Submitted | Digital Solutions for Rural Agriculture: Exploring Social Media Adoption Among Agricultural Extension Agents in Ghana’s Ashanti Region

Rubaba Mohammed, Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum, Ebenezer Osei Jones, Tafadzwa Clementine Maramura, Mark Arhin, Fred Ankuyi

Abstract: The incorporation of social media into agricultural extension services offers a significant opportunity to improve communication, information dissemination, and outreach among Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs). In Ghana, where agriculture is fundamental to the economy and a principal source of livelihood for many, efficient communication and information dissemination are essential to improving agricultural practices and ensuring food availability. This research examined the knowledge and use of social media by AEAs from Ghana's Ashanti Region. We used a quantitative methodology and administered a structured questionnaire to 444 AEAs by snowball sampling. The results indicate that the majority (94.4%) of AEAs view social media as a medium for user engagement, and 96.2% acknowledge the need for an email account for access. WhatsApp was the most utilised platform, with a mean score of 4.48, followed by Facebook at 3.98, whilst YouTube and TikTok were less commonly used. The research additionally revealed socio-economic factors affecting social media use: gender, education, training, and age. These show the need for specialised training and technical support to augment AEAs' social media participation and enhance agricultural communication and information dissemination. The findings highlight the opportunity to optimise social media use in agricultural extension, thereby improving communication in rural areas and enhancing the effectiveness of agricultural techniques.

Keywords: Agricultural extension agents, Knowledge Sharing, Social media, Digital Solutions