Effects of social media on youth involvement in livestock production in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Youths are the highest consumers of ICT and they are currently using Social Media (SM) to stir interest, ask questions, and solve constraints in agricultural enterprises. Youths’ participation in livestock enterprises through social media is increasing because they are not capital-intensive and can be practiced in their residences. Hence, the effects of SM on youth involvement in livestock production (LP) were investigated. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 150 respondents, and a questionnaire was used for data collection and analysis using percentages, mean, standard deviation Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), and t-test at p ≤ 0.05. Findings revealed that respondents had 1–5 years of experience (47.3 %), were efficient in computer literacy (53.3 %), and involved in LP before SM utilisation (6.7 %). Websites (X¯ = 1.83), YouTube (X¯ = 1.69) and WhatsApp (X¯ = 1.65) were the most available SM platforms. Many respondents (88.9 %) were operating on a low scale of LP, while a few (11.1 %) were on a medium scale before SM utilisation. The deployment of SM increased respondents with a medium scale of LP (from 11.1 % to 53.3 %) and decreased respondents with a low scale of LP (from 88.9 % to 30.0 %), while 10.7 % of respondents were characterised by a large scale of LP. Power supply (X¯ = 2.51) and cost of data (X¯ = 2.43) were the major challenges to the use of SM for LP. A significant relationship (r = 0.531, p = 0.025) existed between the use of SM and the level of LP. Significant differences existed between the level of LP before (0.804 ± 1.021) and after the use (1.340 ± 1.000) of SM. Hence, SM boosted youths’ involvement in agriculture, raised LP, and consequently decreased unemployment rates. Solar energy, cheap data, and favourable financial schemes for young farmers should be made available.