DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENTIALS ON PERCEPTIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE UTILIZATION FOR IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE AMONG FARMERS IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined demographic differentials in farmers' perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) utilization for improved agricultural production in South-South Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study. Three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at .05 level of significance. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 384 crop farmers (316 valid responses) across urban and rural communities in Delta, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing five perception dimensions: awareness, perceived benefits, ease of adoption, trust, and future adoption intent, measured on a 4-point Likert scale. The instrument was validated by three experts. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and one-way ANOVA were used for analysis. Results revealed moderately positive perceptions overall, with urban, male, and younger (18–35 years) farmers showing significantly higher acceptance than rural, female, and older counterparts. Key barriers included low awareness, perceived complexity, and rural-urban disparities in infrastructure access. It was recommended among others that Agricultural Extension unit should Implement age- and gender-sensitive training programs with differentiated training modules.