WIDOWS AND THEIR INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR IN SOUTH -WESTERN NIGERIA

This study investigated information seeking-behaviour of 109 widows in south-western Nigeria, with a questionnaire, using mainly snowball and purposive sampling techniques. Findings reveal that respondents were economically and educationally weak and their information needs hinge mainly on finance, childrens education and training, counselling, family and personal health. They use sources including radio, children, mobile phone, church members and television when seeking for information. Factors motivating the use of information sources include ease of finding information, convenience, familiarity, relevance, and nearness for purposes of educating and training their children, personal work, running family matters, health, and carrying on successfully with widowhood. The major challenges facing respondents in their information seeking-behaviour are finance, weak education, and unemployment. This study throws light on understanding and opportunities for information workers to design relevant information systems for widows in order to meet their unveiling information needs and enhance their information seeking behaviour activities. Governments organs, and widows support groups should give economic empowerment of widows and education of girl child a priority.