Information Accessibility and Utilization for Panacea to Job Performance and Productivity of Academic Staff : A Case

Abstract

This study probes into accessibility and utilization of information by academic staff in the Faculties of Agricultural Sciences. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design to describe information accessibility and utilization. The researcher made use of questionnaires which were administered on forty four (44) Academic Staff randomly selected from Faculties of Agricultural Sciences. The findings revealed that textbooks were the most easily accessible, this was followed by journals, Theses/Dissertations, newspapers/ magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, statistical publications, reference materials, Projector/Electronic Board, Internet/ CD-ROM Database and Government Document. It was also discovered that,dictionaries were the most frequently used information resources. followed by Journals, Abstracts and Textbooks followed by Conference proceedings, Thesis/Dissertations, Internet / CD Rom Database, Newspapers / Magazines, Directories / Handbooks, Technical Reports, Statistical Publications, Encyclopaedia, Government documents and Audio Visuals. The study revealed that epileptic power supply is the most prominent challenge confronting information accessibility and utilization followed by Inadequate workstations and space, poor maintenance of ICT facilities poor funding of Internet facilities, student’s computer illiteracy, Internet connectivity problem, and lastly, Lecturers computer illiteracy. It also revealed the factors responsible for low productivity of lecturers in the Faculties of Agricultural sciences which were: inadequate workstations, epileptic power supply, expensive cost of internet connectivity, poor library services, Lack of Internet facilities, Low bandwidth, computer illiteracy, Inadequate space, Poor maintenance of ICT, High students population and Obsolete print materials.It was recommended that the Federal government of Nigeria in collaboration with the universities administrators should accord greater importance to agriculture as the bedrock of Nigerian economy. Regular distribution of electric power to the campuses to keep ICT facilities functioning, improved funding and lecturers should be alive to their responsibilities for greater productivity and improve their ICT competence to be able to access electronic information resources.