Sample Population rural housing Selected (10%) communities units 1.Efon Alaaye 42,022 29 669 420 2.Ilereje 20,918 22 57 210 3.Oye 69,634 26 283 700 4.Ekiti East 66,058 20 537 660 5.Gbonyin 70,958 27 1,143 710 6.Irepodun/Ifelodun 67,257 16 636 670 7.Ido/Osi 75,913 22 143 760 8.Ikere 74,559 22 400 746 9.Ise/Orun 54,428 2 8 3,166 540 10.Emure 45,037 25 1,155 450 Total 586,856 237 8,199 5,866 3.4 Data Collection Instruments Three types of instruments were used to collect data for this study. The main instrument used was a set of questionnaire. This was supported with focus group discussion and interview. Dixon-Ogbechi (2002) asserted that the questionnaire, backed up with interview should be the best method of collecting data in survey research. Powell (2004) 62 reiterated that the use of questionnaires facilitate the collection of large amount of data in a relatively short period of time. The questionnaire titled Information and Quality of Life Questionnaire (IQOL) consisted of sections A, B and C. Section A, titled Information Needs of Rural Women consists of four parts. Part A dwells on the socio-economic variables of the respondents. Part B is on information needs of the rural women. Part C deals with the information services utilized while part D examines the types of information utilized. Section B of the questionnaire titled Accessibility and Utilization of Information Sources, was sub divided into two parts. Part A elicits information on the rural women‟s accessibility to information sources. Part B has to do with the frequency of utilization of the information sources. Section C of the questionnaire titled Quality of Life Scale was made up of fifty five (55) items designed to find out the level of life of the rural women. The respondents were expected to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement on a four-point scale provided. The second instrument used to complement the questionnaire in collecting data was Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) guide. The focus groups comprised of twenty-four rural women divided into three groups. The suitability of this method was based on its appropriateness to a sample lacking reading and writing skills, and knowledge of the English Language. It was envisaged that the method would elicit discussions leading to useful information relevant to the issues under investigation. The relevance of the use of the Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in library and information sciences according to Golding (1997) is because it is a principal tool for gathering data on user needs, information-seeking behaviour, perceptions and opinions of both users and non-users In setting up the focus groups, the step by step approaches outlined by (Kitzinger, (1994) and Litosseliti (2003) were applied. A number of considerations about the design and implementation of the groups were made. For instance, decisions about the number of groups, sizes, composition, the length of the group‟s discussion and settings were carefully taken. 63 This was because the participants were considered to be a valuable resource, which enabled the researcher gain insight into beliefs, attitudes and motives of the themes of discussion. Also, as qualitative research, the focus group discussion method deals with the emotional aspects of human response rather than the objective, which the questionnaire addressed. Locations where group members could talk without observations by others who were not participants were also carefully chosen. In choosing these locations, it was considered whether there were places where the participants can:  see and hear one another;  have sufficient privacy to talk;  have access to one another;  be threatened or intimidated by the location The discussion lasted for between one and a half to two hours. The discussions conducted in Yoruba language were recorded in both audiotapes and notebooks which were subsequently transcribed and translated into English. Please see appendix II for the working session and the focus group discussion guide. The third instrument used was interview schedule. The interview method according to Aina, (2002) “is flexible, open and easily adaptable to most situations. The use of the interview allows the researcher the opportunity to probe deep enough to get deeper explanation and background information concerning the variables in this study. The interview was conducted for government officials in three ministries: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Women Affairs and the state library which is under the Ministry of Education. Each interview lasted between 40 – 60 minutes. Proceedings of the interviews and discussions were recorded on tapes while notes were also taken. (please see appendix III for the result of the interview). 64 At all levels of the field work, attempt was made to obtain vital documents that inform the choice of the rural areas within each local government areas. The researcher collected the relevant document indicating the rural areas in each local government areas from the Ministry of Rural Development. 3.5 Validity and Reliability of the Instrument The questionnaire was subjected to standardization by ascertaining its validity and reliability. The essence of validation was to ensure that the questionnaire measured what it was intended to measure. Validity has been described differently by various authors. Nwankwo (1985) for instance, agrees that the validity of any test or measurement as representing the extent to which the test measures what it was intended to measure. Consequently, the questionnaire was validated for construct and face validity using peer/expert review. By this, researchers in Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), lecturers from departments of Sociology, and Library, Archival and Information Studies were consulted for their comments and criticisms. These were effected on the draft questionnaire. The reliability of an instrument is the degree of consistency or precision to which an instrument measures what it was designed to measure. To ensure this, the instrument was subjected to a pilot study before the final administration. A sample of fifty rural women from Badeku village in Ona-Ara local government headquarters of Oyo State (not part of sample) responded to the questionnaire. The reliability coefficient was calculated using Cronbach Alpha to ascertain its internal consistency. The value of 0.87 was obtained for accessibility and utilization of information, 0.76 for information needs of rural women and 0.84 was obtained for quality of life respectively. 65 3.6 Data Collection Procedure Copies of the questionnaire were personally administered to the rural women with the assistance of twenty trained research assistants (two assistants attached to each local government area). A letter of introduction from the researcher‟s department facilitated the distribution and collection of data from homes, offices and place of work of the rural women. Copies of the questionnaire were administered through heads of department in offices, principals of schools, village heads, community and youth leaders, farm associations, mosques and churches. st th The data collection exercise lasted from 1 June, 2009 – 8 August, 2009. All the research assistants had the capacity to speak, read and write in the local languages of the rural women as well as in English language. However the researcher moderated the focus group discussions and the interview. 3.7 Method of Data Analysis Data gathered were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were also used because the study is a multivariate one that seeks to determine the composite and relative effects of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The research questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviations and variance, while the hypotheses were tested with Pearson Correlation Coefficient and multiple regression analysis at 0.05 levels of significance. The results obtained through the analysis and the Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were presented and discussed in chapter four. 66 CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 4.0. Introduction The results of the study are presented and discussed in this chapter. The data collected through the questionnaire administered, the focus group discussion and other available records are clearly presented and effectively discussed. A total number of five thousand, eight hundred and sixty-six (5,866) copies of the questionnaire were administered. Out of this number, five thousand, two hundred and fifteen (5,215) copies were retrieved out of which two hundred and fifteen (215) were found not usable leaving a total of five thousand (5,000 ) copies which was considered useable for data analysis. This represents a response rate of 85.2%. This is reported in table 4.1. Table 4.1. Questionnaire administered and retrieved LGAs SAMPLE SAMPLE USEABLE NOT SELECTED RETURNED USEABLE OYE 700 640 604 36 GBOYIN 710 650 625 25 ILEJEMEJE 210 200 191 9 EKITI EAST 660 600 590 10 IREPODUN 670 540 510 30 IDO OSI 760 590 540 50 MOBA 746 700 680 20 ISE ORUN 540 500 480 20 EFON ALAYE 420 400 400 0 EMURE 450 380 380 15 TOTAL 5,866 5,215 5,000 215 67 4.1 Data on Socio-economic variables: Data on socio-economic variables are presented in Figure 4.1 to Figure 4.9. Figure 4.1 Distribution of respondents by age Figure 4.1 shows that the respondents whose ages are less than or equal to 25 years are 223 (4.5%). Those between 26-35 years are 805 (16.1%). Those between 36-45 years were 1540 (30.8%). The respondents between 46-55 years were 1,422 (28.4%). T hose from 56years and above are 1,010 (20.2%). It therefore goes to show that the majority of those who took part in this study are mainly adults who are still active economically. 68 Primary School Secondary School Tertiary Education Never gone to school Figure 4.2 Distribution of respondents by level of education Figure 4.2 shows that majority of the respondents, two thousand one hundred and fourteen (42.3%) had never gone to school, while one thousand three hundred and ninety eight (27.8%) and four hundred and forty six (18.9%) had primary and secondary education respectively. The study shows that five hundred and fifteen (11%) of the respondents had tertiary education. The result in Figure 4.2 shows that the percentage of women who had tertiary education is small compared with those who attended primary and secondary education. This implies that there was no improvement in the educational status of women living in rural areas in Ekiti State as shown in the core welfare indicators of the National Bureau of Statistics which shows that 35.5% never attended school, 18.1% have primary education, 16.6 have secondary education and only 20.7 have tertiary education. (National Bureau of 69 Statistics, 2008). The distribution of the level of education of the respondents may likely have negative impact on their quality of life because the productive sector needs skilled and trained labour force. Figure 4.3 Distribution of respondents by occupation Figure 4.3 shows the occupation status of the respondents. The finding shows that 1,233 (24.7%) were farmers who engaged in subsistent farming. This corroborates the research findings of Aboyade (1990), Idisi (1996), Kisamba-Mugerwa (2001) and Okiy (2003) that large number of rural women in Africa engaged in direct food and agro-economic productive. This underscores why most rural women are trapped in the poverty circle as the do not permanent and regular source of income. The agricultural sector is faced with seasonal fluctuations which renders farm income insecure and irregular. Trading was also identified as 70 one of the major occupations of the rural women in this study. 2,037(40.7%) of the respondents were traders, 1,140(22.8%) were civil servants, 400 (8.0%) were artisans, 103(10.1%) were student, 87 (1.7%) reported they had no occupation. This finding is a reflection of the educational background of the women. It is pertinent among Yoruba women, majority of whom had become head of households, to be economically active. The need to survive often prompts rural women to be involved in more economic activities to support their family. Figure 4.4 Distribution of respondents by marital status From figure 4.4, it is evident that 3,457 or (69.1%) of the rural women are married, 428 or (8.6%) are single, 307 or (6.1%) are divorced, 160 or (3.2%) are separated from their husbands and 648 or (13%) are widowed. On the whole, more respondents (3,457 or (69.1%) are married compared to those who were single, separated, divorced and widowed. It therefore goes to show by implication that, the incidence of divorce is alien to the rural women in Ekiti State. This was confirmed in the social economic survey on Nigeria 2008 71 report which shows that 55.7% of the population in Ekiti State was married, 32.0% was not married, 4.4% was separated from their husbands, 7.6% was widowed and only 0.3% was divorced (National Bureau of Statistics, 2008). 40.08% No Response 1-4 Children 5-8 Children 9-12 Children Figure 4.5: Distribution of respondents by number of children The result in Figure 4.5 shows that 349 or (7.0%) of the respondents refused to state the number of the children they had. Their refusal may not be unconnected with the belief that children are not accounted like animals. However, 3,191or (63.8%) indicated they had between 1-4 children, 1,420 or (28.4%) reported they had between 5-8 children while 40 (0.8%) had between 9-12 children respectively. One can therefore deduce that majority of the rural women had between 1 – 4 children. It was observed that in rural areas, the decision of how many children to have is a private decision of the household. This was so because within a rural household, the number 72 of children has a major role to play in farming, trading and other wage labour activities because the children combine efforts to generate food and income for the family's survival (Devarajan, 2010). What the result on rural women who had more than four children suggests is the fear of survival prospects for the children. Figure 4.6 Distribution of respondents by household size Figure 4.6 shows that 119 or (2.4%) of the respondents did not give their household size, 1,591 (31.8%) indicated 1-4, 3,011 or (60.2%) had between 5-8 household size and 21 or (0.4%) reported they had above 13 members in their household. This shows that majority of the women in the study had a small houuseholde size while large household sizes are among the small percentages. As the household size increases, the distribution of respondents decreases. From distribution in figure 4.1.6, the mean household size is (6.4). This confirms the general household size report of the National Bureau of 73 Statistics which reported that Ekiti State recorded the mean household size of 3.0 which was the least compared to other states in Nigeria (National Bureau of Statistics, 2008). Figure 4.7: Distribution of respondents by type of residence Figure 4.7 shows the types of residence inhabited by the respondents. The findings revealed that 2,769 or (55.4%) of the respondents lived in a room and parlour, 696 or (13.9%) indicated wing bungalow, 549 or (11.0%) indicated self-contained, 343 or (6.9%) said they lived in a room apartment, 364 or (7.3%) indicated flat bungalow, 157 or (3.1%) indicated flat while 93 or (1.8%) reported that they had no house, 29 (0.6%) of the respondents did not respond to the question. This result shows that majority of the respondents lived in room and parlour. Similarly, the National Bureau Of Statistics show the distribution of residents of Ekiti States by type of housing unit and reported that 81% lived in single room, 6.9% lived in flat, 0.4% lived in duplex and only 11.6% lived in whole building (National Bureau of Statistics, 2008). 74 Figure 4.8 Distribution of respondents by dwelling tenure status Figure 4.8 shows the rural dwelling tenure status of the respondents. The study revealed that 2941 or (58.8%) of the respondents lived in rented apartment, 1344 or (26.9%) lived in property owned by their parents. Respondents that lived in their personal houses were 715 (14.3%). It could be deduced from result that only 715 or 14.3% of the rural women possessed the financial means to build personal house where they lived while 2,941 or (58.8%) of the respondents lived in rented apartment. This confirmed the tenure status of residents of Ekiti State which reported only 38.4% of residents as owner occupier. The finding of this study did not agreed with Fasoranti (2008) who reported that the number of house owners have increased in Ekiti State because of the loan facilities facilitated by the Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN). 75 Figure 4.9 Distribution of respondents by electrical appliances owned Figure 4.9 shows those respondents who claimed that electrical appliances were available in their household constituted more than 50%. The degree of availability showed that electricity ranked highest. For the rural women, the use of electricity has beneficial effects (Khandaker, 2010). Cabraal, Barnes and Agarwal (2005) in their study of productive uses of electricity explained that rural women need electricity for: pumping water supplies, grinding, preservation for food production and sales, streets lighting which allow safer participation in other activities (e.g., evening classes and women‟s group meetings), and specialised enterprises such as hairdressing. The National Bureau of Statistics (2008) reported that the main source of supply of electricity in Ekiti State is the Power Holdings Corporation of Nigeria (PHCH) with 56.7% 1.2% was from private generator while 0.8% was from the PHCN and generator combined. 76 Followed by electricity is the radio. This shows that majority of the rural women owed a radio.This implies that the respondents knew the importance of radio to their daily living. It was observed that the radio can be used to reach practically everybody in the societies in a variety of languages. It has the ability to overcome illiteracy because programmes can be prepared and presented in vernacular. In addition, it has a large audience. This is enhanced by the use of transistor radio which could be used in rural areas. Other appliances the rural women have are televisions, fans, mobile telephones, stove and so on. This shows that the respondents could maximize and enjoy the use of these appliances. 4.3: Findings on research questions This section is devoted to the analysis of the research questions drawn for this research. There were six (6) research questions in all. Research Question 1 What are the information needs of rural women in Ekiti State? The types of information highly needed by the rural women in Ekiti State were information about income generation (X=3.04, SD= .04), community development (X=3.03, SD= .94), best practices in farming (X=2.86, SD= .17), beneficial associations for rural women development (X=2.76, SD= .11), co-operative societies and trade groups (X=2.75, SD=.07) and health management, (X = 2..60, SD= .5). Information the rural women found occasionally needed were: information about financial institutions (X = 2.46, SD= .15) and vocational and adult education (X = 2.44, SD= .97). The respondents reported they do not need information on the following: food and nutrition (X = 2.47, SD= .11), equipment management (X = 2.35, SD= .19) and home economics and management (X = 2.30, SD= .04). This is reflected in Table 4.2. 