The success of agricultural development programmes in developing countries largely depends on the nature and extent of use of mass media in mobilizing farmers for the need for development. Communication has been acknowledged for playing, a prominent role in the success of agricultural production and adoption of innovations. The planners in developing countries realized that the development of agriculture could be hastened with the effective use of mass media, (Adams, 2012). Mass media was found to be a veritable tool for creating awareness and mobilizing farmers on the importance of change towards new science-based agricultural findings.

We are living in a world that is saturated by mass media with our environment brimming with data and information (Hutchings and Matthews, 2008). In recent decades, the widespread use of the mass media has resulted in heightening the level of public knowledge in different fields (Buren, 2010). Among the diverse mass media, radio and television, due to their wide and vast range of viewers, have had an outstanding position particularly with regard to informal teaching, and are considered as the best cultural and educational media (Tancard and Verner, 2015).

However, many Nigerian farmers engage in subsistence agriculture without adequate capital to expand their farms and store their farm produce after harvest so that agro –  processing industries could access them all year round. Due to the dearth of infrastructural facilities such as good roads, processing and storage equipment as well as inadequate marketing information; huge quantities of these agro – raw materials waste uncontrollably.

Our farmers and other stakeholders in the food supply chain therefore need to rise to the occasion by reducing food waste through good post – harvest management practices such as the use of storage facilities and appropriate processing technologies. This would guarantee food security thus enabling the populace to overcome the incidence of malnutrition.  It could be observed that farmers in Nigeria, irrespective of gender, status or location are often faced with the problem of inadequate relevant and up- to-date information, which they needed so much in carrying out their day-to-day farming activities.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The first essential component of social and economic justice is adequate food production. Even if a nation cannot send cosmonauts to the moon, it should be able to feed her population, only then can it occupy place of pride in the community of nations. Nigeria is a country richly blessed with abundant natural and human resources that if properly harnessed can feed its people and export the surpluses to other countries, yet it is experiencing persistent food crisis both in terms of quantity and quality. Cases of malnutrition and under nutrition are growing by the day.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2010, reported that about 2.0 billion people globally are suffering from chronic malnutrition, which is manifested in diseases like kwashiorkor, marasmus and other related malnutrition problems. Out of this population, about 1.2 billion are from the developing countries, of Asia, Africa and Latin America, where the most prevalent cause of death in post weaned-infants is protein malnutrition. More than twelve (12) million children under age 5 die annually because of food-related nutrition and health problems and about 178 million children globally are stunted.

The consequences of this malnutrition are slow economic growth (poverty), direct losses in productivity as a result of the poor physical status and indirect losses from poor cognitive function. About 150 million children under five years old are underweight, and more that 20 million suffer from severe malnutrition. It is estimated that 350 million women have nutritional anaemia. Some 40 million children suffer fromvitaminA deficiency, some of whom go blind, and most of those who do, die. About 250,000 children go blind or partially blind and survive. Iodine deficiency (IDD) afflicts 200 million to 300 million people with goiter, and at least 6 million suffer from cretinism (FAO, 2010).

Currently, the number of people without enough food to eat on a regular basis remains stubbornly high, and is not falling significantly. The food intake requirements of majority of Nigerians have fallen far below the international standard. Past effort at improving food supply through agricultural production has not yielded successful results. The programmes that were introduced only helped to alienate the peasant farmers who are the major producers of food in Nigeria. It is on this basis that this study aimed to investigate the effect of Farmers information literacy and awareness towards agricultural productivity and food security in Nigeria.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The major purpose of this study is to examine the effect of Farmers information literacy and awareness towards agricultural productivity and food security in Nigeria. Other general objectives of the study are:

1. To examine the effect of academic information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.
2. To examine the effect of agricultural information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.
3. To identify the effect of health information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.
4. To identify the effect of business information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.
5. To identify the effect of political information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.

