Hello friends, I am Adeogun Emmanuel, a Research Engineer at National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization in Nigeria. My field of specialization is on Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. I am interested in how rural telephony can bring tangible economic benefits and act as agents of social mobilization through improved communication. But there are real challenges that face reaching rural areas in terms of mobile communication especially in African countries. In my own view, rural mobile telephony should be encouraged by making it accessible and affordable, even to the point of subsidizing it by the country government so that poor rural farmers can be encouraged to use it in order to enhace his agricultural activities. There should be creation of communication awareness by the extension workers to the rural farmers on the right way of using research findings and some of today's most beneficial applications that can help these rural communities on agricultural development. In view of this, I would be looking forward for examples of interesting initiatives and good outcomes from around the globe and the possibility of transfering these initiatives to our own rural farmers. I wish you a fruitful discussion. Thank you.

Hello friends, Im happy to be part of you. My name is Adeogun Emmanuel, a Research Engineer at National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization, in Nigeria. I work in the field of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. Im interested in examining the challenges that rural communities face in enhancing the benefits of mobile telephony. But Im of the view of making rural mobile telephony accessible and affordable to rural farmers especially in countries that are going through economic development, most especially in African countries. I would also like to look at some examples of interesting initiatives and good outcomes from around the globe and the possibility of transfering such initiatives for the betterment of rural agricultural practises in African countries. With this development, young graduates in Agricultural fields can be encouraged to practise thier profession in rural areas instead of remaining jobless in the cities. I would be looking forward to this discussion. Thank you.