77 Table 4.2: Ranking of information needs of rural women in Ekiti State S/N Item Very Highly Occas. Never Mean Std. Dev. Highly Needed needed needed (X) (SD) needed N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) 1 Financial institutions (banks, micro finance, 1420 712 1626 1242 2.46 0.15 insurance companies etc) (28.4) (14.2) (32.5) (24.8) 2 Marketing of goods and services 1554 1253 1304 889 2.69 0.09 (31.1) (25.1) (26.1) (17.8) 3 Income generation 2302 1110 1096 492 3.04 0.04 (46.0) (22.2) (21.9) (9.8) 4 Community development 1834 1955 757 454 3.03 0.94 (36.7) (39.1) (15.1) (9.1) 5 Cooperative societies and trade groups 1641 1193 1417 749 2.75 0.07 (32.8) (23.9) (28.3) (15.0) 6 Vocational and adult education 790 1525 1761 924 2.44 0.97 (15.8) (30.5) (35.2) (18.5) 7 Small scale business management 1195 1480 1416 909 2.59 0.04 (23.9) (29.6) (28.3) (18.2) 8 Non-governmental agencies for rural 807 1251 1156 1786 2.22 0.10 women development (16.1) (25.0) (23.1) (36) 9 Health management 1190 1582 1268 960 2.60 0.05 (23.8) (31.6) (25.4) (19.2) 10 HIV/AIDS 946 1407 1251 1396 2.38 0.08 (18.9) (28.1) (25.0) (27.9) 11 Home economics and management 990 749 2052 1209 2.30 0.04 (19.8) (15.0) (41.0) (24.2) 12 Best practices in farming 2150 974 907 969 2.86 0.17 (43.0) (19.5) (18.1) (19.4) 13 Food and nutrition 1161 1335 1210 1294 2.47 0.11 (23.2) (26.7) (24.2) (25.9) 14 Parenting/Child health care 2274 1219 571 936 2.97 0.15 (45.5) (24.4) (11.4) (18.7) 15 Equipment management 1200 1099 960 1741 2.35 0.19 (24.0) (22.0) (19.2) (34.8) 16 Beneficial associations for rural women 1632 1527 869 972 2.76 0.11 development (32.6) (30.5) (17.4) (19.4) The findings corroborated the focus group discussions which revealed that identifying the need of the rural women was important for their information needs to be met. A story was told by a telephone operator from Ise Ekiti about an incident in her local government area where an entire community gave cold shoulders to a talk on parenting initiated by a non- government organization. This was because the group just walked into her village and started calling on the women without prior information from the stakeholders about the benefits from such visit. Parenting certainly was not the priority on their information list of needs at that time. Fifteen, representing 62.5% of the rural women who participated in the focus group 78 discussion also agreed that the information they highly needed are information about best practices in farming and income generations. Research question 2 What sources of information are accessible to rural women in Ekiti State? From the data collected, the result on Table 4.3 shows that the major sources of information easily accessible to the rural women in Ekiti State were information from friends and relations in the same locality (X= 3.43, SD= .85), radio (X= 3.25, SD= .99), religious institutions (X=3.21,=11) friends and relations from urban areas (X3.07, SD=.86), market places (X=2.98, SD= .22), television (X=2.88, SD= .19), village heads (X=2.75, SD=.86) and telephone (X=2.63, SD=.27). Other sources of information that the respondents found easily accessible are information from: local government headquarters, (X=2.54, SD=.92), educated people in the society (X=2.54, SD = 09), community development staff (X=2.33, SD=.07). The respondents do not find the following sources accessible: libraries(X= 1.47, SD=1.93), newspapers, (X= 1.73, SD=.12) information centers (X= 1.42, SD=.88), letters (X= 2.20, SD=.36), film shows (X= 1.43, SD=.91) and Internet facilities, (X= 1.33, SD=.82) amongst others as shown in Table 4.3. 79 Table 4.3: Sources of information accessible to rural women in Ekiti State, Nigeria S/N Item Very Accessible Easily Accessible Not accessible Mean Std. Dev. N (%) Accessible N (%) N (%) (X) (SD) N (%) 1 Friends and relations in my 3200 879 786 134 3.43 0.85 locality (64.0) (17.6) (15.7) (2.7) 2 Friends and relations from 1886 1773 1164 177 3.07 0.86 urban areas (37.7) (35.5) (23.3) (3.5) 3 Village head/local heads 1103 1788 1841 268 2.75 0.86 (22.1) (35.8) (36.8) (5.4) 4 Religious Institutions 2925 979 310 786 3.21 0.11 (58.5) (19.6) (6.2) (15.7) 5 Local government 865 1624 1876 2.54 0.92 headquarters (17.3) (32.5) (37.6) 635 (12.7) 6 Social groups 792 1143 1473 1592 2.23 0.06 (15.8) (22.9) (29.5) (31.8) 7 Health workers 736 1358 1770 1136 2.34 0.99 (14.7) (27.2) (35.4) (22.7) 8 Agricultural extension 603 876 1613 1908 2.03 0.02 staff (12.1) (17.5) (32.3) (38.2) 9 Community development 1008 1058 1738 1196 2.38 0.06 staff (20.2) (21.2) (34.8) (23.9) 10 Talks, lectures by rural 849 630 526 2995 1.87 0.18 development personnel (17.0) (12.6) (10.5) (59.9) 11 Workshops/demonstrations 404 487 615 3494 1.56 0.96 (8.1) (9.7) (12.3) (69.9) 12 Journalists 353 241 498 3908 1.41 0.87 (7.) (4.8) (10.0) (78.2) 13 Non-governmental 544 932 770 2754 1.85 0.07 organizations (10.9) (18.6) (15.4) (55.1) 14 Educated people in the 1316 1097 1543 1044 2.54 0.09 society (26.3) (21.9) (30.9) (20.9) 15 Market places 2487 1096 252 1165 2.98 0.22 (49.7) (21.9) (5.0) (23.3) 16 Radio 2868 913 840 379 3.25 0.99 (57.4) (18.3) (16.8) (7.6) 17 Television 2312 748 985 955 2.88 0.19 (46.2) (15.0) (19.7) (19.1) 18 Telecenters/Community 305 285 344 4066 1.37 0.84 viewing centers (6.1) (5.7) (6.9) (81.3) 19 Film show 381 293 427 3899 1.43 0.91 (7.6) (5.9) (8.5) (78.0) 20 Telephone 1925 826 747 1502 2.63 0.27 (38.5) (16.5) (14.9) (30.0) 21 Text messages from 1593 474 272 2661 2.20 0.36 mobile phones and bank (31.9) (9.5) (5.4) (53.2) statements etc 22 Letters 497 799 511 3193 1.72 0.06 (9.9) (16.0) (10.2) (63.9) 23 Posters 785 1614 1072 1529 2.33 0.07 (15.7) (32.3) (21.4) (30.6) 24 Leaflets/handbills 510 991 1128 2371 1.93 0.04 (10.2) (19.8) (22.6) (47.4) 25 Books 254 469 473 3804 1.43 0.86 (5.1) (9.4) (9.5) (76.1) 26 Newspapers 758 381 623 3238 1.73 0.12 (15.2) (7.6) (12.5) (64.8) 27 Government publications 362 289 473 3876 1.43 0.89 (7.2) (5.8) (9.5) (77.5) 28 Libraries 405 312 508 3775 1.47 0.93 (8.1) (6.2) (10.2) (75.5) 29 Information centres 333 341 417 3909 1.42 0.88 (6.7) (6.8) (8.3) (78.2) 30 The internet 292 244 269 4195 1.33 0.82 (5.8) (4.9) (5.4) (83.9) 80 During the cause of the discussions, it was not difficult for the researcher to ascertain the major constraints the rural women had in accessing information sources they could utilize to improve their quality of life. Thirteen, representing 54.1% of the participants reported that their access to important information was always restricted because of the following reasons: illiteracy; geographical distance; poverty; lack of awareness of the need for information; lack of infrastructure and facilities, (good roads, postal and telecommunication services, information centres); gender disparity; and poor communication. Research Question 3 What are the sources of information mostly utilized by rural women in Ekiti State? The result in Table 4.4 shows that some sources were more frequently utilised than others. On a daily basis for example, the sources of information the respondents utilised was the radio (X=5.62, SD=0.03). Followed by friends and relations from same locality (X=5.21, SD= 0.53), television (X=4.47, SD=1.67), friends and relations from urban areas (X=4.71, SD= 0.18), market places (X=4.16, SD=0.90) and mobile telephone (X=4.13, SD= 0.97), These sources were also used either weekly or monthly: friends and relation from urban village heads (X4.06, SD= 0.97), Information from local government headquarters (X=3.71, SD=0.29)0, community development staff (X=3.39, SD=1.48), educated people in the community (X=3.36, SD=1.67) and health workers(X=3.32, SD=.40). The rural women in Ekiti State, being mostly illiterate, it was not surprising that newspapers (X=2.61, SD=.09)., books(X=1.73, SD=.54), government publications(X=1.88, SD=.63., libraries (X=1.73, SD=.54), Internet(X=1.58, SD=.36), bulletin board(X=2.03, SD=.54), posters(X=2.69, SD=.66)., leaflet/handbills(X=2.78, SD=.68) were not sources of information they utilised. 81 Table 4.4: Frequency of use of sources of information the rural women in Ekiti State utilised S/N Item Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Never Mean Std. Dev. N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) Used N (%) 1 Friends and relations in my 4046 614 67 61 73 138 5.21 0.53 locality (80.9) (12.3 (1.3) (1.2) (1.5) (2.8) 2 Friends and relations from urban 1177 2406 642 537 52 186 4.71 0.18 areas (23.5) (48.1) (12.8) (10.7) (1.0) (3.7) 3 Village head/local heads 522 1185 2110 767 71 345 4.06 0.22 (10.4) (23.7) (42.2) (15.3) (1.4) (6.9) 4 Religious institutions 1424 2133 357 246 128 712 4.47 0.67 (28.5) (42.7) (7.1) (4.9) (2.6) (14.2) 5 Local government headquarters 471 706 1854 1300 234 435 3.71 0.29 (9.4) (14.1) (37.1) (26.0) (4.7) (8.7) 6 Social groups 487 648 824 979 388 1674 2.97 0.73 (9.7) (13.0) (16.5) (19.6) (7.8) (33.5) 7 Health workers 362 613 1176 1746 320 783 3.32 0.40 (7.2) (12.3) (23.5) (34.9) (6.4) (15.7) 8 Agricultural extension staff 298 371 914 1128 712 1577 2.74 0.53 (6.0) (7.4) (18.3) (22.6) (14.2) (31.5) 9 Community development staff 443 741 1147 1417 490 762 3.39 0.48 (8.9) (14.8) (22.9) (28.3) (9.8) (15.2) 10 Talks, lectures by rural 377 504 486 298 205 3130 2.23 0.77 development personnel (7.5) (10.1) (9.7) (6.0) (4.1) (62.6) 11 Workshops/demonstrations 316 426 312 344 125 3477 2.01 0.67 (6.3) (8.5) (6.2) (6.9) (2.5) (69.5) 12 Journalists 272 182 265 246 138 3897 1.70 0.47 (5.4) (3.6) (5.3) (4.9) (2.8) (77.9) 13 Non-governmental organizations 450 600 454 424 240 2832 2.42 0.83 (9.0) (12.0) (9.1) (8.5) (4.8) (56.6) 14 Educated people in the society 908 947 822 1163 352 808 3.36 0.67 (18.2) (18.9) (16.4) (23.3) (7.0) (16.2) 15 Market places 1418 1726 455 166 107 1128 4.16 0.90 (28.4) (34.5) (9.1) (3.3) (2.1) (22.6) 16 Radio 3689 288 199 377 90 357 5.62 0.03 (73.8) (5.8) (4.0) (7.5) (1.8) (7.1) 17 Television 2982 483 178 368 83 906 4.64 0.96 (59.6) (9.7) (3.6) (7.4) (1.7) (18.1) 18 Telecenters/Community viewing 161 162 91 147 197 3392 1.61 0.38 centers (3.2) (3.2) (1.8) (2.9) (3.9) (67.8) 19 Film shows 344 212 124 116 147 4057 1.66 0.52 (6.9) (4.2) (2.5) (2.3) (2.9) (81.1) 20 Telephone 1885 986 374 464 225 1066 4.13 0.97 (37.7) (19.7) (7.5) (9.3) (4.5) (21.3) 21 Text messages from mobile 1258 391 234 223 138 2756 2.83 0.20 phones and bank statements etc (25.2) (7.8) (4.7) (4.5) (2.8) (55.1) 22 Letters 354 384 403 392 165 3302 2.09 0.70 (7.1) (7.7) (8.1) (7.8) (3.3) (66.0) 23 Posters 232 545 1180 637 295 2111 2.69 0.66 (4.6) (10.9) (23.6) (12.7) (5.9) (42.2) 24 Leaflets/handbills 222 685 1218 565 254 2056 2.78 0.68 (4.4) (13.7) (24.4) (11.3) (5.1) (41.1) 25 Books and monographs 242 226 306 297 179 3750 1.76 0.48 (4.8) (4.5) (6.1) (5.9) (3.6) (75.0) 26 Newspapers 998 353 338 246 126 2939 2.61 0.09 (20.0) (7.1) (6.8) (4.9) (2.5) (58.8) 27 Government publications 376 265 242 317 114 3686 1.88 0.63 (7.5) (5.3) (4.8) (6.3) (2.3) (73.7) 28 Libraries 296 283 188 176 123 3934 1.73 0.54 (5.9) (5.7) (3.8) (3.5) (2.5) (78.7) 29 Information centres 215 253 244 152 190 3946 1.66 0.43 (4.3) (5.1) (4.9) (3.0) (3.8) (78.9) 30 The internet 195 225 165 219 103 4093 1.58 0.36 (3.9) (4.5) (3.3) (4.4) (2.1) (81.9) 82 It was not difficult for the researchers to ascertain the factors affecting the rural women‟s use of the various information sources. The first major challenge was that the sources were transient. Eleven, representing 45.8% of the participants reported that extension workers and many other government agents are always available when the villagers want to confirm certain things. Another challenge was that the workload of majority of the rural women do not allow for information searching. They make do with information they stumble upon from the familiar sources available. The absence of the some sources is also a barrier. For example, a teacher from one of the secondary schools in Emure who participated in one of the groups stated that… „because I teach in this rural area, I do not know what the government would want me to do to improve my life. The government passes on propaganda through the radio and the state television stations and ignored the most important thing that could benefit rural women. You cannot receive letters as a means of communication and you may have to go to the state capital in Ado – Ekiti to source for information that could benefit the students and other rural dwellers. Who told the government that we teachers in the rural setting cannot use computer if given the opportunity to access the internet’? The cost of access to some of the information sources was not a barrier because most participants felt that the benefits of using any of the familiar sources outweigh the cost when searching for information that would improve their socio-economic status. Most of the participants said they own radio sets and mobile telephone (GSM). To them, the cost is minimal, compared to their favorite programmes which were made possible by the radio broadcast and the mobile phones. On the other hand, a good education, knowledge of the information sources, the formats, linguistic and cultural behaviours and the type of occupation that the respondents are engaged in were some of the factors that influence their use. 83 Research Question 4 What types of information do rural women in Ekiti State find accessible to utilise? Table 4.5 shows the type of information rural women found accessible. From the result, marketing information(X= 3.177, SD= .26) and information on parenting (X=3.10, SD = .22) are the major types of information the rural women in Ekiti State frequently accessed. It was obviously seen that information about the government (X=2.74, SD=.10), community development (X= 2.60, SD= .92), health and child care (X= 2.60, SD=.95), politics and government (X= 2.55, SD= .96) are types of information least accessed by the rural women. Table 4.5: Frequency of use of types of information accessible to rural women S/N Types of Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Never Mean Std. Dev. Information N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) (X) (SD) 1 Marketing 2418 113 215 148 649 1456 3.17 0.26 Information (48.4) (2.3) (4.3) (3.0) (13.0) (29.1) 2 Technical 3580 157 283 294 454 232 1.92 0.60 and scientific (71.6) (3.1) (5.7) (5.9) (9.1) (4.6) information 3 Food and 3194 118 138 427 506 617 2.36 0.94 nutrition (63.9) (2.4) (2.8) (8.5) (10.1) (12.3) 4 Health and 2792 63 325 619 570 631 2.60 0.95 Child Care (55.8) (1.3) (6.5) (12.4) (11.4) (12.6) 5 Parenting 2482 87 122 387 583 1339 3.10 0.22 (49.6) (1.7) (2.4) (7.7) (11.7) (26.8) 6 Government 2755 119 280 348 503 995 2.74 0.10 information (55.1) (2.4) (5.6) (7.0) (10.1) (19.9) 7 Politics and 2823 176 356 319 703 623 2.55 0.96 government (56.5) (3.5) (7.1) (6.4) (14.1) (12.5) 8 Gender 3687 180 291 285 393 164 1.80 0.49 issues (73.7) (3.6) (5.8) (5.7) (7.9) (3.3) 9 Community 2681 217 340 536 638 588 2.60 0.92 development (53.6) (4.3) (6.8) (10.7) (12.8) (11.8) 10 Home 3138 165 309 274 378 736 2.36 0.95 management (62.8) (3.3) (6.2) (5.5) (7.6) (14.7) From the result on table 4.5, technical and scientific information and home management were not popular types of information the rural women in Ekiti State found accessible. 84 Table 4.6 also shows that marketing information(X= 3.177, SD= .26) and information on parenting (X=3.10, SD = .22) were the major types of information the rural women in Ekiti State frequently utilised. The findings show that information about the government (X=2.74, SD=.10), community development (X= 2.60, SD= .92), health and child care (X= 2.60, SD=.95), politics and government (X= 2.55, SD= .96) are types of information least utilised by the rural women. Technical and scientific information and gender issues are not the popular types of information the rural women in Ekiti State utilised Table 4.6: Frequency of use of types of information utilised by the rural women S/N Type of Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Never Mean Std. Information N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) (X) Dev. (SD) 1 Marketing 2418 113 215 148 649 1456 3.17 0.26 Information (48.4) (2.3) (4.3) (3.0) (13.0) (29.1) 2 Technical 3580 157 283 294 454 232 1.92 0.60 and scientific (71.6) (3.1) (5.7) (5.9) (9.1) (4.6) information 3 Food and 3194 118 138 427 506 617 2.36 0.94 nutrition (63.9) (2.4) (2.8) (8.5) (10.1) (12.3) 4 Health and 2792 63 325 619 570 631 2.60 0.95 Child Care (55.8) (1.3) (6.5) (12.4) (11.4) (12.6) 5 Parenting 2482 87 122 387 583 1339 3.10 0.22 (49.6) (1.7) (2.4) (7.7) (11.7) (26.8) 6 Government 2755 119 280 348 503 995 2.74 0.10 information (55.1) (2.4) (5.6) (7.0) (10.1) (19.9) 7 Politics and 2823 176 356 319 703 623 2.55 0.96 government (56.5) (3.5) (7.1) (6.4) (14.1) (12.5) 8 Gender 3687 180 291 285 393 164 1.80 0.49 issues (73.7) (3.6) (5.8) (5.7) (7.9) (3.3) 9 Community 2681 217 340 536 638 588 2.60 0.92 development (53.6) (4.3) (6.8) (10.7) (12.8) (11.8) 10 Home 3138 165 309 274 378 736 2.36 0.95 management (62.8) (3.3) (6.2) (5.5) (7.6) (14.7) Research Question 5 What major information services do rural women in Ekiti State access? The major information services the respondents accessed were telephone services (X= 3.15, SD= .36), document delivery (X= 2.19, SD= .71), information broking (X=2.04, SD= .84) and referral services (X=2.02, SD= .63). The least services accessed by the respondents were the internet, data processing and video rentals. This is seen in Table 4.7 85 Table 4.7 --: Frequency of the information services accessed by rural women S/N Services: Annually Quarterly Monthly Weekly Daily Never Mean Std. Dev. N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) (X) (SD) 1 Information broking 111 113 195 346 576 3658 2.04 0.84 (2.2) (2.3) (3.9) (6.9) (11.5) (73.2) 2 Document delivery 127 271 601 553 250 3198 2.19 0.71 (2.5) (5.4) (12.0) (11.1) (5.0) (64.0) 3 Current awareness/ 201 275 282 336 293 3613 1.88 0.59 selective dissemination of (4.0) (5.5) (5.6) (6.7) (5.9) (72.3) information 4 Referral 114 268 510 461 217 3430 2.02 0.63 (2.3) (5.4) (10.2) (9.2) (4.3) (68.6) 5 Photocopying 95 279 422 304 218 3682 1.85 0.53 (1.9) (5.6) (8.4) (6.1) (4.4) (73.6) 6 Video rentals 173 142 236 355 242 3852 1.76 0.53 (3.5) (2.8) (4.7) (7.1) (4.8) (77.0) 7 Data processing 108 215 177 251 238 4011 1.65 0.44 (2.2) (4.3) (3.5) (5.0) (4.8) (80.2) 8 Internet/E-mail 92 104 187 260 197 4160 1.58 0.39 (1.8) (2.1) (3.7) (5.2) (3.9) (83.2) 9 Telephone/Telex 98 83 97 353 1755 2614 3.15 0.36 (2.0) (1.7) (1.9) (7.1) (35.1) (52.3) The major information services the respondents also utilized as shown in Table 4.8 were telephone services with (X= 3.15, SD= .36), document delivery (X= 2.19, SD= .71), referral (X=2.02, SD= .63) and information broking (X=2.04, SD= .84) respectively. The least services the rural women utilized were photocopying, data processing, video rentals, and the Internet. Table 4.8--: Frequency of the information services utilised by the Respondents S/N Services: Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Never Mean (X) Std.Dev.(SD) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) 1 Information broking 576 346 195 113 111 3658 2.04 0.84 (11.5) (6.9) (3.9) (2.3) (2.2) (73.2) 2 Document delivery 250 553 601 271 127 3198 2.19 0.71 (5.0) (11.1) (12.0) (5.4) (2.5) (64.0) 3 Current awareness/ 293 336 282 275 201 3613 1.88 0.59 selective (5.9) (6.7) (5.6) (5.5) (4.0) (72.3) dissemination of information 4 Referral 217 461 510 268 114 3430 2.02 0.63 (4.3) (9.2) (10.2) (5.4) (2.3) (68.6) 5 Photocopying 218 304 422 279 95 3682 1.85 0.53 (4.4) (6.1) (8.4) (5.6) (1.9) (73.6) 6 Video rentals 242 355 236 142 173 3852 1.76 0.53 (4.8) (7.1) (4.7) (2.8) (3.5) (77.0) 7 Data processing 238 251 177 215 108 4011 1.65 0.44 (4.8) (5.0) (3.5) (4.3) (2.2) (80.2) 8 Internet/E-mail 197 260 187 104 92 4160 1.58 0.39 (3.9) (5.2) (3.7) (2.1) (1.8) (83.2) 9 Telephone/Telex 1755 353 97 83 98 2614 3.15 0.36 (35.1) (7.1) (1.9) (1.7) (2.0) (52.3) 86 Research Question 6 What is the level of the perceived quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State? The indicators used to measure perceived quality of life of rural women in the following domains are: housing, occupation, income, health, education, neighbourhood/ community, family life, government, social status and spiritual life. The result in Table 4.9 shows that the rural women in Ekiti State have the lowest sense of fulfillment in the housing domain. Only 1,582 (31.6%) of the rural women admitted that they had adequate and comfortable residential accommodation. Four hundred and thirty one, representing (8.6%) and 290 (5.8%) of the women reported they have their personal house and other house where they collected rent. However, only 167 (3.3%) reported that their houses and properties are not safe from armed robbers due to insecurity of life and property. This shows clearly that in spite of the fact that the rural women do not have modern, adequate and comfortable houses to live in, there is a bit of stability in the security of their lives and property in their neighbourhood. Table 4.9: Means scores of (Housing) Quality of life S/N Statements Very True of Occ. True Not true Mean Std. true of me of me of me (X) Dev. me N (%) N (%) N (%) (SD) N (%) 1 I have an adequate and comfortable place 693 1582 1254 1471 2.77 1.02 to live in (13.9) (31.6) (25.1) (29.4) 2 The house in which I live in is not modern 533 1499 801 2167 2.08 1.07 (10.7) (30.0) (16.0) (43.3) 3 Aside from not paying rent, I collect rents 431 290 761 3518 1.53 .94 from other houses I own (8.6) (5.8) (15.2) (70.4) 4 Owing to insecurity of life and property in 167 252 412 4169 1.28 .71 my community, my house and properties (3.3) (5.0) (8.2) (83.4) are not safe from armed robbers. 