Sustainability of Marketing Food Crops through the Internet in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated sustainability of marketing food crops through the Internet in the Lagos metropolis. Survey and in-depth interview were employed for the execution of the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 85 questionnaire respondents and communication officer of an online farm produce shopping mall while snowball was adopted for agricultural engineers. The data collected through questionnaire were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while the interviews with the communication officer and agricultural engineers were analysed through discursive analysis. The study found that unless there is an improvement, the present organisational factors and available technical infrastructure are not favourable to support the sustainability of the medium (r=.798, p <.000) as a means of marketing farm produce. In essence, t he study did not find any clear link between existing information and communication technological infrastructure to the sustainability (marketing) of food crops. Given these, government, telecommunications operators and other Internet service providers should upgrade the broadband connectivity across the country, particularly in the cities.