Determinants of Electronic Book Adoption in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the adoption of electronic books (e-books) among undergraduate students in Kwara State, Nigeria using the unified theory of technology acceptance and use model (UTAUT), with a view to understanding the factors that lead to its adoption. The population consisted of 300 undergraduate students from federal, state and private universities in Kwara State, Nigeria. Results showed that usage of electronic books in scholarly databases, procured by the library, was relatively low, with more than 50 per cent of respondents claiming to have used e-books only once. Students in federal and state universities showed preference for e-books while private university students showed preference for paper books. In examining the intention to adopt e-books, using the UTAUT model, results showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions were major determinants of e-book adoption, while gender played a moderating role. Performance expectancy and effort expectance significantly influenced male students, while effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions influenced female students significantly. It is paramount for university administrators to encourage the adoption of electronic books by promoting a lecturer-student model and improving the user interface to encourage the use of these resources.