87 The result as shown in table 4.10 revealed that only 429 (8.6%) of the rural women had interesting jobs. Majority of the women who were farmers, traders and artisans have the lowest sense of fulfillment in their occupation. Two thousand two hundred and fifty two representing (45.0%) reported they are not successful in their occupation because the necessary tools/machines were not available for them to do their work. Table 4.10 Means scores of (Occupation) Quality of life S/N Statements Very true of True of me Occ. True Not true of Mean Std. me N (%) of me me (X) Dev. N (%) N (%) N (%) (SD) 1 I have an interesting job in which 429 628 2557 1386 2.02 .86 I can make full use of my talent (8.6) (12.6) (51.1) (27.7) 2 I derive maximum satisfaction 667 857 2319 1157 2.21 .95 from my present job (13.3) (17.1) (46.4) (23.1) 3 The necessary tools/machinery 829 1000 919 2252 2.08 1.14 are available for me to do my job (16.6) (20.0) (18.4) (45.0) 4 The environment in which I live 847 1043 2326 784 2.39 .94 is conducive enough for me to do (16.9) (20.9) (46.5) (15.7) my work 5 I am among the best women in 689 1094 1868 1349 2.22 .99 my occupation (13.8) (21.9) (37.4) (27.0) 6 I am not very successful in my 3018 336 1325 320 1.59 .87 occupation (60.4) (6.7) (26.5) (6.4) Only one thousand and seventy seven (21.5%) of the rural women in Ekiti State are living above the national minimum wage. Two thousand five hundred and fourty one (50.8%) of the respondents reported they could not afford to send their children to good schools. Two thousand and fifty nine (50.2%) said their financial strength do not give them a good life. Three thousand five hundred and ninety nine (72.0%) of the women reported that their inability to operate a bank account has not improved their comfortability and standard of living. Only one thousand four hundred and twenty two (28.4%) can conveniently acquire essential and necessary household materials for their convenience and that of their family. Due to their financial situation, only 660 (13.2%) could operate a life assurance policy as shown in table 4.11 88 Table 4.11 Means scores of (Income) Quality of life S/N Statements Very True of Occ. True Not true Mean Std. Dev. true of me of me of me (X) (SD) me N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) 1 I live above the national minimum wage 1077 1276 979 1668 2.35 1.15 every month (i.e. N9,500) (21.5) (25.5) (19.6) (33.4) 2 I can afford sending my children to good 559 556 1344 2541 1.83 1.02 school for as far as possible in their (11.2) (11.1) (26.9) (50.8) education 3 I am rich by any standard because I can 472 489 1259 2780 1.73 .98 conveniently meet my obligations towards (9.4) (9.8) (25.2) (55.6) my family 4 My financial strength has made me to live a 470 547 1474 2509 1.80 .97 good life (9.4) (10.9) (29.5) (50.2) 5 I am not admired and respected by others in 238 293 1242 3226 1.51 .81 my community because I do not possess any (4.8) (5.9) (24.8) (64.5) property 6 I can conveniently acquire essential and 537 885 1930 1648 2.06 .97 necessary household materials for my (10.7) (17.7) (38.6) (33.0) convenience and that of my family 7 I personally do not attach any importance to 984 665 1591 1760 2.17 1.11 money as long as I am happy (19.7) (13.3) (31.8) (35.2) 8 My ability to operate a bank account has 380 425 596 3599 1.52 .94 improved my comfortability/standard of (7.6) (8.5) (11.9) (72.0) living 9 I have saved enough to operate a life 241 419 490 3850 1.41 .84 assurance policy (4.8) (8.4) (9.8) (77.0) 10 My inability to save every month 785 836 606 2773 1.93 1.16 negatively has affected my comfortability (15.7) (16.7) (12.1) (55.5) In Table 4.12, One thousand one hundred and eighty four (23.7%) and one thousand three hundred and ninety five (27.9%) of the respondents reported they maintain a very good health because they enjoy good nourishment. One thousand seven hundred and fourty seven (34.9%) said they occasionally maintain good health and only six hundred and seventy four (13.5%) reported not to maintain good health. This shows that the rural women in Ekiti State of Nigeria maintain good health because of the fresh and richness of their food intake. Access to fresh vegetables and other nutritional foods is probably responsible for this. One thousand and seventy (21.4%) claimed they have access to good medical care. One thousand one hundred and eighty eight (23.8%) reported they cannot afford to pay for medical bills whenever the need arises. 89 Table 4.12 Means scores of (Health) Quality of life S/N Statements Very true True of Occ. True Not true Mean Std. Dev. of me me of me of me (X) (SD) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) 1 I feel good because I enjoy good 1765 1357 1258 620 2.85 1.04 health and physical condition (35.3) (27.1) (25.2) (12.4) 2 I am not happy because doctors 264 304 704 3728 1.42 .83 have said that I am not free from (5.3) (6.1) (14.1) (74.6) debilitating diseases 3 I maintain good health because I 1184 1395 1747 674 2.62 .99 enjoy good nourishment (23.7) (27.9) (34.9) (13.5) 4 I have access to good medical care 1070 961 1467 1502 2.32 1.12 in my community (21.4) (19.2) (29.3) (30.0) 5 I limit the number of children I have 819 1673 989 1519 2.36 1.08 to properly take care of them and (16.4) (33.5) (19.8) (30.4) enjoy life 6 I do not have a personal doctor and 1834 780 610 1776 2.53 1.30 so could not do any medical routine (36.7) (15.6) (12.2) (35.5) check 7 I can afford to pay for my medical 879 721 2212 1188 2.26 1.01 bills whenever the need arises (17.6) (14.4) (44.2) (23.8) From the result in table 4.13 on the education domain, three thousand one hundred and fourty seven (62.9%) of the respondents do not have the best education. These categories of respondents claimed to have only primary education. Three thousand two hundred and twenty (64.5%) said that they feel so little because they did not go to school, colleges or adult literacy centers. The result suggests that the higher the level of education an individual attains, the higher the likelihood that such an individual will be in a position to reach out to other family members. Two thousand seven hundred and thirty six (54.7%) of the respondents had the intention to enrol at any available vocational centres to acquire knowledge and skills. Table 4.13 Means scores of (Education) Quality of life S/N Statements Very true of True of me Not true of Occ. True of Mean Std. me N (%) me me (X) Dev. N (%) N (%) N (%) (SD) 1 I have the best education 499 679 3147 675 1.71 1.04 (10.0) (13.6) (62.9) (13.5) 2 I feel so little because I did not go to 3226 242 214 1318 1.49 .78 school colleges or adult literacy (64.5) (4.8) (4.3) (26.4) centres 3 I intend to enroll at any available 2736 664 369 1231 1.73 .95 adult education vocational centres to (54.7) (13.3) (7.4) (24.6) attain the minimum level of education 4 I have attained personal growth, 737 2612 736 915 2.67 .90 knowledge and skills in what I am (14.7) (52.2) (14.7) (18.3) doing 90 The result as shown in table 4.14 revealed that two thousand seven hundred (54.0%) of the respondents had access to satisfactory road network in their neighbourhood. One thousand one hundred and seventy (23.4%) claimed the community had network for telephone services. However, 3,191 (63.8%) reported that they did not feel safe in the neighbourhood because the community was not free from corruption or theft. Table 4.14 Means scores of (Neighbourhood/Community) Quality of life S/N Statements Very True of Occ. True Not true of Mean Std. Dev. true of me of me me (X) (SD) me N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) 1 The community in which I live does not have access 816 970 514 2700 1.98 1.18 to satisfactory road network (16.3) (19.4) (10.3) (54.0) 2 My community has network for telephone service(s) 2126 1170 538 1166 2.85 1.20 (42.5) (23.4) (10.8) (23.3) 3 There is no threat to my hygiene because my 1939 1218 776 1067 2.81 1.17 community enjoy good treated water (38.8) (24.4) (15.5) (21.3) 4 I play an active role in the development of my 1268 970 1743 1019 2.50 1.08 community (25.4) (19.4) (34.9) (20.4) 5 I do not feel safe in this community because it is not 1180 3191 374 254 1.56 .89 free from corruption (23.6) (63.8) (7.5) (5.1) From table 4.15, one thousand nine hundred and fourty nine (39.0%) of the rural women in Ekiti State reported that they enjoy happy family life, closeness and safety of loved ones. One thousand seven hundred and thirty seven (34.7%) claimed they had peace of mind because of the good relationship they had with member of their extended family. However, 2,244 (44.9%) of the respondents were not in a position to assist members of their extended family financially in spite of the family ties. The result on family life domain shows that rural women in Ekiti State enjoy family relationships. Table 4.15 Means scores of (Family Life) Quality of life S/N Statements Very true True of me Occ. True Not true of Mean Std. Dev. of me N (%) of me me (X) (SD) N (%) N (%) N (%) 1 I enjoy a happy family life, closeness and safety 1949 1433 1257 361 2.99 .96 of loved ones (39.0) (28.7) (25.1) (7.2) 2 Because of the good relationship I have with 1737 1822 1077 364 2.99 .92 members of my extended family, I have peace of (34.7) (36.4) (21.5) (7.3) mind 3 I am not in a position to assist members of my 2244 1360 639 757 2.13 .96 extended family financially (44.9) (27.2) (12.8) (15.1) 4 I have time for relaxation each day after work 1187 1161 1881 771 2.55 1.02 with members of my family because of the (23.7) (23.2) (37.6) (15.4) existing affection among us. 91 The result in the government domain as shown in table 4.16 revealed that the rural women in Ekiti State had not really felt the impact of the government as it affects their quality of life. One thousand three hundred and eighty six (27.7%) of the respondents claimed that they did not enjoy living in their community because the state government do not provide the needed infrastructure. According to 1,286 (25.7%) of the respondents, the state government do not have projects and programmes tailored towards improving quality of life of the rural women. One thousand nine hundred and ninety eight (40.0%) of the rural women reported that the state government do not listen to the complaints of her citizens and this does not make them happy. Table 4.16 Means scores of (Government) Quality of life S/N Statements Very true of True of me Occ. True of Not true of Mean Std. Dev. me N (%) me me (X) (SD) N (%) N (%) N (%) 1 My state government provides basic needs such as 1187 1161 1881 1026 2.78 1.16 good water, transportation, roads and electricity (23.7) (23.2) (37.6) (15.4) 2 I enjoy living in this community because the state 1200 1069 1345 1386 2.53 1.16 government provided needed infrastructure (24.0) (21.4) (26.9) (27.7) 3 As a result of bad policies and programmes, the 1724 1207 1139 930 2.30 1.16 women in the rural areas do not enjoy the state (34.5) (24.1) (22.8) (18.6) government 4 The state government has projects and programmes 991 713 2010 1286 2.28 1.06 towards improving the quality of life of the rural (19.8) (14.3) (40.2) (25.7) women 5 My state government does not listen to the complaints 1998 1641 683 678 2.08 1.00 of her citizens be they rich or poor and this does not (32.8) (32.8) (13.7) (13.6) make me happy From the result in table 4.17, two thousand eight hundred and forty three (56.9%) of the respondents reported that their quality of life has improved because mobile telephone has made communication easy in their community. One thousand two hundred and ninety one, representing (25.8%) reported that they had children who are doing well in their chosen careers and this gave them joy. Two thousand three hundred and twenty six representing (46.5%) of the respondents feels fulfilled in their social domain because they are well respected in their community. The result shows that the rural women with good socio-status were contented with the quality of their lives. 92 Table 4.17: Means scores of (Social Status) Quality of life S/N Statements Very true True of Occ. True of Not true of Mean Std. of me me me me (X) Dev. N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) (SD) 1 I have a personal telephone for easy 2843 956 395 806 3.17 1.12 communication (56.9) (19.1) (7.9) (16.1) 2 I have children who are doing well in their 1291 1231 1897 581 2.65 .99 chosen careers and this gives me joy (25.8) (24.6) (37.9) (11.6) 3 I am not always in good mood 400 563 1045 2992 1.67 .96 (8.0) (11.3) (20.9) (59.8) 4 I live a good life 1457 1093 1708 742 2.65 1.05 (29.1) (21.9) (34.2) (14.8) 5 I have fulfilled my life desires 669 969 2158 1204 2.22 .96 (13.4) (19.4) (43.2) (24.1) 6 I am well respected in my community 2326 822 821 1031 2.29 .97 (46.5) (16.4) (16.4) (20.6) It is clearly seen from the result on spiritual life domain that the rural women in Ekiti State had fulfillment in their spiritual life. Four thousand, one hundred and fifteen (82.3%) of the respondents, reported they have spiritual values and religious faith. One thousand three hundred and eighteen representing (26.4%) of the respondents claimed to have full freedom to practise their religion. Two thousand three hundred and thirty four (46.7%) reported they have something they believe in because there is freedom in their religion. From the result, one thousand eight hundred and fifty eight representing (37.2%) shows that the rural women in Ekiti State enjoy inner harmony and peace of mind in the spiritual life domain. Table 4.18: Table showing means scores of (Spiritual Life) Quality of life S/N Items Very true True of Occ. True Not true Mean Std. of me me of me of me (X) Dev. (SD) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) 1 I do not have spiritual values/religious 496 205 184 4115 1.42 .96 faith (9.9) (4.1) (3.7) (82.3) 2 I have full freedom to practice my 2283 1318 1147 252 3.13 .93 religion (45.7) (26.4) (22.9) (5.0) 3 I have inner harmony and peace of 1858 1768 1071 303 3.04 .91 mind (37.2) (35.4) (21.4) (6.1) 4 I do not do something that I believe in 408 661 1597 2334 1.83 .95 because there is no freedom in one‟s (8.2) (13.2) (31.9) (46.7) religion 93 Table 4.19 shows the perceived quality of life of rural women living in the ten local government areas selected for the study. Table 4.19: The Level of Quality of Life of the Rural Women in each of the Local Government Areas LGA Housing Occup Income Health Educ. Neighbour Famil Govt. Social Spirit Mean hood y Life Status Life (X) Oye 7.77 12.94 18.81 16.07 7.81 11.6 10.6 11.79 24.31 9.32 131.02 Gboyin 7.96 12.47 17.26 16.29 7.80 11.33 10.69 11.88 24.45 9.84 129.97 Ilejemeje 7.62 12.67 17.64 15.70 7.58 11.4 10.8 11.85 23.58 8.87 127.71 Ekiti East 8.47 13.71 21.46 17.43 8.61 12.1 10.5 12.6 25.09 9.71 139.24 Irepodun 7.47 12.08 17.21 15.88 7.15 11.5 10.5 10.99 23.22 9.09 125.09 Ido/Osi 6.83 12.07 17.42 16.54 7.10 11.5 10.1 11.14 22.67 9.32 124.69 Moba 7.48 12.02 17.49 16.09 7.05 11.8 10.8 12.32 24.29 9.34 128.68 Ise Orun 7.10 11.39 16.91 16.02 6.98 11.6 11.2 12.47 22.56 8.81 125.04 Efon Alaye 8.00 13.37 19.15 16.62 7.94 11.8 10.6 11.93 24.65 9.44 133.50 Emure 8.03 12.62 19.72 16.66 8.09 12.4 11.1 12.6 25.59 10.0 137.25 The results revealed that rural women living in Ekiti East (8.47) had the highest sense of fulfillment in the housing domain followed the rural women living in Emure (8.03) and Efon Alaaye (8.0) respectively. Respondents living in Ekiti East, with the highest scores of (13.71), Efon Alaye (13.37), Oye (12.94) and Emure (12.62) had highest sense of fulfillment in the occupation domain while respondents living in Emure (25.59), Ekiti East (25.09), Efon Alaye (24.65) and Gboyin (24.45) had highest scores in social status. Rural women living in Irepodun (15.88) and Ilejemeje (15.70) had the lowest sense of fulfillment under the health domain while Ise Orun (6.98) scored lowest in the education domain. Overall, the result shows that rural women living in Ekiti East Local Government Areas has the highest mean score of quality of life (X=139.24), followed by Emure (X=137.25), Efon Alaye (X=133.50), and Oye local government areas (X=131.02). However, 94 rural women living in Ido/Osi local government area have the lowest mean score of quality of life (X=124.69), followed by Ise/Orun (X=125.04), Irepodun (X=125.09) and Ilejemeje (X=127.71). This information is further illustrated with the bar chart in Figure 4.10 Fig. 4.10: Quality of Life of Rural Women in each LGAs 4.4: Test of Hypotheses This section presents the results of the testing of null hypotheses formulated for the research work. The results are presented in sequence shown below. 4.4.1: Hypothesis 1: Ho: There is no significant relationship between Information Accessibility and Quality of Life of the rural women in Ekiti State. 95 Table 4.20: Correlation between Information Accessibility and Quality of Life of the Respondents Variable Mean Std. Dev. N df r P Remark Information Accessibility 67.96 17.63 4999 5000 .645** .000* Significant. Quality of Life 120.82 21.41 Significant at p< .05 Table 4.20 shows that the relationship between information accessibility and quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State is strong, positive and significant (r = .645, df = 4999: p< .05). This indicates that the rural women‟s access to information significantly correlated with their quality of life. The relationship tested significant, hence, the null hypothesis (Ho) was rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted which indicated that accessibility to information is significantly related to quality of life of rural women in Ekiti state. 4.4.2: Hypothesis 2: Ho: There is no significant relationship between Information Utilisation and Quality of Life of the rural women in Ekiti State. Table 4.21: Correlation between Information Utilisation and Quality of Life of the Rural Women in Ekiti State Variable Mean Std. Dev. N df r P Remark Information Utilization 94.01 27.05 Quality of Life 5000 4999 .645** .000* Significant. 120.82 21.41 Significant at p< .05 From table 4.21 there is a strong, positive relationship between information utilisation and quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State (r = .645; df4999; p<.05). This means that 96 information utilised by the rural women is associated with their quality of life. Therefore, the null hypothesis (Ho) was rejected. 