Improving Technology Perception through Information and Education: A case of Biotechnology in Nigeria

A study was conducted in two states in Nigeria (Edo and Delta) as part of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Activities in the Niger Delta area of the south-western agro-ecological zone part of Nigeria. A workshop was organized for the sole purpose of presenting information on biotechnology as a discipline and as a necessary technology that can be safely adopted by even peasant farmers. Several areas of biotechnology such as biosafety,ethics, environmental and health safety where the audience can participate and explore were presented by speakers. Ninety-five participants at the workshop formed the respondents for the study and a questionnaire was designed to elicit information on the participants’ awareness, knowledge, perception and attitude about biotechnology and its products, before and after the workshop. The results showed that the age of the respondents ranged from 19 to 56 years with a mean of 41 years. Results also showed that all the participants, apart from 14.8 percent, had educational qualification higher than secondary school. Majority (63 percent) were civil servants including 30 percent from Ministry of Agriculture and 33 percent from Agricultural Research Institutes, 24 percent from the academia and others from private organisations. Through workshop as an education method, there was change in perception after training. Before the workshop 67.4 percent of the respondents said they would eat food made from genetically engineered crops however, at the end of the workshop 80 percent of the same group of respondents indicated they will eat food made from genetically engineered crops. Using a paired sample t-test statistics, the test of difference on disposition before and after the workshop gave a t-value of 4.569 which was significant at 0.05 level. The study concludes that information dissemination through training method such as workshop has contributed to change in perception of biotechnology in Nigeria.