AGRI-TECH AND LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT: ECONOMIC AND POLICY DRIVERS OF DIGITAL ADOPTION IN NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

The usage of digital technologies in the agricultural sector is becoming widely recognised as a means of enhancing efficiency, productivity, and sustainability in developing countries. In most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the adoption of agritech innovations is still underutilised, especially in countries where institutional and structural factors prevail. This paper explored economic factors and the policy behind the adoption of digital technology in the management of livestock in Nigeria and South Africa using a comparative and multi-level analytical paradigm. The paper employed the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI), and the institutional approach. A qualitative research design was adopted for this study, using primary and secondary sources of data gathering. Primary data were gathered through the conduct of interviews with the livestock farmers in Northern Nigeria, and secondary data from policy and institutional documents in South Africa. Three variables, that is, the perception of the farmers, diffusion, and policy environments in determining the adoption outcomes, were examined. Findings showed that even though
farmers show a high level of perceived usefulness of digital technologies, the usage of these technologies was limited due to poor infrastructure, high prices, and poor institutional support. In comparison, the findings of the study showed that South Africa has consistent policy frameworks and better institutional capacity to support greater adoption, whereas there exists low usage due to a disjointed policy environment, despite its positive perception by farmers in Nigeria. The study contributes to the existing literature by integrating diffusion, behavioural, and institutional perspectives into a multi-level framework for understanding the adoption of agri-tech in developing countries. The study concluded that the success of digital agricultural transformation requires robust policy, technological innovation, and institutional systems for its adoption.