4.4.3 Hypothesis 3: Ho: There is no significant relationship among socio-economic variables (age, marital status, education, household size, number of children, type of house, rural dwelling tenure status, employment status, occupation, estimated income, average spending on food and nature of standard of living) and quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State. Table 4.22: Summary of relationship among Socio-economic Variables and the Quality of Life of the Rural Women in Ekiti State Source of SS DF MS F-Ratio Sig. of R R- S.E. of variation P Square estimate Regression 377107.26 12 31425.605 81.885 .000* .406 .165 .163 Residual 1913907.2 4987 383.779 Total 2291014.5 4999 Significant at p< .05 Table 4.22 shows that the socio-economic variables such as: age, marital status, education, household size, number of children, type of house, rural dwelling tenure status, employment status, occupation, estimated income, average spending on food and nature of standard of living taken together have a positive multiple relationship with the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State (R = .406). The twelve socio-economic variables were quite relevant and could effectively determine quality of life. The table further shows the R-square value of .165 which implies that 16.5% of the total variance in the quality of life of the rural women is accounted for by the 12 factors. The remaining 83.5% is due to other factors. The R value of .406 is also significant (F = 81.885; p < .05), hence, the relationship among the socio-economic variables and quality of life of the rural women is positive, strong and 97 significant. The null hypothesis is rejected. This implies that the higher the level of rural women‟s socio-economic status the more they will experience a sense of fulfillment with their quality of life. 4.4.4 Hypothesis 4: Ho: Socio-economic variables, information accessibility and information utilisation will not significantly predict quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. Table 4.23: Multiple regression analysis of quality of Life on socio-economic variables, information accessibility and utilisation of the rural women in Ekiti State Source of SS DF MS F-Ratio Sig. of R R- S.E. of variation P Square estimate Regression 1093540.3 14 78110.019 325.166 .000* .691 .477 .476 Residual 1197474.2 4985 240.215 Total 2291014.5 4999 From table 4.23, the socio-economic factors (age, marital status, education, household size, number of children, type of house, rural dwelling tenure status, employment status, occupation, estimated income, average spending on food and nature of standard of living, information accessibility and information utilisation) correlate positively with quality of life (R = .691). Table 4.23 shows that 47.7% of the total variance in the quality of life is accounted for by the socio-economic factors, information accessibility and utilisation (R square = .477). Thus the remaining 52.3% is due to other factors and residuals. The R value of .691 is significant, as observed from the table (F = 325.166; p < .05). Therefore the socio- economic factors, information accessibility and utilisation are relevant towards the determination of quality of life. 98 To ascertain the relative contribution of each independent variable as well as their prediction of the dependent variable. Table 4.24 is presented. Table 4.24: Relative Contribution and Prediction of the Independent Variables to Quality of Life of the Respondents Variable Unstandardised Standardised Coefficient Coefficient Ranking of t Sig. Β SE(β) Beta Beta (contributions) Contributions (β ) (Constant) 67.371 1.921 35.071 .000 Information Accessibility .399 .022 .328 2nd 17.840 .000* Information Utilization .265 .015 .335 1st 18.105 .000* Age -.362 .252 .019 9th -1.440 .150 Marital Status -.928 .236 .049 4th -3.925 .000* Education 9.800E-02 .263 .004 13th .372 .710 Household Size .723 .374 .021 7th 3.930 .044* Number of Children .691 .444 .019 9th 1.558 .119 Type of House 1.811 .157 .123 3rd 11.509 .000* Rural Dwelling Tenure Status .189 .300 .007 12th .631 .528 th Employment Status -.276 .229 .014 11 -1.205 .228 Occupation -.449 .191 .025 6th -2.348 .019* Estimated Income -7.179E-02 .213 .004 13th -.338 .736 Average Spending on Food .405 .227 .020 8th 1.788 .074 th Nature of Standard of Living -.767 .253 .034 5 -3.035 .002* Significant at p< .05 The data in table 4.24 indicated that the following variables significantly predicted the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti state: information utilisation (B = .265, t = 18.105, p < .05), information accessibility (B = .399, t = 17.840, p < .05), type of house (B = 1.811, t = 11.509, p < .05), marital status (B = -.928, t = -3.925, p < .05), nature of standard of living (B = -.767, t = -3.035, p < .05) and occupation (B = -.449, t = -2.348, p < .05). However, the remaining eight variables did not significantly predict the quality of life of the rural women in 99 Ekiti state. These variables were: age (B= -.362, t= -1.440, p > .05), education (B= 9.800E- 02, t= .372, p> 0.05), household size (B= .723, t= 3.930 ; p > 0 .05), number of children (B = .691, t= 1.558, p > 0.05), rural dwelling tenure status (B = .189, t = .631, p > 0.05), employment status (B= -.276, t= -1.205, p > 0.05), occupation (B= -.449, t= -2.348, p> 0.05), estimated income (B= -7.179E-02, t = -.338, p >0.05), average spending on food (B = .405, t -= 1.788, p > 0 .05), In addition, the data also indicated the relative contribution of each of the independent variables to the dependent variable (quality of life) as follows: information utilisation made the highest contribution to the quality of life (Beta =.335). This was followed by information accessibility (Beta = .328), type of house (Beta = .123), marital status (Beta = .049), nature of standard of living (Beta = .034) occupation (Beta= .025), household size (Beta= .021), average spending on food (Beta = .020), number of children (Beta = .019), age (Beta = .019), employment status (Beta = .014), rural dwelling tenure (Beta= .007), estimated income (Beta = .004), and education (Beta = .004). From table 4.24, it is evident that education did not predict quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State, but there is a signifant correlation between level of education and quality of life. This agrees with Ani, Ogunika and Ifah (2004) who opined that education enhances the ability to derive, decode and evaluate useful information. The low educational level of most rural women can inhibit good quality of life. The rate at which one can assimilate and idealize new knowledge could depend on the educational level of the individual. Thus, low level of education tends to foster unfavorable attitudes towards access and use of information. The result in table 4.24 also suggested that information accessibility, information utilisation, type of house, marital status and nature of standard of living are of importance to quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. The desire to enjoy good quality life is associated with improvement in the use of information. Ani, Ogunika and Ifah (2004) and Bakar and Abu (2011) reported that factors such as age, education, marital status and 100 occupational status often work to enhance or impede rural womens‟ access to, and use of information for the pupose of improving quality of life. 4.5: Discussion of Findings Information needs of the rural women in Ekiti State For information to be relevant, it must be tailored to meet the needs of the users. The types of information highly needed by the respondents were: income generation, best practices in farming, beneficial associations for rural women development, community development and co-operatives societies. This shows that information needs on socio- economic factors were ranked highest. Mabawonku (1998), Okey (1998) and Okiy (2003) at varying times have re-echoed this view. Rosenberg (1993) stated that lack of knowledge of information needs of rural communities is a major obstacle in the design of rural information services. The result shows that majority of the respondents have a clear understanding of the information needed to improve their quality of life. This result agrees with Camble (1992) and Atinmo, Dawha and Jimba (1996) who discovered in their studies that the need for socio- economic information was paramount among rural dwellers. This kind of information is critical to the daily survival of the rural dwellers, perhaps more critical than information needs in the socio-cultural domain. Information Sources the Rural Women in Ekiti State found easily Accessible to Utilise The result shows that some sources were more frequently used than others. For example, the sources of information rural women in Ekiti State found very and easily accessible to utilise were the: radio, friends and relation from same locality, television, mobile telephones, market places, village heads and religious institutions in that order of importance. This result shows that rural women in Ekiti State utilised mainly the mass media and interpersonal sources to meet their information needs because it allows them to be conversant with current affairs. The mass media cannot be overlooked when thinking of 101 making information accessible for rural women to utilize. According to Itari (1994), the mass media can accelerate socio-economic transformation of rural societies. Moemeka (1981) in his paper titled “Integrated rural development in Bendel State: the role of and strategies for mass media communication” says that the reason for the use of mass media in rural villages is “mainly because of the problem of wide scale illiteracy”. This finding which reported the radio as one of the most widely used mass media sources by rural women in Ekiti State supports the findings in the previous studies of (Mabawonku, 1998; Hodges, 2001; Azeez, 2002; Ijatuyi, 2005; Leach. 2006 and Kituyi- Kwake and Adigun 2008). Hodges (2002) in his study of situational assessment and daily analysis of Nigerian women reported that out of the 73.7% of women in South Western Nigeria that listened to the radio daily, 42% of them are rural women. The wide use of radio has been attributed to some factors. It is possible to listen to the radio and still get engaged in other activities at the same time. Another factor is the low cost of radio sets in addition to its wide coverage and the fact that it is a once-off purchase. Understanding radio programmes does not require literacy. Power supply is not considered as a constraint because it has alternative means of battery use in case of power failure. Folarin (1990), Ansah (1991) and Oyero (2003) all noted that radio, apart from breaking the barriers of illiteracy, reached all people without discrimination, and demands less intellectual exertion by the listener than the print sources. These advantages give premium to radio over other sources of information. However, radio is not an omnipotent medium for certain self-development activity that could improve the quality of life of rural women. In the words of Ojebode (2003), “research has consistently suggested that radio is not very effective when it comes to changing old habits and causing rural dwellers to adopt new practices especially when such practices contradict some firmly held tradition”. According to Kituyi-Kwake and Adigun (2008), the use of the radio as an educative medium for rural women has some inherent technical problems of 102 transmitter coverage and quality of reception of signals. The other problems they listed include low provision of appropriate content both in terms of language and subject-matter. The relatively high use of the television set by the rural women support the report of Hodges (2001) who disabuses human minds of the widespread presumption that viewing television is not a rural but an elitist urban idea. The author stressed that things had changed over the decade as ability to own a television set is no longer a barrier since people who do not have can watch television in their friends and neighbour‟s homes. The result also supports the position of Kituyi-Kwake and Adigun (2008) who concluded in their study that the use of radio and television has socially enhanced the quality of life of women living in the rural areas in Kenya. The findings about high use of interpersonal sources also buttress the position of Soola (1984) who agreed that the ideal sources of information in the rural setting are interpersonal sources because they encouraged interaction and have potentials for immediate feedback through cues and disclosure processes. The use of village heads, especially during village meeting agrees with Dankelman and Davidson (1988) that women continually exchange information on subjects that could improve their economic power at village meetings where they believe the village heads would proffer solution or pass on decisions taken at such gatherings to the stakeholders. The films or cinemas are said to be better than the radio in passing across information that could enhance the quality of life of rural dwellers. This is because films bring an increasingly valuable teaching tool to the educator because of the sound and sight characteristics (Moemeka, 1984). Not only can the teacher or animator be seen and heard, but also his demonstrations can be followed to advantage. Therefore, film can be an effective medium. However, only 19% of the respondents access this information source. 103 The print is said to have an enduring quality which radio, television and film messages lack. According to Moemeka (1984), the print sources appear to be suited to mass education of both the literate and illiterate women in rural areas. However, in spite of these qualities, the use of the print would, in any event, be hampered by the problems of distribution, illiteracy, cost and content (Aboyade, 1990). The fact that the print medium requires some level of literacy to be able to use, makes it not a suitable source of information for rural women, of whom feel they do not have the best of education. . The public library has a role to play in the provision of information to rural dwellers at the grassroots but it is disturbing to note that libraries, information centers, film shows and workshops were not considered by the respondents as vital sources to utilize when searching for information to improve their quality of life. The findings that rural women make a low use of library to obtain information that could improve their quality of life agrees with the discoveries of Atinmo, Dahwa and Jimba (1996), Leach (2001), Okiy (2003), Ijatuyi (2005) and Tandon (2002). In their various studies, they found that libraries are the least sources often consulted by rural women to obtain information. The low use of demonstrations and film shows negates the position of Itari (1994) who agrees that film shows have been proven to provide a reliable source that reaches large portions of the rural population and thus, constitute a portent weapon in spite of its limitations. Accessibility of Information Services by Rural Women in Ekiti State The result shows that the major information services the respondents utilized in meeting their information needs were: telephone services, documents delivery, referral and information broking. This reveals that respondents knew their information needs and where to go quickly to have the information in useable form. This position is in line with Garvey (1979) who observed that the success of information services is more likely to be achieved through adjusting the services to meet the specific needs of the users. 104 Level of Quality of Life of the Rural Women in Ekiti State The participants in the focus group discussion defined the concept of quality of life as what one requires to make life more comfortable. For example, a rural woman in her middle age speaking through the Yoruba dialect stated that…… “igbe aye to ni itumo ni ki eniyan ri owo naa lasiko, ri ile ti o dara gbe, isosan ti o peye, ile iwe to dara wa fun awon omo waa, ki eniyan ri ounje je lemeeta lojumo (kii se iyan nikan o), anfani lati le ra gbogbo oun ti o wu eniyan lati ra, bii ile, oko ayokele, ise gidi ati bee bee lo” This translated in English Language means….. Quality of life is seen in terms of having money to spend, housing, good medical facilities, good schools, ability to eat three times a day ( not just pounded yam but balanced diet) ,ability to afford whatever one requires, for example, land, car good job etc.. However, quality of life of the rural women living in Ekiti State is worrisome. The results showed that the rural women experienced different senses of fulfillment under the various domains. Housing Housing, a basic necessity of life is one of the most important indicators for measuring people‟s quality of life. Oshodi and Imasuen (2008) in their study reported that despite the importance attached to the rural areas, they are not attractive to live in. There is absence of infrastructure which improves the quality of life of residents. From the analysis in the housing domain, majority of the respondents do not have comfortable accommodation. This result is at variance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 25(1) which stated that: „Women share the right to a decent housing and standard of living. That housing fulfils physical need by providing security and shelter from weather and climate. It fulfills psychological needs by providing a sense of personal space and privacy. It fulfills social needs by providing a gathering area and communal space for the family which is the basic unit of the society’ (United Nations, 2009). In rural areas, there is absence of infrastructure such as, potable water, electricity and good feeder roads, good purchasing power and standard of living. According to Okello 105 (2007), with access to and adequate use of information, rural women can be mobilised to acquire land, resist eviction, manage savings and credit or raise funds to build their own houses. Occupation Occupation, besides serving as a means of earning a living, gives people a feeling of having something to do or of having a purpose in life. It gives a sense of worthiness. The result in this domain shows that majority of the respondents were farmers, traders, artisans and civil servants who have the lowest sense of fulfillment in their occupations. Majority of the respondents reported they were not successful in their occupation because the necessary tools and machinery were not available to do their jobs. Access to and use of information will empower the rural women on a path toward financial stability which would improve their quality of life. Mchombu (2000) agreed that a small and affordable loan activates the entrepreneurial power of the rural poor, but asked how the rural women could benefit from such opportunities if they did not access and use information such opportunity provided. Alegbeleye and Aina (1985) in their study on library services and rural community in Nigeria, also agreed that adequate use of information would broaden the rural dweller‟s knowledge about soil conservation, prevention of plant and animal diseases, fertilizer application, proper storage of farm products, marketing techniques, cooperative activities and other agro-allied activities. According to Olamigoke (2005), non availability of information could result in loss of livelihood opportunities. Income The result of the analysis in the income domain shows a decline in spite of the minimum wage increase of N7, 500.00 introduced in Nigeria since 1999. This may be due to the inability of the new wage to cope with the country‟s inflation rate. Studies have shown 106 that one of the main problems faced by women worldwide, especially those residing in rural areas, is poverty (Fasoranti; 2008 and World Bank; 2009). The result of the analysis shows that majority of the women cannot operate a bank savings and life assurance policy because of their low level of income. This result is in agreement with Mooko (2005) who asserted that women living in the rural areas are poor income earners. Poverty among the rural women also limits the amount of capital that they can invest in businesses. IFAD (2002) emphasized that rural women are disproportionately concentrated in the lowest employment and casual labour. Hence rural women tend to invest in activities that require very minimal initial investment. Phillips (2006) corroborated this by asserting that women do not have direct access to income but to the goods and services provided for them by male heads of households. There is no doubt about the need to provide rural women with information that could boost their socio-economic status. Purvis (1987) says rural women who are low income earners could boost their income level if they could take steps to sell their home-grown produce, small livestock and