     1.4     Research Questions

The study sought to provide answers to the following research questions:

1. What is the effect of academic information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security?
2. What is the effect of agricultural information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security?
3. What is the effect of health information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security?
4. What is the effect of business information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security?
5. What is the effect of political information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security?

1.5    Research Hypothesis

The following hypotheses were raised for this research:

1. There is no significant effect of academic information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.
2. There is no significant effect of agricultural information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.
3.  There is no significant effect of health information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.
4. There is no significant effect of business information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.
5. There is no significant effect of political information literacy on agricultural productivity and food security.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGES

Title Page    –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        i

Approval Page     –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        ii

Certification         –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        iii

Dedication  –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        iv

Acknowledgements        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        v

Abstract      –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        vi

List of Tables       –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        viii

Table of Contents          –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        ix

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study –        –        –        –        –        –        1
• Statement of the Problem –        –        –        –        –        4
• Objectives of the Study – –        –        –        –        –        5
• Research Questions –        –        –        –        –        –        5
• Statement of Hypothesis –        –        –        –        –        –        6
• Significance of the Study –        –        –        –        –        7
• Scope of the Study –        –        –        –        –        –        7
• Limitations of the Study –        –        –        –        –        –        8

PAGES

• Organization of the Study –        –        –        –        –        9
• Definition of Terms –        –        –        –        –        –        10

          CHAPTER TWO

          REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1     Conceptual Framework –        –        –        –        –        –        11

2.1.1  Concept of Farmers Information Literacy  –        –        –        11

2.1.2  Meaning and Concept of Agricultural productivity                 –        13

2.1.3  Measures of Agricultural productivity                 –        –        –        16

2.1.4  Academic information literacy on agricultural

productivity and food security                   –        –        –        –        18

2.1.5  Agricultural information literacy on

agricultural productivity and food security                   –        –        20

2.1.6  Effect of health information literacy on agricultural

productivity and food security                   –        –        –        –        22

2.1.7  Business information literacy on agricultural

productivity and food security                   –        –        –        –        26

2.1.8  Political information literacy on agricultural

productivity and food security                   –        –        –        –        27

2.1.9  Food Security       –        –        –        –        –        –        –        30

2.2     Theoretical Framework           –        –        –        –        –        32

2.3     Empirical Reviews         –        –        –        –        –        –        33

PAGES

          CHAPTER THREE

          RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1     Research Design   –        –        –        –        –        –        –        39

3.2     Population of the Study          –        –        –        –        –        –        40

3.3     Sampling Technique      –        –        –        –        –        –        40

3.4     Sample size          –        –        –        –        –        –        –        41

3.5     Instrumentation    –        –        –        –        –        –        –        41

3.6     Plan for Data Analysis –        –        –        –        –        –        41

3.7     Problems of Data Collection   –        –        –        –        –        43

          CHAPTER FOUR

          DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

• Analysis of Research Questions –        –        –        –        44
  • Research Question One –       –        –        –        –        –        44
  • Research Question Two         –        –        –        –        –        –        45
  • Research Question Three –        –        –        –        –        46
  • Research Question Four         –        –        –        –        –        –        47
  • Research Question Four         –        –        –        –        –        –        49
• Test of Hypotheses –        –        –        –        –        –        50
  • Test of Hypothesis One –        –        –        –        –        –        50

PAGES

4.2.2  Test of Hypothesis Two          –       –        –        –        –        –        52

4.2.3  Test of Hypothesis Three         –       –        –        –        –        54

4.2.4  Test of Hypothesis Four         –       –        –        –        –        –        56

4.2.5  Test of Hypothesis Five –       –        –        –        –        –        58

4.3     Discussion of Findings            –        –        –        –        –        60

          CHAPTER FIVE

          SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND

          RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1     Summary of Findings    –        –        –        –        –        –        64

5.2     Conclusion –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –        65

5.3     Recommendations         –        –        –        –        –        –        –        66

References

Appendix I

Appendix II