EXPLORING YOUTH SOCIAL MEDIA USE FOR ENHANCEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS OF NIGERIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

This study investigates the role of social media in enhancing agriculturalextension services among youths in rural Nigeria, with a focus on its usage, the challengesencountered, and strategies for improvement. A systematic literature review was conductedusing Google Scholar as the primary database to identify relevant studies. The search strategyemployed Boolean operators to combine keywords such as “„youth,‟ „social media,‟„agricultural extension services,‟ and „Nigeria‟ or „rural areas.‟” The inclusion criteria weretailored to select studies focusing on youth in rural areas of Nigeria, the use of social mediaplatforms for agricultural extension, and studies that specifically address the Nigeriancontext. A total of 66 articles were initially identified 7 of which met the inclusion criteriaafter thorough screening and quality assessment. The results reveal that while platforms suchas WhatsApp and Facebook are utilized by youths for agricultural information exchange,significant barriers, including limited ICT infrastructure, inadequate training, andsociocultural constraints, among others, impede their effectiveness. The study suggests thataddressing these challenges through targeted policy interventions and capacity-buildinginitiatives can increase the potential of social media as a tool for agricultural development.These insights can inform stakeholders on the benefits of leveraging social media to promoteinnovation, improve productivity, and support food security in rural Nigeria.