home produced foodstuff to where it is most required. Access to and use of information can help rural women to find viable livelihood alternatives either within the rural settings or urban cities and enjoy improved quality of life. Health There is a popular saying that health is wealth. The individual‟s state of health and the expectation for a healthy life affect the individual‟s sense of well-being and productivity. Mabawonku (1998) also stressed that health is complete physical and mental wellbeing and not just the absence of disease or infirmity. The health status of a people has been used as an indicator of development at many International Conferences some of which include the International Conference on Population and Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. The analysis of the health domain shows that the respondents do 107 not experience fulfillment in this domain. Majority of the respondents reported that they maintained good health because they enjoyed good nourishment. This shows that rural women maintain good health because of the freshness and richness of their food intake which comes directly from the farm. This is in agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2004) which asserted that fresh vegetables and other nutritional value of agricultural produce boost the health status of rural dwellers. In relation to quality of life under the health domain, Okello (2007) says that access to and adequate utilization of information may prevent the rural women from indiscriminate use of drugs. Besides, the spread of incurable and terminal diseases could be avoided if information about the risk gets to the grassroots (The World Health Organization, 2008). Recently, there was a wake-up call for action to prevent breast cancer, a killer disease among women. Information about this disease is mostly in formats (books, newspapers, handbills, internet etc) that rural women cannot utilize. Information about the disease to the rural women may stop the spread. Education The analysis in the education domain shows the low literacy rate in the rural parts of Ekiti State. Odumosu and Omisakin (1998) opined that the higher the level of education an individual attains, the higher the likelihood that such an individual will be in a position to reach out to other family members. The Federal Government in her vision for Nigerian Citizens (Vision 2020) encourages education (formal and informal) for all at all levels. This vision is achievable even among rural dwellers. The result shows that majority of the respondents had the intention to enroll at any available vocational centers to obtain knowledge and skills. Access to information and subsequent use would lead to attainment of education and skills as women with basic skills and education seem to find opportunities to expand their economic options. This statement is in agreement with Faluyi (2002) that corroborated that 108 the main reason for lack of improved quality of life is the general lack of supportive institutions (particularly health, information and education services) and the inadequate attention to the improvements of rural infrastructure. Neighbourhood The neighbourhood and the entire community where people live exert certain influences on them as well as determine the level of their quality of life (Blokland, 2000). Neighbourhoods are not restricted to houses rather they are surroundings, areas and space dimensions within which people interact informally. According to Berman and Phillips (2000), the consideration of whether a neighbourhood is desirous or fulfilling is dependent on some factors, namely, how clean and pleasant it is, how safe it is from violent crimes, how cordial is the overall human relationship and how democratic and participatory is the community. These conditions may be negatively or positively perceived by individuals in the neighbourhood based on their level of satisfaction and expectations. The result of the quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State with reference to their neighbourhood shows that there was instability which affected the respondent‟s aspirations. Majority of the respondents reported they do not feel safe in their neighbourhood because it is not safe from corruption and violent crimes. The political instability in Ekiti State during the period of this study could be responsible for this assertion. There were numerous cases of attempted murder and the murder of many people during the May 2009 re- run election. The respondents however claimed that the communities in which they live have access to good road network and telephone services respectively. In Ekiti state, the presence of Global Systems of Mobile Communication (GSM) of major networks like ZAIN, MTN, GlobaCom, and Visafone are easily felt in the local areas which had made communication easy. Some of the participants, who provided phone service for a fee, see this as a useful source of income. They also charge a commission for 109 remittances sent through their service. Mrs Olukoji is an example of a woman who has increased her earnings by starting a phone service. She is the breadwinner for her family and has five children and her parents to look after. Her call centre business is in addition to her day job as a teacher in Iyin Ekiti. She claimed that her entrepreneurial initiative has increased her quality of life Okello (2007) has earlier reported that access to and use of information has enhanced the quality of life of the rural women in Uganda because of the prompt access to information about water supply, refuse disposal and poverty eradication action plan in their neighbourhood. The result in this domain agrees with Yunus and Alam (2007) who reported that the use of the mobile phone has highly integrated in the woman‟s everyday life in Bangladesh. The authors noted that the income from the use of the phone for commercial purpose will give the women authority and confidence when handling money. They will also develop leadership abilities, and gain power as she acquires material gain. Family life The family constitutes a basic unit of the society. In our society, family relationship is held in high esteem. Whatever affects these relationships are of utmost importance. Diso (2006) supported this view and emphasized that access to information about how problems in marriages, childcare and juvenile delinquency could be handled would improve the quality of life of rural dwellers. Only a few of the respondents reported they had time for relaxation with members of their family after work each day. Nowadays, there is shortage of time available to the individual; the time is to be shared between work and family among other things. This reduces the time and opportunity to share affection with loved ones. The situation is the same among rural women whom Nwagha (1992) and Ocholla (2002) said are too busy working on the farm all day, weeding grass, planting and tending the crops. They only return home at sunset to cook the evening meal for their family and to carry out other 110 domestic duties. Majority of the respondents are not in a position to assist members of their extended family in spite of the family ties because of their financial position. Government The government exercises power on behalf of her citizens and exists to promote their welfare. However, the result in the government domain shows that the respondents have not really felt the impact of the government as it affects their quality of life. This is in agreement with Omotoso and Owolabi (2007) who asserted that the quality of life of the people in Ekiti state is evidently low because the people are unable to have three meals, a decent home, portable water at home for safe drinking, pay children school fees and the medical expenses of the family because government did not provide adequate infrastructure. This conforms to the number of respondents who reported not enjoying their community because the government does not provide needed infrastructure. The result shows that the state government does not have projects and programmes towards improving the quality of life of the rural women. This finding does not agree with Mooko (2005) who stated that lack of access to information on government policies and programmes and incentives offered by non- governmental organizations (that could help boost the socio-economic status of the rural woman) is a major challenge to the low quality of life of women living in the rural areas. Any government intervention programme is not only likely to affect large numbers of people but could also have multiplying effects. Access to and ultimate use of information can be a powerful tool when implemented as part of larger development plans to improve the quality of life of the rural populace (Harande, 2009). Social Status The extremes of poverty and affluence are represented with the socio-economic status classification. The socio-economic status of an individual can affect the sense of fulfillment 111 such a person has. The result in the social status domain shows that majority of the respondents felt their social status had improved since the availability of mobile telephones in the state. Only a few reported they have joy because their children are doing well in their chosen careers. Spiritual life From the analysis in the spiritual life domain, the respondents had fulfillment in their spiritual life. The respondents reported they have spiritual values and religious faith with freedom to practice their religion. Respondents will enjoy inner harmony and peace of mind if they can access the required information needed for their spiritual development. Spiritual life gives meaning to why people aspire to be good. The consideration of whether one‟s spiritual life is fulfilling depends on a number of factors. These according to Odumosun and Omisakin (1998) include how free one is in choosing and believing in what he/she thinks is worthy of worship, and the peace of mind the person has internally. Relationship between Information Accessibility and Quality of Life of Rural Women in Ekiti State The result of the study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between access to information by the rural women and their quality of life. The result of this study is supported by various studies like Atinmo, Dahwa and Jimba (1999), Mchombu (2000), Jiyane and Ocholla (2003) and Mooko (2005) where access to information have been reported to be a significant predictor of socio-economic status and quality of life of rural women. There is therefore the need for women living in the rural areas to acquaint themselves with relevant information that could boost their quality of life. This may however be difficult if the information is not available for the women to access. The state government and other stakeholders should assist these women in the provision of accessible information. Timely and relevant information in local languages should be accessible via: information 112 centres, telecentres/community viewing centres, film shows, posters and billboards in each local government area. Information for all programmes is a global issue as outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The federal government of Nigeria has embraced this in her Vision 2020 initiated in 2009 as reported by Okojie (2009). This implies that if relevant information in the right format is made available and accessible to the women living in the rural areas, the quality of their lives will improve. Relationship between Information Utilisation and Quality of Life of the Rural Women in Ekiti State The test for significance of relationship between information utilisation and quality of life has shown that there is a significant positive relationship between information utilisation and quality of life of the rural women. The quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State could improve if the women could utilize various information sources. In other words information utilisation is a predictor of quality of life. Aiyepeku (1992) opined that information is not useful when not utilised to satisfy needs. In a related development, Phillips (2006) shows the role information played in transforming the economic situation of the Republic of China. The finding is however at variance with Mooko (2005) who remarked that the barrier to use of information have to be resolved before such transformation could be experienced. According to the researcher, the literacy level of the rural women is a disadvantage as far as access to and utilization of information resources are concerned. Nwagha (1992) has earlier stated that rural women remain ignorant of sources of assistance and of government programmes established to aid rural development because of lack of information skills. 113 Sources of information for women living in the rural areas are not varied because of the women‟s low educational backgrounds and lack of information skills. There is therefore the need to repackage information in forms that the rural women in Ekiti State could access. Relationship between Socio-Economic Variables and Quality of Life of Rural Women in Ekiti State The result indicates that socio-economic status correlate positively with quality of life. The quality of life of rural women can be influenced by their socio-economic status with variables such as age, marital status, education, household size, number of children, type of house, rural dwelling tenure status, employment statue, estimated income, average spending on food and standard of living. In other words, the result shows that there is a significant positive correlation between socio-economic variables and quality of life. This implies that the higher the level of rural women‟s socio-economic status the more they will experience sense of fulfillment. This finding is supported by Omotoso and Owolabi (2007) in their study of rural poverty and its implications for regional planning in Ekiti State, Nigeria. These authors reaffirmed that the quality of life of the rural populace could be influenced if they could cater for the basic needs of food, clothes, shelter, obligations, employment, and access to social and economic infrastructures. 114 CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Summary of Findings The summary of major findings as revealed by the analysis are: The rural women in Ekiti State have information needs particularly as it affects their socio-economic situations and quality of life. These needs included: best practices in farming, how to obtain credit facilities from financial institutions, income generation, health management, beneficial associations for rural development, cooperative societies and trade groups. The most popular sources through which the rural women had access and use information are: radio, market places, friends and families from urban and from rural areas: telephone, village heads, educated people in the society and religious institutions. While the least sources included newspapers, posters, leaflets, handbills, government libraries and information centres. The rural women generally had a low level of information services utilization through referral services. On the average, the domains in which rural women in Ekiti State experienced a high sense of fulfillment in regards to their quality of life were: spiritual life, family life, social status and the neighbourhood domain. While sense of fulfillment was lowest for income, housing, education, occupation, health and government. This suggests that generally, the rural women in Ekiti State had lowest sense of fulfillment in the areas that affected their socio-economic situations. The quality of life that contributed more to sense of fulfillment for the rural women are the domains in which they have a measure of control, that is the spiritual, family, social status and neighbourhood. The contrast is the case for the domains where the rural women experienced worst sense of fulfillment (income, education, occupation, 115 housing, health and government) which are under the public control. The fact that the women experienced highest sense of fulfillment in the spiritual, family, social status and neighbouhood domains is due to the information made accessible through such sources. (Information from friends and relatives, radio, village heads, market places and religious institutions). Information accessibility, utilization and socio-economic variables (independently and when taken together) significantly predicted quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. Information utilisation capacity of the rural women contributed more to the prediction of quality of life. 5.2 Implications of the research The outcome of this study has implications for planning information services to improve the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State. It was observed from the results that education has significant and positive relationship with quality of life. This shows that educational level of rural women in Ekiti State has a role to play in increasing their ability to obtain, process and use relevant information to improve their quality of life. Therefore, effort has to be directed towards strengthening rural education at different levels for the rural women to enable them access and use information especially from the formal sources. This study also raised the vital point that none of the local government areas in Ekiti State had libraries that could serve as quick-problem solving centres for the rural women. The problem of lack of fund and adequate resources could be militating factors. Therefore the Ekiti State government needs to work out the strategies to financially empower the local government areas in the State towards establishing libraries in each local government area to meet the information needs of the rural women. 116 5.3 Conclusion In the light of this study, the inevitable conclusion is that access to information and its utilization as well as socio-economic variables had positive impact on the enhancement of the quality of life of rural women. In the same vein, the information utilisation capacity of rural women contributed greatly to the prediction of the quality of life of the rural women. It is not just good enough for rural women to have access to only the informal sources but also to formal sources of information if their quality of life is to be enhanced and turned around. 5.4 Recommendations Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made: 1. Information management programme in form of information service delivery such as current awareness service should be made part and parcel of any programme aimed at improving the quality of life of rural women. 2. Mechanisms should be put in place by the government for effective information services based on an analysis of the needs of the rural women. The different factors which determine the design of the services must be perfectly understood. For instance, the hour at which the rural women would have to use the services and means of communication. 3. Libraries should be established in each local government areas to provide quick and formal sources of information for the rural women. The information centres or libraries should provide adequate information materials such as books, pamphlets, magazines, newspapers and audio-visual materials such as films, tapes, posters and photographs. The libraries or information centres should also mount exhibition regularly. This will help the women to be better informed. 4. At the state and local government levels in Ekiti State, a lot more advocacy is needed to encourage institutions and non-governmental organisations to incorporate and 117 prioritise access and utilisation of information into development plans to improve the quality of life of the rural women in Ekiti State. 5. Public libraries in Ekiti State should be well-funded to be able to meet their responsibility of information provision to the people of the state, particularly the rural women. They should identity and coordinate information services best suitable in meeting the information needs of the rural women so as to improve their quality of life. 6. The libraries should regularly repackage information in the formats that will be easily accessible for the rural women in the state to utilise. 