Internet Usage among University Students in Nigeria: A Case Study

Oyinkepreye Evelyn Sawyerr-George; Rachael Agina-Obu

doi:10.51983/ajist-2023.13.1.3411

Authors

Oyinkepreye Evelyn Sawyerr-George Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Aleibiri, Ekeremor, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Rachael Agina-Obu Department of Library and Information Science, The Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51983/ajist-2023.13.1.3411

Keywords:

Internet, Internet Usage, Academic Activities, Tertiary Institutions, Learning and Research

Abstract

The study looked at how students at the University of Africa, Toru-Orua (UAT), in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, used the Internet. A descriptive survey approach was chosen, and the study’s execution was driven by five research questions. The population of the study consisted of 1300 undergraduate students, and the Taro Yamane sample size algorithm was used to select the sample size, which was set at 300 students. The instrument for gathering data was the questionnaire. Experts in research techniques and statistics approved the questionnaire. The instrument’s dependability was determined using Cronbach Alpha, which produced a result of 0.87. Frequency counts and simple percentages were used to examine the data. The research found that the majority of students have access to Internet services on campus and that most of them regularly utilize those services for learning, personal development, and pleasure. The findings also showed that most students choose to use the university library’s Internet services and that obstacles to efficient use of these services included slow Internet speed, unpredictable power supply, weak information retrieval skills, and issues identifying relevant information. The researchers’ recommendations were based on the findings, and they included an upgrade to the institution’s electrical infrastructure, Internet infrastructure, and the provision of Internet access in the students’ dorms to maintain its efficient Internet services. The university library should also instruct students in digital literacy to enhance their search techniques and strategies.

References

Ajanaku, O. J. (2018). Utilization of the Internet by undergraduate students of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. International Journal of Science and Technology Educational Research, 10(3), 30-36.

Akram, H., & Habibur, R. (2017). Comparative study of Internet usage among university students: A study of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. European Scientific Journal, 13, 34.

Almarabeh, T., Majdalawi, Y. K., & Mohammad, H. (2016). Internet usage, challenges, and attitudes among university students: A case study of the University of Jordan. Journal of Software Engineering and Applications, 9, 577-587.

Alshammari, N. (2014). The use of technology in education to improve student’s reading skills in elementary schools, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5, 69.

Ani, O. (2010). Internet access and use. The Electronic Library, 28(4), 555-567. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/026404710110653733

Apuke, O. D., & Iyendo, T. O. (2018). University students’ usage of the Internet resources for research and learning: Forms of access and perceptions of utility. Heliyon, 4, e01052. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2018. e01052.

Awojide, D. (2020). Nigeria’s unemployment rate. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgb-tXv90wk.

Carmona, M. (2013). ICT trends in education: 1st annual international interdisciplinary conference, Azores, 24-26, 428-430.

Devi, C. B., & Roy, N. R. (2012). Internet use among university students: A case study of Assam University Silchar. Pratidhwani J. Humanit. Soc. Sci., 1, 183e201. Retrieved from https://www.thecho.in/ files/abstract,-nilratan.pdf.

Dogruer, N., Eyyam, R., & Menevis, I. (2011). The use of the Internet for educational purposes. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 28, 606-611. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.115.

Fasae, J. K., & Aladeniyi, F. R. (2012). Internet use by students of faculty of science in two Nigerian universities. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 763.

Gada, B. A., & Sani, N. M. (2017). Assessment of Internet usage among undergraduate students of Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto, Sokoto State Nigeria. International Journal of Advanced Studies in Economics and Public Sector Management, 5(3), 118-130.

Hussain I. (2012). A study to evaluate the social media trends among university students. Proc. Soc. Behav. Sci., 64, 639-645.

Ivwighreghweta, O., & Igere, M. A. (2014). Impact of the Internet on academic performance of students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Inf. Impact J. Inf. Knowl. Manag., 5(2), 47-56.

Kaur, A. (2008). Internet use for entertainment and information. Retrieved from http://www.zonalatina.com/Z1data129.html.

Kumar, .R., & Kaur, A. (2006). Internet use by teachers and students in engineering colleges of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh States of India: An analysis. Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship, 1(7).

Nigerian Communications Commission report (2022). Retrieved from https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/nigeria-hits-44-30-broadband -penetration-84m-internet-subscriptions/#:~:text=The%20Nigerian% 20Communication’s%20Commission%2C%20NCC,internet%20 subscriptions%20in%20the%20Country.

Nwokedi, V. (2007). Impact of Internet use on teaching and research activities of the academic staff of faculty of medical sciences, University of Jos: A case study. Gateway Library Journal, 10(1), 13-22.

Ogunbodede, K. F., Odewusi, O. O., Oniovosa, O. N., & George, T. M. (2020). Assessment of Internet usage among academic staff in university of Africa, Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State. Transactions on Engineering and Computer Science, 1(2), 114. Retrieved from https://www.research gate.net/publication/345484986.

Ogunbodede, K. F., & Oribhabor, C. B. (2022). Digital resources usage and academic performance of undergraduate students in Nigeria: A case study. European Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Education, 3(1), e022xx. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30935/ejimed/xxxx.

Ugwulebo, J. E., & Okoro, S. N. (2016). Impact of Internet usage on the academic performance of undergraduates students: A case study of the University of Abuja, Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 7(10).

Ureigho, R. J., Oroke, G. U., & Ekruyota, G. O. (2006). The impact of Internet usage: A case study of Delta State (Nigeria) tertiary institutions. Sci. Res. Essays, 1(2), 054e056. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2PxOEBg.

Waithaka, M., Onyancha, O. B., & Ngulube, P. (2018). Internet use among university students in Kenya: A case study of the University of Nairobi. Innovation, 57. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331889906.