There are mixed opinions about the role of Information communication Technology (ICT) in general and the Internet in particular in
promoting development. While Internet has been viewed as contributing to the
ever-changing information dissemination across urban and rural spaces, others
argue that the Internet does not always bring drastic social and economic
advances as scholars and pundits have made us to believe. However, in rural
areas such as China where websites have been set up to market goods, attract
investments and enlarge business scale (Zhao, 2008), it is the view that
Internet has impacted lives and rural development.
In Nigeria, despite its headquarters and leadership role in the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African region’s
headquarters of United Nation Millennium Goals (MDGs), an initiative that is
geared to reduce poverty, improve health care and education, and ensure
productivity in poor countries around the world, it remains to be seen how
the Internet could be utilized for development and add into the equation in
economic improvement of lives in the rural villages. The MDGs goals set 2015
as deadline.
The basic purpose of this study is to explore demographic
characteristics of the Internet users – individuals in a rural population
such as Ihiala in South eastern Nigeria that could be the end-users of
innovation technology. The study also examined the innovation attributes of
the Internet that are likely to make the technology adoptable and facilitate
economic development. And finally, it examined the different purposes for
which they use the Internet that included financial and business activities.
The study findings were analyzed using Rogers (1995, Davis(1994),
Technology Adoption Model (TAM). A total of 270 respondents(out of 300
people sampled) completed the questionnaire, achieving a 90% response rate.
The study found that there is no significant difference between the genders
in their internet use. Internet users are likely to be well educated, but
both the rich and poor use the Internet. An analysis of the activities and
the users’ impetus shows that Internet is used primarily for activities
related to economic development, especially conducting business and financial
transactions, although many began with just communicating by e-mails with
friends and family.