7. Finally, the mass media in Ekiti State should have special space and time allocated for programmes on how to improve quality of life of rural women. Such programmes should be broadcast in local dialects for wider information dissemination to rural women in the state. 5.5 Limitations of the Study Limitations encountered included difficulty in tracking down the respondents who are busy most of the time either at home, farm, or doing other household chores; general apathy towards the study; and resources available to the researcher. Despite the limitations, the study is valid and has given adequate suggestions for further research. 5.6 Suggestions for Further Research 1. This study was carried out in selected rural communities in Ekiti State, Nigeria. 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New York: Public Affairs Zweizig, D. & Dervin, B. 1997. Public library user and uses: Advances in knowledge of the characteristics and Needs of the Adult Cllentele of American Public Libraries. Advances in Librarianship, (7) 232-255. 140 APPENDIX I Questionnaire INFORMATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNNAIRE (IQOL) Dear Respondents, This study is about the quality of life of rural women in Ekiti State Please, answer the questions raised as accurately as possible. The success of this study depends solely on your response. Your response to the research questions will be kept strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of this research. The researcher would very much appreciate your co-operation. Thank you. Zaid, Yetunde A. (Mrs.) SECTION A INFORMATION NEEDS OF RURAL WOMEN PART A SOCIO-ECONOMIC VARIABLES OF RURAL WOMEN 1. Age as at last birthday ______________________________________ 2. Local Government Area_________________________________________ 3. Marital Status (a) Single ( ) (b) Married ( ) (c) Divorced ( ) (d) Separated ( ) (e) Widowed ( ) 141 4. Highest level of education (a) Primary ( ) (b) Secondary ( ) (c) Tertiary ( ) (d) Never gone to school ( ) 5. Household size________________________ 6. Number of children ______________________ 7. Are you the head of your household? (a) Yes (b) No 8. Type of house (a) Room apartment ( ) (a) Room and a parlour ( ) (c) Self contained ( ) (d) Wing bungalow ( ) (e) Flat bungalow ( ) (f) Flat ( ) (g) Duplex ( ) (i) No house ( ) 9. Rural dwelling tenure status: (a) Owner-occupied ( ) (b) Rented ( ) (c) Owned by parents ( ) (d) Government Housing Estate ( ) 10. Household technology available and functional in your house? (a) Electricity ( ) (b) Fan ( ) (c) Radio ( ) (d) Television ( ) (e) Stove/Cooker ( ) (f) Fridge ( ) (g) Washing machine ( ) 142 (h) Sewage ( ) (i) Bathroom/shower ( ) (j) Piped water/boreholes ( ) (k) Telephone ( ) (l) Mobile phone ( ) (m)Others ____________________________ 10. Employment Status (a) Government employment ( ) (b) Private-sector employment ( ) (c) Self-employment ( ) (d) Unemployed 11. Nature of work/occupation? _______________________________________________________________ 12. Estimated income per month (N) _____________________________ 13. Average spending on food per day?_______________________________ 14. Nature of standard of living? (a) High income ( ) (b) Average income ( ) (c) Low income ( ) 15. Are you a member of women associations in your neighbourhood? If yes, tick as many as applicable. (a) Educational organizations ( ) (b) Religious groups ( ) (c) Women Farmers group ( ) (d) Women‟s cooperative group ( ) (e) Market women‟s association ( ) (f) Thrift and credit association ( ) (g) Philanthropists societies ( ) (h) Others _________________________ 143 16. What special duties do you perform in the association you belong? Please list ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________ 17. How much do you contribute financially in this association? ________________________________________ PART B INFORMATION NEEDS OF RURAL WOMEN 18. In searching for Information that would boost your socio-economic status or improve your quality of life, how often do you require each of the following? : Please encircle the appropriate option: very highly needed= 4, highly needed=3, occasionally needed=2, never needed=1 S/N Item Very Highly Occasionally Never highly needed needed needed needed Information about: a) Financial institutions (banks, micro finance, insurance companies) etc b) Marketing of goods and services c) Income generation d) Community development e) Cooperative societies and trade groups f) Vocational and adult education g) Small scale business management h) Non-governmental agencies for rural women development i) Health management j) HIV/ AIDS k) Home economics and management l) Best practices in farming m) Food and nutrition n) Parenting/ child health care 144 o) Equipment management p) Beneficial associations for rural women development Others please specify __________________ PART C 19. INFORMATION SERVICES UTILIZATION Please rate your frequency of use of the following information services in meeting your information needs to improve your quality of life Where, Daily = 6, Weekly = 5, Monthly = 4, Quarterly = 3, Annually = 2, Never used = 1 S/N Services: Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Never used a) Information broking b) Document delivery c) Current awareness / selective dissemination of information d) Referral e) Photocopying f) Video rentals g) Data processing h) Internet / E-mail i) Telephone/Telex Others, please specify __________________ PART D 20. TYPES OF INFORMATION UTILIZATION Please rate your level of use of the following types of information as they relate to your quality of life. Where Daily = 6, Weekly = 5, Monthly = 4, Quarterly = 3, Annually = 2, Never used = 1 S/N Types of information: Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Never used a) Marketing information b) Technical and scientific information 145 c) Food and nutrition d) Health and child care e) Parenting f) Govt. information g) Politics and government h) Gender parity i) Community development j) Home management Others, please specify __________________ SECTION B 12. ACCESSIBILITY TO AND UTILIZATION OF SOURCES OF INFORMATION PART A INFORMATION SOURCES ACCESSIBILITY Rate your level of accessibility to these sources of information. Please tick the option that best applies to you. Where, very easily accessible = 4, easily accessible = 3, Accessible = 2, not accessible = 1. S/N Item Very Easily Accessible Not easily accessible accessible accessible 1 Friends and relations in my locality 2 Friends and relations from urban areas 3 Village head/local heads 4 Local government headquarters 5 Social groups 6 Health workers 7 Agricultural extension staff 8 Community development staff 9 Educated people in the society 10 Radio 11 Television 12 Newspapers 13 Film show 14 Libraries 15 Information centre 16 Internet facilities 17 Government publication 18 Telephone calls 19 Leaflets/handbills 20 Posters 21 Journalists 22 Text messages from mobile phone and bank statement etc. 146 23. Talks, lectures by rural development personnel 24. Religion institutions e.g. church, mosque etc 25. Non-governmental organizations 26 Market places 27 Workshops/demonstrations 28 Letters 29 Books and monographs 30 Telecenters/Community viewing centers. Others, please specify __________________ PART B 22. INFORMATION SOURCES UTILIZED Rate your frequency of use of the following sources of information as they help in improving your quality of life. Where Daily = 6, Weekly = 5, Monthly = 4, Quarterly = 3, annually = 2, Never used = 1 S/N Item Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Never used 1 Friends and relations in my locality 2 Friends and relations from urban areas 3 Village head/local heads 4 Local government headquarters 5 Social group 6 Health workers 7 Agricultural extension staff 8 Community development staff 9 Educated people in the society 10 Radio 11 Television 12 Newspapers 13 Film show 14 Libraries 15 Information centre 16 Internet facilities 17 Government publication 18 Telephone calls 19 Leaflets/handbills 147 20 Posters 21 Journalists 22 Text messages from mobile phone and bank statement etc. 24. Talks, lectures by rural development personnel 25. Religion institutions e.g. church, mosque etc 26. Non-governmental organizations 27 Market places 28 Workshops/demonstrations 29 Letters 29 Books and monographs 30 Telecenter/Community viewing centers. Others, please specify __________________ 23. QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE (QOLS) Please indicate the extent to which the following statement is true of you. Where, Very true of me = 4, True of me = 3, Occasionally true of me = 2, Not true of me = 1. S/N Item Very True Occasionally Not true of of me true of me true of me me HOUSING 1 I have an adequate and comfortable place to live in 2 The house in which I live is not modern 3 Aside from not paying rent, I collect rents from other houses I own 4 Owing to insecurity of life and properties in my community, my houses and properties are not safe from armed robbers OCCUPATION 5 I have an interesting job in which I can make full use of my talent 6 I derive maximum satisfaction from my present job 7 The necessary tools/machineries are not available for me to do my job 8 The environment in which I live is conducive enough for me to do my work 9 I am among the best women in my occupation 10 I am not very successful in my occupation 148 INCOME 11 I live above the national minimum wage every month (i.e. N9,500) 12 I can afford sending my children to good school for as far as possible in their education 13 I am rich by any standard because I can conveniently meet my obligations towards my family 14 My financial strength has made me to live a good life 15 I am not admired and respected by others in my community because I do not possess any property. 16 I can conveniently acquire essential and necessary household materials for my convenience and that of my family 17 I personally do not attach any importance to money as long as i am happy 18 My ability to operate a bank account has improved my comfortability/standard of living 19 I have saved enough to operate a life assurance policy. 20 My inability to save every month has negatively affected my comfortability HEALTH 21 I feel good because I enjoy good health and physical condition 22 I am not happy because doctors have said that I am not free from debilitating diseases. 23 I maintain good health because I enjoy good nourishment 24 I have access to good medical care in my community 25 I limit the number of children I have to properly take care of them and enjoy life 26 I do not have a personal doctor and so could not do any medical routine check 27 I can afford to pay for my medical bills whenever the need arises EDUCATION 28 I have the best education 29 I feel so little because I did not go to school, colleges or adult literacy centres 30 I intend to enroll at any available adult education /vocational centres to attain the minimum level of education 31 I have attained personal growth, knowledge and skills in what I am doing NEIGHBOURHOOD/COMMUNITY 32. The community in which I live do not have access to satisfactory road network 33 My community has network of telephone service(s) 34. There is no threat to my hygiene because my community enjoy good treated water 149 35 I play an active role in the development of my community 36 I do not feel safe in this community because it is not free from corruption FAMILY LIFE 37 I enjoy a happy family life, closeness and safety of loved ones 38 Because of the good relationship I have with members of my extended family, I have peace of mind 39 I am not in a position to assist members of my extended family financially 40 I have time for relaxation each day after work with members of my family because of the existing affection among us. GOVERNMENT 41 My state government provides basic needs such as good water, transportation, roads and electricity 42 I enjoy living in this community because the state government provided needed infrastructure 43 As a result of bad policies and programmes, the women in the rural areas do not enjoy the state government 44 The state government have projects and programmes towards improving the quality of life of the rural women 45 My state government does not listen to the complaints of her citizens be they rich or poor and this does not make me happy SOCIAL STATUS 46 I have a personal telephone for easy communication 47 I have children who are doing well in their chosen careers and this gives me joy 48 I am not always in good mood 49 I live a good life 50 I have fulfilled my life desires 51 I am well respected in my community SPIRITUAL LIFE 52 I do not have spiritual values/religious faith 53 I have full freedom to practice my religion 54 I have inner harmony and peace of mind 55 I do not something that I believe in because there is no freedom to one‟s one religion 150 ÀLÀYÉ ÀTI ÌGBÉLÉWÒN ÌGBÁYÉGBÁDÙN Olùdáhùn ìbéèrè mi, Ìwádìí yìí je  mó mímó òdiwòn ig̀ báyégbádùn àwo n obìnrin ìgbèríko ní ìpiń lè  Èkìtì. Jòwó dáhùn àwon ìbéèrè yìí yékéyéké nit́ orí pé àseyo rí ìwádìí yìí dúró lórí bí o bá se dáhùnn àwon ìbéèrè ti ́ a bi ó . O se pàtàki ̀ láti jé kí o mò pé gbogbo ìdáhùn re ni olùwádiì ́ yóò pamó  gégé bí àsírí, a kò sì níi ́ lò ó fún nn kan mìíràn ju is é ìwádìí yìí lo. olùwádìí yóò sì mo rírì ìfowó-sowópò re . E sé. Zaid Yetunde. A. ÌPÍN A ÀLÀYÉ NÍPA ÀWON OHUN TÍ ÀWON OBÌNRIN ÌGBÈRÍKO NÍLÒ APÁ KÌNNÍ 1. Omo odún mélòó ni ó 2. ìjoba ìbiĺ è 3. Ìgbeyàwó (a) Omidan ( ) (b) Ti lóko ( ) (d) Ti koko ( ) (e) Opó ( ) 4. Ìpele èkó tó ga jù (a) Alákòóbèrè ( ) (b) Sékóńdírì ( ) 151 (d) Ilé-èkó Yunifásítì ( ) (e) N kò lo ilé ìwé rárá ( ) 5. Iye ènìyàn inú ebí ( ) 6. Iye omo ( ) 7. Sé ìwo ni olóri ́ ìdílé re? (a) Béè ni (b) Béè kó 8. Irú ilé wo lè ń gbé? (a) Yàrá kan ( ) (b) Yàrá àti pálò ( ) (d) Ilé àdánìkàngbé ( ) (e) Apá kan nínú odidi ilé ( ) (e) Ilé fúláàtì ( ) (f) Odidi ilé alágbékà kan ( ) (g) Kò sí ilé ( ) 9. Òdiwòn ilé gbiǵ bé àwon ará oko/ìgbèríko (a) Ilé tara eni ( ) (b) Ilé tí a fowó gbà ( ) (d) Ilé tí òbí eni kó ( ) (e) Ilé ìjoba ( ) 10. Àwon ohun èèlò inú ilé tó wà, tó sì ń sisé nílé re. (a) Iná ìlétíríìkì ( ) (b) Fáànù ( ) (d) Rédíò ( ) (e) Telifísàn ( ) (e) Sítóòfù./ìdáná gáàsì ( ) (f) Fíríìjì ( ) (g) Èro ìfoso ( ) (h) Balùwè ( ) (i) Omi èro/kàngádèro ( ) (j) Èroì bánisòrò inú ilé ( ) (k) Èro ìbánisòrò alágbèéká ( ) (m) Àwon nnkan miì ŕ àn: ________________________________________ Irú ìpele isé 152 (a) Òsìsé ìjoba (b) Òsìsé ilé-isé àdáni (d) Isé tara eni (e) N kò niś é 11. Irú isé/òwò? ____________________________________________________ 12. Àkójopò iye owó lósù (N) ______________________________ ____________________________________________________ 13. Àpapò iye owó oúnje re lójúmó? _________________________ 14. Bí òdiwòn ig̀ báyégbádùn se rí. (a) Olówó ńlá (b) Owó díè (d) Olówó kékeré 15. Ǹ jé o tilè jé omo egbé obìnrin kankan ní àdúgbò re? Bí ó bá jé béè ni, fi máàkì sí awon tó bá bá o mu. (a) Egbé onímò ìwé ( ) (b) Egbé Elésin ( ) (d) Egbé àwon àgbè obìnrin ( ) (e) Egbé obìnrin aláfowósowópò ( ) (e) Egbé àwon iỳ álójà ( ) (f) Egbé alájesékù ( ) (g) Egbé aláàánú ( ) (gb) Àwon orísìí egbé mìíràn ___________________________________ 16. Irú ipò tàbí isé pàtàkì wo ni o dìmú nínú egbé náà. Jòwó se àkosílè won __________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 17. Èló ni ò ń dá sínú egbé náà ? ___________________________________ 153 __________________________________________________________ APÁ B ÀLÀYÉ OHUN TÍ ÀWON OBÌNRIN ÌGBÉRÍKO NÍLÒ 18. Nígbà tí a bá ń wádìí àwon nnkan tó lè mú ki ́ igbé ayé re o gbé péélí síi, a fé mo iyé ìgbà tí e nílò àwon nnkan wònyìí. Jòwó fi máàki ̀ sí ibi tó bá ye. Mo niĺ ò re gan-an ni = 4, Mo nílo re = 3, Nílò re léèkòòkan = 2, N kò nílò rè rárá = 1 S/N Àwon ohun is̀ àmúlò Mo nílò Mo nílò Mo nílò re N kò re gan- re léèkòòkan nílò rè an rárá Àlàyé nípa: a) Ètò ìsúná owó (ilé ìfowópamó, ilé ìfowópamó alábódé, ilé isé adójútòfò) àti béè béè lo . b) Ànfààní ojà fún kátàkárà c) Ònà ìpawó wolé d) Ètò ìdàgbàsókè ìlú e) Egbé aláfowósowópò àti egbé onísòwò f) Ètò èkósé owó àti èkó àgbà g) Ètò fún isé okòòwò alábóódé h) Àjo aládàáni fún ìdàgbàsókè àwon obìnrin ìgbèriḱ o i) Àmójútó ètò ìlera j) Kòkòrò àrùn éèdì àti àrùn éèdì k) Ètò fún isé tó je mó ìtójú àti ìsàkóso ilé l) Àmúse isé àgbè m) Èkó nípa oúnje àti àmójútó oúnje asara lóore n) Èkó nípa isé òbí àti ìtójú omodé o) Ìsàkóso onírúurú irinsé 154 p) Àgbékalè àwon egbé tó wà fún ìdàgbàsókè obìnrin ìgbèríko So ní pàtó àwon nnkan miì ́ràn : __________________________________________ APÁ C 19. SÍSE ÀMÚLÒ OHUN ÈÈLÒ AMÚRÒYÌNWÁ Jòwó se ìgbéléwòn ipò ti ́ o lè to ara re sí ní síse àmúlò àwon ònà amúròyìnwá yìí láti mú kí ìgbé ayé re gbé péélí si: Ojoojúmó = 6, Òsòòsè = 5, Osoosù = 4, Osù mérin-mérin = 3, Odoodún = 2, Rárá = 1 S/ Isé Síse Ojoojúmó Òsòòs Osoos Osù Odood Rár N  è ù méri ún á n- méri n a) Ìròyìn nípa ìpín ìdókòwò b) Ìfìwéránsé c) Òrò tó ń lo, lílo àsàyàn ònà láti fi ìròyìn sòwó/ráns é sí ni d) Aranilówó e) Síse èdà ìwé f) Yíyá èro tàbí káséètì fídíò g) Síse àkójopò èrí ìwádìí h) Lílo èro ìtàkùn-àgbáyé i) Èro Telifóònù/Wá yà títè ránsé So ní pàtó, àwon nnkan miì ́ràn _________________________________________ APÁ D 155 Jòwó se ig̀ béléwòn ipò ti ́ o lè to ara re sí ní síse àmúlò àwon ònà amúròyìn wá yìí láti mú kí igbé ayé re gbé péélí/derùn síi, Ojoojúmó = 6, Òsòòsè = 5, Osoosù = 4, Osù mérin-mérin = 3, Odoodún = 2, Rárá = 1 S/ Irú Ìròyìn Ojoojúmó Òsòòsè Osoos Osù Odoodú Rár N   ù mérin n á - mérin a) Ìròyìn nípa ojà b) Ìròyìn nípa ìmò èro c) Ìròyìn nípa oúnje àti àmójútó oúnje d) Ìlera àti ìtójú omod é e) Isé àwon òbí 156 f) Ìròyìn nípa ijoba g) Òrò òsèlú àti ìjoba h) Ètò fún tako tabo i) Ìdàgbàsókè ìlú j) Àmójútó àti ìsàkóso ilé So ní pàtó, àwon nnkan miì ́ràn _________________________________________ APÁ KEJÌ 21. WÍWÀ LÁRÒWÓTÓ ÀTI SÍSE ÀMÚLÒ ÀWON ÒNÀ AMÚRÒYÌNWÁ APÁ A WÍWÀ LÁRÒWÓTÓ ÀWON ÒNÀ ÌRÒYÌN Se ìgbéléwòn bi ́ àwo n ònà amúròyìnwá yìí s e wà ní àró wótó re sí. Fi máàkì sí èyí tí ó bá j e mó o jùlo. Wà láròwótó dáadáa = 4, Wà láròwótó díè = 3, Wà láròwótó = 2, Kò sí ní àrówótó = 1. S/N Nnkan náà Wà Wà Wà Kò sí ní láròwótó láròwótó láròwótó àrówótó dáadáa díè 1. Àwon òré àti ebí ní agbègbè mi 2. Àwon òré àti ebí ní agbègbè mi 3. Àwon baálé àti baálè 4. Olú ilé-isé ìjoba ìbílè 5. Àwon egbé ìlú 6. Àwon òsìsé ìlera 7. Àwon òsìsé èka ilé isé àgbè 8. Àwon òsìsé 157 alámòjútó ìdàgbàsókè ìlú 9. Àwon alákòwé ní awùjo 10. Rédíò 11. Telifisàn 12. Ìwé Ìròyìn 13. Fíìmù wíwò 14. Ilé ìyáwekàwé 15. Ibùdó ìròyìn 16. Èro ìtàkùn àgbáyé 17. Àtèjáde ìròyìn láti òdò ìjoba 18. Èro ìbánisòrò 19. Ìwé ìléwó 20. Ìwé ìpolówó àlèmógiri 21. Àwon oniŕ òyìn 22. Àtèjáde lórí fóònù alágbèéká àti ìwé ìsirò owó láti ilé ìfowópamó àti béè béè lo 23. Ètò àpérò, ìdánilékòó láti enu òsìsé elétò ìdàgbàsókè 24. Àjo elésìn bíi sóòsì, mósálásí àti béè béè lo . 25. Àjo aládàáni 26. Àwon ibùdó ojà 27. Àpérò/Ìkóni aláwòkóse 28. Létà 29. Ìwé àpilèko àti ìwé kékèké 30. Ibùdó ìwòran So ní pàtó, àwon nnkan miì ́ràn. APÁ B 22. SÍSE ÀMÚLÒ ÀWON ÒNÀ AMÚRÒYÌNWÁ Se ìgbéléwòn bí o se ń se àmúlò àwon ònà amúròyìnwá yìí sí, lójúnà àti mú kí ìgbé ayé re gbé péélí síi: S/N Nnkan náà Wà Wà Wà Kò sí ní láròwótó láròwótó láròwótó àrówótó dáadáa díè 1. Àwon òré àti ebí ní agbègbè mi 2. Àwon òré àti ebí ní 158 agbègbè mi 3. Àwon baálé àti baálè 4. Olú ilé-isé ìjoba ìbílè 5. Àwon egbé ìlú 6. Àwon òsìsé ìlera 7. Àwon òsìsé èka ilé isé àgbè 8. Àwon òsìsé alámòjútó ìdàgbàsókè ìlú 9. Àwon alákòwé ní awùjo 10. Rédíò 11. Telifisàn 12. Ìwé Ìròyìn 13. Fíìmù wíwò 14. Ilé ìyáwekàwé 15. Ibùdó ìròyìn 16. Èro ìtàkùn àgbáyé 17. Àtèjáde ìròyìn láti òdò ìjoba 18. Èro ìbánisòrò 19. Ìwé ìléwó 20. Ìwé ìpolówó àlèmógiri 21. Àwon oniŕ òyìn 22. Àtèjáde lórí fóònù alágbèéká àti ìwé ìsirò owó láti ilé ìfowópamó àti béè béè lo 23. Ètò àpérò, ìdánilékòó láti enu òsìsé elétò ìdàgbàsókè 24. Àjo elésìn bíi sóòsì, mósálásí àti béè béè lo . 25. Àjo aládàáni 26. Àwon ibùdó ojà 27. Àpérò/Ìkóni aláwòkóse 28. Létà 29. Ìwé àpilèko àti ìwé kékèké 30. Ibùdó ìwòran 23. ÒDIWÒN BÍ ÌGBÉ AYÉ SE DÁRA TÓ 159 Jòwó se àfihàn déédé ibi tí àwon gbólóhùn yìí jé òótó nípa re dé. Ó jé òtító gan-an nípa mi = 4, Ó jé òtító = 3, Ó jé òtító léèkòòkan = 2, Kìí se òtit́ ó nípa mi = 1. S/N Ilé Gbígbé Ó jé Ó jé Ó jé òtító Kìí se òtító òtító léèkòòkan òtító gan-an nípa mi nípa mi 1. Mò ń gbé ibi tó dára tó sì témilórùn 2. Ibi tí mò ń gbé kìí se ilé òde òní 3. Yàtò sí pé n kò sanwó ilé, mo tún fi àwon ilé mìíràn hááyà , mo sì ń gbowó lórí won. 4. Àwon ilé àti ohun ìní mi wà nínú ewu àwon adigunjalè nítorí pé kò sí ààbò fún èmí àti dúkìá ní ìlú mi . ISÉ 5. Mo ní isé tó témilórùn, èyí tí mo ti ráàyè lo èbùn àtinúdá mi 6. Isé tí mo ń se báyìí té mi lórùn dáadáa. 7. N kò rí àwon ohun èèlò tó láti se isé 8. Agbègbè tí mò ń gbé rò mí lórùn láti lè sisé mi 9. Mo wà lára àwon obìnrin tó se àseyorí/pegedé nínú isé mi. 10. N kò ní àseyorí tó nínú isé mi ÈTÒ ÌSÚNÁ 11. Mò ń ná kojá gbèdéke iye owó òsìsé tó kéré jùlo (9,500) 12. Mo lágbára láti ran àwon omo mi lo sí ilé ìwé tó dára 13. Mo jé olówó ní gbogbo ònà nítorí pé mo ń se ojúse fún àwon ebí mi láì sí wàhálà. 14. Ètò ìsúná mi dúró déédé, èyí sì jé kí ń gbé ìgbé ayé tó dára 15. Àìní dúkìá mi kò jé kí wón kà mí sí ní ìlú béè ni won kiì ́ pón mi lé rárá 16. Láìsí ìnira, mo lè ra gbogbo ohun èèlò ilé tó se pàtàki ̀ fún ara mi àti àwon ebí mi. 17. Ní tèmi o, owó ko jé nnkan kan bí mo bá ti láyò 18. Síse àmúlò ilé if̀ owópamó tún mú ìdèrùn bá ìgbé ayé mi. 19. Mo ti ní owó tó tó láti sètò adójútòfò èmí mi. 20. Àìle máa fi owó pamó 160 lósoosù ti se àkóbá fún ìgbáyégbádùn mi. ÌLERA 21. Mo wà dáadáa nítorí pé àgó ara mi wà dáadáa, mo si ̀ ní il̀ era tó pé. 22. Inú mi kò dùn nítorí pé dókítà onísègùn so pé mo lè ní àìsàn tó lè mú kó máa rè ni ni ́ gbogbo ìgbà. 23. Ìlera ara mi dúró dáadáa nítorí pé mò ń je oúnje aládùn 24. Ètò ìlera pípé wà láròwótó mi ní ìlú tí mò ń gbé. 25. Mo fi gbèdéke lé iye omo tí mo bí nítorí àtilè fún won ní it̀ ójú tó péye, kí èmi náà sì lè gbádùn ayé mi. 26. N kò dá ní dókit́ à fúnra mi èyí kò sì jé kí n lè máa se àyèwò lóòrèkóòrè. 27. Mo lówó tó láti máa san owó ìtòjú ara mi nígbàkígbà tí ó bá ye láti se béè ÈTÒ ÈKÓ 28. Mo ní im̀ ò èkó tó dára 29. Mo rí ara mi bi ́ eni yepere nítorí pé n kò lo sí ilé ìwé tàbí kí n lo sí èkó àgbà 30. Mo ni ́ èrò láti fi orúko sílè ní ilé ìwé fún èkó àgbà tàbí èkósé láti lè ní ìwé èrí bo ti wù kó kéré mo 31. Mo ti ni ́ ìdàgbàsókè nínú im̀ ò àti ìmò-òn-se nínú ohun tí mò ń se. 161 ALÁDÙÚGBÒ/AGBÈGBÈ/ÌLÚ 32. Kò sí ònà mótò tó dára ní ìlú tí mò ń gbé 33. Ànfààní èro ìbánisòrò wà ní ìlú mi. 34. Kò sí ewu nípa ìmótótó nítorí pé omi tó mó gaara wà ní ìlú mi. 35. Mò ń kó ipa pàtàkì nínú ètò ìdàgbàsókè ìlú mi 36. N kò ni ́ if̀ òkànbalè ní ìlú mi nítorí ìwá jìbìtì tó gbòde kan kò yo ìlú mi sílè. ÈTÒ EBÍ/MÒLÉBÍ 37. Mo ní ebí aláyò, tí wón súnmóra tí wón si ̀ nif́ èé ara won 38. Mo ní if̀ òkanbalè nítorí pé gbogbo ebí wa nífèé ara wa, a sì ń gbé ni ́ ir̀ épò. 39. N kò sí ní ipò eni ti ́ ó lè se ìrànlówó owó fún mòlébí 40. Mo máa ń fààyè sílè láti seré pèlú mòlébí mi léyìn isé òòjó mi nit́ orí pé a féràn ara wa ÌJOBA 41. Ìjoba ìpiń lè mi ń pèsè àwon ohun amáyéderùn bíi omi tó dára, ètò ìrìnnà, ònà mótò àti iná oba. 42. Mo gbádùn pé mò ń gbé ni ́ il̀ ú yìi ́ nítorí ìjoba ip̀ ínlè ti pèsè àwon ohun amáyéderùn. 43. Nítorí àwon àgbékalè àti ètò ìjoba ti ́ kò dára tó, àwon obìnrin ìgbèríko kò je ànfààní ìjoba ip̀ ínlè. 44. Ìjoba ip̀ iń lè ń se isé àti ètò lójúnà àti mú kí àgbéga bá ìgbé ayé àwon obiǹ rin ig̀ bèriḱ o. 45. Ìjoba ip̀ ínlè mi kìí fetí sí àròyé àwon ará ìlú, yálà láti enu olówó tàbí tálíkà, èyí kò sì mú kí inú mi dùn. IPÒ NÍ ÀWÙJO 46. Mo ní èro ìbára-eni-sòrò tára mi kí ó le rò mí lórùn láti má a pè. 162 47. Mo ní àwon omo tó ń se dáadáa nínú isé won, èyí sì mú inú mi dùn. 48. Inú mi kìí fi gbogbo ìgbà dùn 49. Mò ń gbé ìgbé ayé tó dára. 50. Mo ti mú gbogbo èròngbà mi fún ìgbé ayé mi se . 51. Mo jé eni àpónlé ní ìlú mi ÌGBÉ AYÉ NÍPA ÈSÌN 52. N kò ka ohun ti ́ èmí sí / n kò ní ìgbàgbó nínú èsìn 53. Mo ni ́ òmìnira láti se èsìn mi 54. Mo ní ayò àti ìbàlè okàn 55. Ohun tí mo bá ni ́ ìgbàgbó nínú re ni mo máa ń se nítorí pé kò sí òmìnira nínú èsìn. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE APPENDIX II Working Session (1) Warm Up and Explanation (10 Minutes) (i) Introduction: The participants were warmly thanked for coming and were reminded that their presence was important. The moderator then described what a focus group is – something like an opinion survey. (ii) Purpose: The respondents were told the purpose for the group – which is, to discuss their perception of access to and use of information to quality of life. They were also informed that, all their ideas, comments and suggestions were welcomed, that there are no right or wrong answers, that all comments both positive and negative were important and, finally were told to feel free to disagree with one another or even with the moderator or researcher because, it was explained that we would like to have many points of views on the subject. (iii) Procedure: Quite a number of explanations were made. For instance, the participants were reminded that this was a group discussion so, they needed not to wait to be 163 called before they could speak. They were encouraged to speak one after the other. Also, because there was a lot to be covered, the moderator changed the topic where it was necessary or moved ahead progressively. The respondents were however, told to stop the moderator if any of them had something to add. Tape recorder and video were used. Comments were also jotted down. (iv) Self Introduction: First of all, the researcher who also doubled as the moderator told the group her name, where she lives, where she comes from, where she works and the purpose of the exercise. Each participant was then asked to introduce themselves by telling the group their names and something about themselves. For example, what do you do and how long have you lived in this community etc. were the questions asked. GENERAL ATTITUDES – The following themes were discussed to elicit information about the respondents‟ attitudes, feelings, behaviours, beliefs and motives. Themes 1. Information sources are very useful in various ways 2. Quality of life of rural dwellers 3. Factor affecting the rural women‟s used of information sources 4. Problems with lack of access to information sources 5. Level of provision of amenities such as water supply, electricity, housing, health , education etc. 6. Suggestion on how the quality of life of rural women could be improved CLOSING – Before the group discussions ended, the moderator went round the room at each session once more to ask each of the participants if there was anything else they wanted to say about how access to and use of information can improve their quality of life. 164 Finally, the participants were once again thanked for coming to the group‟s sessions. Their time was appreciated and their insight very helpful in the research. APPENDIX III Interview guide for government officials. 1. What is your concept of quality of life? 2. What is the State government doing for the rural women in the provision of social services such as; housing , transportation, water supply, establishment of schools, health and maternity centers, electricity supply, communication and library services? 3. Do you have programmes/projects aiming at improving the quality of life of the rural women? If so, what types of programmes/projects - How is the project financed? - Explain the structure and management of the projects. 4. What is your perception of the value of information to national development? 5. Explain the types of information you often provided for rural women to improve their quality of life. 6. How does the government pass-on vital information especially to the rural women? Please state the possible sources of information adopted. 7. What are the constraints encountered in the provision of information to rural women to improve their quality of life? 8. What plans does the government have for the improvement of the quality of life of the rural women? BUREAU OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT, GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, ADO-EKITI 165 Question 1: What is your concept of quality of life? The concept of quality of life is that there should be improvement in the standard of living of the people and the civilization should be encouraged through the quality of life of the people. This will enhance education and technology of the people which will lead to improvement in the socio-cultural activities and long life of the people. Question 2: What is the State Government doing for the rural women in the provision of social services such as: housing, transportation, water supply, establishment of schools, heath and maternity centers, electricity supply, communication and library services? a) 172.32km rural roads under construction to ease transportation problem in the rural areas. b) Provision of 300 motorcycles also to ease transportation problem of the rural women and rural dwellers. Implications on rural women: (i) Less load carrage; (ii) Reduction in work load on women (iii) More time for their children and other jobs, (iv) Long life span for women. (c) Provision of 62 hang dug wells with pumps to the rural dwellers to reduce water borne diseases and to reduce the scarcity of water shortage during dry season. Implications: (i) Reduction in time to look for water for the household uses. (ii) Less worry and anxiety on health problem, less diseases attack on children and members of the households. (d) Improvement in schools and health cares facilities in the rural areas. This will prevent long searching for clinic and school for their children in the rural areas. 166 Implications on rural women: (i) Better education for the children. (ii) Women of child bearing age having easy access to health facilities. (iii) Reduction in infant and maternal mother mortality rate. Question 3: Do you have programmes/projects aiming at improving the quality of life of the rural women? If so, what types of programmes/projects? Micro-credit rural loan scheme. To increase the socio-economic activities of the rural women and to reduce the poverty level of the rural women. It is being financed through collaboration with the Micr0-creidt Agency. The women and other rural dwellers are linked with the agency for the loan. Structure and Management: The project of Bureau of Rural Development are being directed by a cabinet rank Special Adviser to the Mr. Governor on rural development and three senior special assistants each manning a senatorial district of the state. Question 4: What is your perception of the value of information to national development? The perception of the value of Information to national development. Through information dissemination, there will be awareness creation in the nation. This will bring about improvement in socio-economic and cultural transformation of the people. It will also lead to economic and political development. Access to information will arouse the interest and participation of the people in the overall national development. Question 5: Explain the types of information you often provided for rural women to improve their quality of life. 167 Types of information provided for the rural women are (i) Productive information (ii) corrective information; (iii) Mobilization/Sensitization; (iv) Health Cares information, etc. Question 6: How does the government pass-on vital information especially to the rural women? Please state the possible sources of information adopted. Government Pass-on Vital Information through the following channels (i) meeting with the community Development Associations (CIDAs) in the rural areas of Ekiti State. M(ii) Through radio/Television announcement; (iii) Group discussion and meetings are usually organized to discuss with the rural women. (iv) Using participatory rural approach method to discuss and prioritize the felt needs of the rural women. Sources of Information: (i) Ministry of Women Affairs; (ii) Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation. Question 7: What are the constraints encountered in the provision of information to rural women to improve their quality of life (i) Inadequate fund to execute programmes. (ii) Inadequate mobilization van and other information/mobilization/gadgets, etc. (iii) Poor rural roads – non-accessibility. Question 8: What plans does the government have for the improvement of the quality of life of the rural women? Provision of Micro-credit loan to improve their standard of living; provision of portable drinkable water, 220 hand-dug-wells are in pipeline for construction to the rural women; establishment of rural markets in the rural areas to improve other commercial activities of the rural women; provision of small scale gari/food processing centres for the production of fortified food items for children and the people in the rural areas. Better quality health 168 services delivery. Provision of Non-formal Adult information on what to do, produce and education programmes, etc. THE DIRECTOR, ADO-EKITI STATE LIBRARY BOARD - MRS. OBAISI Q1: What is your concept of quality of life? A1: I view life being God-given. For that life to be meaningful, you must have knowledge. As we believe in my profession (Librarianship), “Knowledge is power”. As contained in the Bible (quoting the word of God) “My people perish due to lack of knowledge”. The Bible says “where there is no law, there is no sin”. That is with the knowledge of law comes sin, that means without information you can do anything, that is, you have less control. Under the Nigerian constitution and even worldwide, it is often said that “there is no ignorance in law”. For one to have qualitative life one must have knowledge to be able to experience that life fully. For instance, a Christian who will enjoy the fullness of life must know what the life and death of Christ embodies. For us as human beings, we must know what that knowledge transmits into. Example: Going down the memory lane as far back as the 1950s, you will realize that women lose many children prior to birth or at birth. This is because there was no knowledge of hygiene. However, with increase in knowledge, mortality rate has reduced over the years. For me, quality life is a life that has knowledge and the ability to transmit that knowledge to something concrete. Q2: What is the State Government doing for the rural women in the provision of social services such as housing,, transportation, water supply, establishment of schools, health and maternity centers, electricity supply, communication and provision of library services? 169 A2: As far as the past immediate Government is concerned, what they do is pay lip services. We had three administrators and two Governors in Ekiti State since its creation in 1996. - Inua Bawa – did quite a lot to jumpstart the state library board at its inception - Yusuf Atanda – We could not push anything because he admitted that it is what he wakes up with that he will do and not policy. We suffered the setback. - Niyi Adebayo – We did not have it good either, because throughout his tenure, no fund was released to the board for capital project. - During Ayo Fayose‟s era, we were given only N500,000 to purchase books. - General Olurin could not do anything. Even the files sent to his table, were returned, after he left office, untouched. - In Engineer Segun Oni‟s tenure, we had 100% performance in book purchase only. Since we have suffered for 12 years without any tangible book purchase, apart from what was gotten from ETF and Book Aid International (BAI). Majority of users are those who are in the secondary schools and tertiary institutions. Many of them came because even the University of Ado-Ekiti is not residential. Most of them are off-campus so state library has to cater for their needs. We have not concentrated much on women in particular because it is when you have funds that you can have allocation for them. Q3: When was the library created? A3: With the inception of the state in 1996 Q: Programme for improvement of the quality of life of rural women in the state. A: Like I said, we moved into Local Government and focus on the girl child but not to rural women in particular. 170 Q: Do you have any program for them? A: Yes, like our Young Readers Club. We have initiated long time ago. As at now, we are collaborating with SUBEB on taking care of primary and secondary school so that their library projects might be successful. The programs are not being financed by the governments. I think it is their lack of focus that has made them to relegate the library to the background. The development of a nation is quantified by the amount of information that is available in your library. That is why you find out that Nigeria is not developing. Any library you enter, even the National Library of Nigeria is a measure of our development. Q: What is your perception of the value of information? A: Let‟s start from those who are in our National and State Assemblies. Are they information literates do they have access to information? Can they access information on their own? What we need are facts and figures. Once you have that, you can make decisions. Why would a leader embark on unpopular project? It is because they have not taken concern on the opinion of people, they not read wide. For there to be development, people must be first developed in himself. You can not give what you do not have. So the problem we have with quality education is because people are not knowledgeable, they do not know how to deliver it. Q: Explain the types of information you often provided for rural girl-child to improve their quality of life? How do you reach out to those young girls? A: For example, we liaise with NACA on AIDS. We also make use of print media and lectures. We used to have mobile library which was inherited from ETF. We could not maintain the mobile library because the library was not being funded. During 171 Fayose‟s era, we re-awarded it. What we do is bulk loan which we call Book Bank Loan, where schools can approach and borrow books in volumes; maybe 20, 100, 200, 500 copies etc depending on their schools‟ requirements. They take it home for a period of time and return after a month. We say they should pay N500 per school for a year‟s registration fee to have commitment on their side. One of our statutory duties is to monitor the development and growth of Local Government Libraries. Some Local Government have libraries while some don‟t. The problem we have is that it is not in the budget, and some that have it in their budget have another priority entirely which they divert the fund to I went round all the local government to ensure that library development is included in their budget. The program having for this year is the establishment of functional local government libraries. Q: How does government pass-on vital information especially to the rural women? Please state possible sources of information adopted. A: I think they go through the Ministry of Women Affairs, then we have Ministry of Information. Apart from reference materials, we have a programme on air which we call “Library Hour”. We have planned to resuscitate it. It is to start from April. The programme is to enlighten them on how the library can be beneficial to them; and we teach people on how to produce things such as tie and dye, hairdressing, fish farming, etc. We use posters, handbills and occasional lectures. We get the attention of the people during World Book Day. We gather at popular places such as village squares to exhibit items and shoot films that can educate them on how the library can be of benefit to them. Q: What are the constraints encountered in the provision of information to rural women to improve their quality of life? 172 A: Unavailability of information, funding, serviceable vehicles, personnel, expansion of the library board. MRS. OGUNYEMI, F. J. – Director, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ado-Ekiti Q: Do you have programmes/projects aiming at improving the quality of life of the rural women? If so, what types of programmes/projects? How is the project financed? Explain the structure and management of the projects? A: The programmes/projects are targeted at the overall development of women with a view to making them self reliant. The programmes/projects cover economic, education/health, social and political development relatively. Economic Permit me to say that poverty has taken feminine face. Women are most affected by poverty. Women in most cases have taken over household roles. Hence, Co-operative Movement is encouraged and emphasis is more at rural level. The money is revolved among members to help them in their businesses. Micro-credit scheme by government is also used to alleviate poverty. In addition, donations from interactional donors such as United Nations Fund for Population Assistance (UNFPA). We have good structures on ground for the distribution of these donations. We distribute through Unions to ensure control over payback of loans. Another source is the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs - Women Fund for Economic Development. All the programmes are geared towards self-reliance of women to enable them provide for their needs. Social Development We have programmes dealing with issues requiring policy formulation and management. These include: Female Genital Mutilation and Widowhood Act. Education 173 We encourage adult education and vocational education. We empower them after graduation. The students are shared into local governments. They are given equipments as grants and cash to rent space for one year. Also introduced is the mentoring skill acquisition programmes by individual philanthropists. We have ten (10) Women Development Centers across the state. Political Development We empower them economically so that they can participate in politics. Information Communication Channels Information is being communicated to the rural women via: 1. Community Development Officers at Local Government to the women via telephone 2. National Council for Women Society 3. Personal touch through senatorial districts 4. Women‟s Umbrella bodies Sources used include literature, television, radio, telephone, posters and handbills, theaters for development (TFD) in market places. The TFD method has achieve great result. Q: What are the constraints encountered in the provision of information to rural women to improve their quality of life? A: One is finance because of the population of women. Another is mobility in terms of serviceable vehicles. Q: What plans does the government have for the improvement of the quality of life of rural women? A: The government is increasing the budget for the programs and intend to provide more able hands at the Local Government. 174 APPENDIX 4 SUMMARY OF THE RURAL COMMUNITIES IN EKITI STATE S/N LOCAL CATEGORY A CATEGORY B CATEGORY C CATEGORY D TOTAL TOTAL GOVERNMENT 100+ 50 – 99 25 – 49 15 – 24 RECOGNISED OTHERS COMMUNITIES COMMUNITIES 1. Ad o 10 9 9 4 13 - 32 2. Ire podun/Ifelodun - 3 4 9 16 9 25 3. Ek iti west 5 13 8 8 4 8 42 4. Ije ro 2 6 12 20 12 31 71 5. Ef on - 5 3 5 29 32 45 6. Ek iti East - 2 4 6 20 17 29 7. Gb oyin 1 4 13 9 27 15 42 8. Ike re - 1 5 5 22 21 43 9. Ek iti South West 5 5 7 5 13 21 43 10. Ise /Orun 6 5 9 8 28 8 36 11. Em ure 1 11 4 9 25 2 27 12. Iko le 3 3 8 12 8 37 63 13. Oy e - 1 3 4 26 9 17 14. Ido /Osi - - 1 3 22 8 12 15. Ile jemeje - - - 3 22 2 5 16. M oba 1 1 2 - 11 2 6 Total 34 69 92 105 300 225 525 CATEGORY OF RURAL NO. OF HOUSES TOTAL COMMUNITIES A 100+ 34 B 50 – 99 69 C 25 – 49 92 D 15 – 24 105 Total recognized rural communities 300 Others 0 - 14 225 Total No. of communities in the rural areas 525 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 175 LIST OF COMMUNITIES IN ADO-EKITI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 & ABOVE HOUSES 1. O do 250 2. Ago Aduloju 200 3. Erinfun 200 4. Oke ofin 200 5. A so Ayegunle 200 6. Igimonkogo 150 7. Temidire ESunmo 100 8. Kajola 100 9. Ilamuo 100 10. O gbese Reserve 100 CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 11. I gbo Aso 70 12. I gbaye I 70 13. B olorunduro 50 14. Emirin 50 15. Igirigiri 50 16. Omi oloko 50 17. Imola farm settlement 50 18. Igbaye II 50 19. Uta Alaoro 50 CATEGORY C: 25-49 HOUSES 20. U ta-Eku 45 21. Ayecommunity 45 22. Ika 40 23. Idege 35 24. A tegbado 30 25. O ke osun 30 26. Amujagba 30 27. A jisoro 27 28. O do Asa 25 CATEGORY D: 15-24 HOUSES 29. Ago Araromi 14 30. I tamo 15 31. Idemo Oko 15 32. O para 15 TOTAL RECOGNIZED RURAL COMMUNITIES 13 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 176 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN IREPODUN/IFELODUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 1. Odo Anu 78 2. Odo petu Camp 75 3. Olorunda Aba 110 52 CATEGORY C: 25-49 HOUSES 4. Aba Oriokuta (Iworoko) 37 5. Odo Uro (Iyin) 35 6. Ebira camp (Afao) 32 7. Aroto 30 CATEGORY D: 15-24 HOUSES 8. Ajebamidele 23 9. Elemi 21 10. Ejiko (iyin) 16 11. Ebira camp (Are) 15 12 Egbeda (Awo) 15 13. Aba-Akiba 15 14. Aba-Igbira (Ijan Road) 15 15. Igbon 15 16. Alagorigba 15 Total Recognized Rural Communities 16 OTHERS 1. Araromi Iro 14 2. Epinirin I 14 3. Asasa / Kajola 14 4. Kajoa/Ipole 14 5. Orisumbare 13 6. Kosubu 13 7. Asa Erijiyan 13 8. Ayinrin 12 9. Oke Agbe 5 Total No o f others 9 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 177 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN EKITI WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 & ABOVE HOUSES 1. Ile Ona 350 2. Ajebamdele 125 3. Aba Osun 125 4. Kajola Oke Oja 120 5. Alaje Ikogosi 100 CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 6. Ajebamdele (Erinjiyan) 85 7. Akola Aramoko 80 8. Ajaye-Oke 80 9. Surulere (Erinjiyan) 76 10. Alafe Village 75 11. Surulere (Odeyemi) 75 12 Ajindo (Okemesi) 68 13. Kajola Oriokuta 65 14. Kajola 64 15. Oyomokore 60 16. Araromi Ipole Iloro 52 17. Araromi Ori-okuta 52 18. Oke Aro (Aromoko) 50 CATEGORY C: 25-49 HOUSES 19. Asa Temidire 49 20. Alawaye 35 21. Ajaye Odo 35 22. Sajowa 31 23. Orisunbare 30 24. Araromi Iro 30 25. Epirin I 28 26. Kajole Ipole 25 CATEGORY D: 15-24 HOUSES 27. Aba Itamosan 18 28. Epirin 3 18 29. Odomu 18 30. Asasa Kajola 15 31. Asa 15 32. Kosubu 15 33. Ijoko 15 34. Ayinrin 15 TOTAL RECOGNIZED RURAL COMMUNITIES 4 178 OTHERS: 1. Oke Agbe 12 2. EpinRIN ii 10 3. Egbeja Camp 10 4. Aba Adajo 09 5. Aba Ogborodo 09 6. Aba Ogidi 09 7. Aba Olutoki 07 8. Aba Paanu 07 Total No of other Communities 8 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. OTHERS: 1. Alabameta 14 2. Agba 14 3. Ejem 14 4. Ifesowapo 14 5. Kajola 12 6. Irapa 10 7. Amu I 10 8. Ogboni 10 9. Joachin 10 10. Baba Egbe Olorin 10 11. Eleyinmi 10 12 Sajiyan 10 13. Arotasin 10 14. Awomokin 10 15. Ajolu 10 16. Ajebamidele 8 17. Amu II 8 18. Parado 8 19. Oke Ejemu 8 20. Orunja 7 21. Ejisun Ikoro 7 22. Okoto 6 23. Olorin Osun 6 24. Iloro Obatedo 6 25. Oko Oba 5 26. Isare Osun 5 27. Folaranmi 5 28. Sakoro 4 29. Agbasa 4 30. Asa Farm 2 31. Sule camp 2 Total No of other Communities 31 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 179 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN EFON ALAAYE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 1. Alawaye 82 2. Ajebamidele Obake 78 3. Alajo 60 4. Ita Ido 59 5. Itawure 50 CATEGORY C: 25-49 HOUSES 6. Araromi Idagba 48 7. Ajegunle Obake 31 8. Kajola/Okela 26 CATEGORY D: 15 -24 HOUSES 9. Sugbohun Camp 21 10. Aladodo Camp 20 11. Iwaji 19 12 Awure 16 13. Baruwa 15 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 39 OTHERS 1. Oba Ayetoro 14 2. Igbo Olofin 12 3. Oloja Igbagbo 11 4. Orisunmibare Obake I 10 5. Alajo Camp 10 6. Olugbeku Camp 10 7. Olopemeji Camp 8 8. Oyo Camp 7 9. Igbagun Camp 6 10. Olobo Camp 6 11. Aalra Camp 4 12 Elemo Camp 4 13. Akinyemi Camp 4 14. Asaba Camp 4 15. Emila 3 16. Aro Camp 3 17. Agbejaife Camp 3 18. Obase Camp 3 19. Ogodun Camp 3 20. Alagbon Camp 3 21. Olodeokuta Camp 2 22. Olando Camp 2 23. Oluji camp 2 24. Etikan camp 2 25. Agemo camp 2 26. Asoju camp 2 27 Oko Ajewole 2 180 28. Olofin camp 1 29. Isobo camp 1 30. Igbo Aba - 31. Odo Amo - 32. Olomowewe - Total No of other Communities 32 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 181 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN EKITI EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 1. Eremeji 70 2. Coker camp 50 CATEGORY D: 25 -49 HOUSES 3. Jubril camp 48 4. Aba Kehinde (sinbode) 42 5. Odo Agbara (Isinbode) 35 6. Aba Paul 31 CATEGORY D: 15 -24 HOUSES 7. Giwa group 24 8. Aba Sunday 17 9. Aba Dogo 16 10. Igbo Omodun 15 11. Ita Oyere Camp 15 12 Ajeoku 15 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 20 1. Aba Oloka (Isinbode) 2. Aba Owoeye 14 3. Igbo Ife Camp 14 4. Aba Oka 14 5. Okorokoro 14 6. Aba Ojo 12 7. Kajola Camp 12 8. Aba Igbira I 11 9. Pump Camp 11 10. Aba Egbira (Agburugburu) 11 11. Aba Mango 8 12 Aba Adoin 8 13. Aba Igbira II 7 14. Aba Oniyo 7 15. Ayan Camp 7 16. Aba Alake 7 17. Akasa Camp 2 Total No of other Communities 17 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 182 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN GBOYIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 AND ABOVE HOUSES 1. Ilupeju Ijan 104 CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 2. Ajebamidele (Ilu-Omoba) 85 3. Iro Ayeteju 80 4. Okatedo, Ese Francis 80 5. Omuaran Camp 50 CATEGORY D: 25 -49 HOUSES 6. Egbe Agban Iloyi 48 7. Apoma Agbonlaji Pabambari camp 48 8. Eluju camp 40 9. Odiolowo camp 40 10. Orete camp 35 11. Akadiri/Loye camp 32 12 Apaloro/Surulere camp 30 13. Isarun/abodicamp Ologidi 30 14. Bolorunduro Camp (Ilumoba) 30 15. Ologoji camp 30 16. Akande camp Imesi 28 17. Aba Ologun 27 18. Adeluyi camp 25 CATEGORY D: 15 -24 HOUSES 19. Adebayo camp 24 20. Aba petesi 20 21. Okun Romoke camp 20 22. Bolorunduro (Aisegba) 20 23. Agbado camp 20 24. Anifowose / Ologede camp 18 25. Ebira camp (Ilumoba) 16 26. Onibedo camp 15 27 Kosomolate camp (Imesi) 15 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 27 1. Ipole Ekan 14 2. Omuo-Emure camp 14 3. Agunbiade camp 14 4. Araromi camp 14 5. Karim camp 14 6. Ajebamidele 14 7. Abonkoji camp 14 8. Olamiduro (Imesi) 14 9. Aduloju camp 14 10. Iro Itabode 10 183 11. Elekikun 10 12 Oke Afa camp 8 13. Aba Paanu 8 14. Igbo Ekun camp 5 15. Igbo Aramo 4 Total No of other Communities 15 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 184 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN EMURE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 AND ABOVE HOUSES 1. Alapoto 103 CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 2. Opticom 87 3. Sasere 79 4. Ebenezer Camp 73 5. Adeboye 72 6. Aba Adu 64 7. Okeseri 64 8. Owode 61 9. Kajola 60 10. Ajebamidele 60 11. Anaye 56 12 Ose Onija 51 CATEGORY D: 25 -49 HOUSES 13. Ibeji Shittu 42 14. Oge 35 15. Aba Ogunse 32 16. Akeye 28 CATEGORY D: 15 -24 HOUSES 17. Amuroko I & II 22 18. Ose Kolade 22 19. Onibuja 20 20. Alabamarun 20 21. Aba Isua 20 22. Aba Egin 19 23. Elemure Odoba 15 24. Ajiboye Camp 15 25. Emure Arigidi 15 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 25 OTHERS 1. Ita Kagbo/Igbo Awowo 11 2. Ibeji Ajiboye 9 Total No of Communities 2 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 185 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN IKOLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 AND ABOVE HOUSES 1. Agric. CMMC Ipao-Ekiti 200 2. Orin Odo Arie aware Ologede 120 3. Akeeta (Ab afolayan) 120 CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 4. Itagbangba 80 5. Aba igbira (Itapaji) 75 6. Ita Ahun 50 CATEGORY C: 25-49 HOUSES 7. Agbohun (Ipao) 40 8. Igbo-Odo (Usin Ekiti) 40 9. Oyi Camp (Irele-Ekiti) 40 10. Arita (Ijesha Usu) 35 11. Basha camp (Iyemero) 30 12 Aba Igbira (Isaba) 30 13. Ijisun 25 14. Aba Yhayha (Ipao) 25 CATEGORY D: 15 -24 HOUSES 15. Abaturu (Asin) 20 16. Aba Olore 20 17. Omisiyan (Oke Ayedun) 20 18. Oke Igbala (Oke Ayedun) 20 19. Akeeta (Irele) 15 20. Ita Ikako Esun 15 21. Igbo-Ero 15 22. Aba Ologbo esun 15 23. Gbogidi Gbogidi Ayebode 15 24. Bolorunduro 15 25. Filani (Ootunja) 14 26. Aba Ilado 14 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 13 OTHERS 1. Ikoyi Ile 14 2. Ikoyi Oko Oja Ogbese Meye 14 3. Oke Etun Abata Esun 14 4. Aba Koko Ipao 14 5. Igbana Ile 14 6. Odo ugo (Ayedun Ekiti) 14 7. Ugbo Etun (Ipao) 14 8. Ita Ake (Ayebode) 14 9. Aba Jubrin Ara 14 10. Ayetoro/Adebayo Setttlement 14 11. Aba Egbira Okko Igboroko 14 186 12 Egbira Camp Itapaji 14 13. Sango Tedo 14 14. Mile / Awara Oke-Ako 14 15. Aba Imaru Camp 14 16. Aba Imero 14 17. Owarawara Isaba 14 18. Aba Olomola Esun 14 19. Aba igbira Ipao 14 20. Fulani Otunja 14 21. Aba Asaba 10 22. Omi Olori 10 23. Papa Camp (Asin-Ekiti) 10 24. Kebejo (Asin-Ekiti) 10 25. Aba Ulogbo (Temidire) 10 26. Oke Olomoge (Temidire) 10 27 Ita Omodowa 08 28. Agbara (Ikunri) 07 29. Ilagbo Camp (Oke Ayedun) 07 30. Temidire Camp (Oke Ayedun) 06 31. Borisa Camp (Odo-Ayedun) 06 32. Omi gburudni (Camp Ayedun) 06 33. Aba Garuba (Camp Odo Ayedun) 05 34. Orisunbare Camp (Odo Ayedun) 05 35. Igbona Camp Ikole 05 36. Iwetin Camp Ikole 04 37. Ikoko Community Ipao25 04 Total No of other communities 37 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 187 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN IKERE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA S/N NAMES OF COMMUNITIES NO OF HOUSES CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 1. Ayede Kokoroko 50 CATEGORY D: 15 - 24 HOUSES 2. Para Oniroba 24 3. Para Olotin 20 4. Asae Okorokoro 20 5. Irepodun Aso 17 6. Olonisakin 15 Total Recognised Rural Communities 22 1. Asea Omowa I, II, III 12 2. Agamo Omowa 11 3. Ajebamidele 10 4. Olokere Farm settlement 10 5. Alagborogboro 10 6. Para Aloba 9 7. Igbo Oka 9 8. Okondo 8 9. Renu 7 10. Idege Igbo Ijan 7 11. Aba Ajaka 6 12. Aba Aso 6 13. Oke Ona Igbo Ijan 6 14. Aba Oniyinta 5 15. Oke Otin 5 16. Para Olapo 5 17. Para Agbenijogun 5 18. Aba Popoola 5 19. Aba Olumiluwa 5 20. Aba Afuye 5 21. Aba Jacob 5 22. Agaba Olo 3 23. Aba Kaduna 3 24. Igbo Ijan 2 Total No. of other Communities 24 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti 188 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN EKITI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA S/N NAMES OF COMMUNITIES NO OF HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 AND ABOVE HOUSES 1. Olorioko 200 2. Ilupeju (Edetedo) 185 3. Ajebamidele (Osogbotedo) 154 4. Alagbede 128 5. Omuo Aran (Bolorunduro) 110 CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 6. Bolorunduro (Igbo Onikanga) 94 7. Edun Abon 83 8. Lawrence Camp Ogotun 58 9. Johnson Camp Ogotun 54 10. Aba Kajola / Aba Baale (Ogotun) 54 CATEGORY C: 25 - 49 HOUSES 11. Ilupeju (Ilawe) 45 12. Omi Ogun 45 13. Aba Ijesha (Orisunbare) 40 14. Ajegunle 36 15. Aba Ibadan 36 16. Alabameta 30 17. Itamerin 29 CATEGORY D: 15 - 24 HOUSES 18. Orisunbare 23 19. Osunrin 15 20. Oloruntele Ajugbin 15 21. Otapete 15 22. Ajamuro 15 Total Recognised Rural Communities 8 OTHERS 1. Alapete 10 2. Aba Ajibade 7 3. Aroromi Oko Osodi 7 4. Igunrin 6 5. Aba Boluwadi Alipetu 6 6. Igesa Oko Oba 5 7. Ire 8. Aba Baba John 5 9. Aba Raphael/Erinjob 4 10. Alajaale 3 11. Jayeoba 3 12. Aba Baba Egbe Olarewaju 3 13. Ape/Lawrence 2 14. Ajila Eko/Lawrence 2 15. Aba Esaram Ala 2 189 16. John Agbajobi 2 17. Aba Esaram Ala 2 18. Simon Akosile 2 19. Aba Samuel Ojo 1 20. Ayejiyo 1 21. Giwa Mewase 1 Total No. of other Communities 21 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti 190 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN ISE-ORUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA S/N NAMES OF COMMUNITIES NO OF HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 AND ABOVE HOUSES 1. Ajegunle 472 2. Kajola 225 3. Obada 220 4. Ogbese 159 5. Afolu 140 6. Temidire 124 CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 7. Oladoyinbo 76 8. Osi Ajebamidele 63 9. Odole Camp 60 10. Aba Onisu 56 11. Ekemode 50 CATEGORY C: 25 - 49 HOUSES 12. Ekan I & II 41 13. Omuaran Ajebamidele 37 14. Aba egbira Ese 34 15. Aba Aborowa 33 16. Akanle 33 17. Osogbo Camp 30 18. Aba Araromi 29 19. Aba ilogbo Camp 27 20. Aba Ede 26 CATEGORY D: 15 - 24 HOUSES 21. Aba ikare 23 22. Aba Ada 21 23. Ogbomosho Camp 21 24. Alagbada/Olokemeta 20 25. Itala/Kanko 20 26. Adegbola Camp 17 27. Aba owo 17 28. Owalemisoro 15 Total Recognised Rural Communities 28 OTHERS 1. Egbira Ona Iso 13 2. Aborowa Oluroke 13 3. Olue Agbogidi 12 4. Ese okuta 10 5. Aderoju 9 6. Orun Omolaere 8 7. Afolu Olugunmoye 7 8. Upaso 6 Total No. of other Communities 8 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti 191 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN OYE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA S/N NAMES OF COMMUNITIES NO OF HOUSES CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 1. Orisumbare Ijelu 77 CATEGORY D: 25 - 49 HOUSES 2. Kajola (Ire) 30 3. Igede Farm Settlement 29 4. Aba Balogun (Ijelu) 29 CATEGORY D: 15 - 24 HOUSES 5. Aba Omoleye (Ijelu) 21 6. Aba Ade-Ojo (Ire) 16 7. Uta-Igi 15 8. Toyinla F/s 15 Total Recognised Rural Communities 26 Others 1. Igbo Ero 10 2. Aba Ogundana (Ijelu) 09 3. Aba Ita Egi (Ijelu) 08 4. Odo-Uga (Oye) 07 5. Dakowa II (Oye) 06 6. Odo Agba (Oye) 04 7. Odo Agba II (Oye) 04 8. Aba Ebira (Oye) 03 9. Aba Komson (Oye) Total No. of others 09 192 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN EMURE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 1. Orinsumbare Ijelu 77 CATEGORY C: 25 -49 HOUSES 2. Kajola (Ire) 30 3. Igede Farm settlement 29 4. Aba Balogun (Ijelu) 29 CATEGORY D: 15 -24 HOUSES 5. Aba Omoleye (Ijelu) 21 6. Aba Ade-Ojo (Ire) 16 7. Uta-Igi 15 8. Toyinla F/S 15 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 25 OTHERS 1. Igbo Ero 10 2. Aba Ogundana (Ijelu) 09 3. Aba Ila Egi (Ijelu) 08 4. Odo Uga (Oye) 07 5. Dakowa II (Oye) 06 6. Odo Agba (Oye) 04 7. Odo Agba II (Oye) 04 8. Aba Ebira (Oye) 03 9. Aba Kamson (Oye) Total No of Communities 09 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 193 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN IDO/OSI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY C: 25 -49 HOUSES 1. Aba Ajowa 26 CATEGORY D: 15 -24 HOUSES 2. Kajola (Ire) 20 3. Igede Farm settlement 15 4. Aba Balogun (Ijelu) 15 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 22 OTHERS 1. Aba Jere 14 2. Fulani Camp 14 3. Aba Ilupo 13 4. Aba Asunrin 07 5. Aba Orungbedo 06 6. Aba Gaa 05 7. Aba odo Iju 04 8. Aba Alagbado 04 Total No of Others 8 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 194 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN ILEJEMEJE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY D: 15 -24 HOUSES 1. Oko Ayo 17 2. Agama 16 3. Aba BAgbo/Apankanalogun (Ijelu) 15 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 22 OTHERS 1. Aba Jere 4 2. Fulani Camp 3 Total No. of Others 2 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 195 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN MOBA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NO OF S/N NAME OF COMMUNITY HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 AND ABOVE HOUSES 1. Gaa Irare 140 CATEGORY B: 50-99 HOUSES 2. Irare Town 75 CATEGORY C: 25 – 49 HOUSES 3. Gaa Erinmope 34 4. Orisunbare 22 Total No. of Recognized Rural Communities 11 1. Irare New Site 8 2. Alamoriku 4 Total No. of Others 2 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 196 LIST OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN IJERO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA S/N NAME OF COMMUNITIES NO OF HOUSES CATEGORY A: 100 AND ABOVE HOUSES 1. O molewa 150 2. E isikin 135 CATEGORY B: 50 – 99 HOUSES 3. B aba Orioke 95 4. S aloro 86 5. O fale 85 6. A riyo 75 7. O ke igi 60 8. O banla 30 CATEGORY C: 25-49 HOUSES 9. O ke asa 10. A laje Villa 11. O logbodudu 12. A ba Tuntun 13. O ja Oko 14. A rapate (Araromi) 15. O risunmbare (Odo Owa) 16. A yegbaju 17. O yikaka 18. A yegun 19. A panishile 20. A gba (Oga) CATEGORY D: 15-24 HOUSES 20 21. O koto 20 22. A jeje 20 23. A boro 20 24. O wode 20 25. M osafejo 20 26. A teni 20 27. J emujemu 20 28. O yi Alli 20 29. O ke Petesi 16 30. A kanro 15 31. A woso/Olofin 15 32. O lojo 15 33. E mila 15 34. E kunpa 15 35. O ko Ologun 15 36. G beyanlumi 15 37. I diobi 15 38. A rapate Eringbe 15 39. E kunba 15 40. E jisun (Ara) 26 Total Recognized Rural Communities 12 Source: Bureau of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ado-Ekiti. 197