Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Small- Scale Business Owners in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background and Objective: Information is critical for the growth and sustainability of small-scale businesses. This study examined the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of small-scale business owners in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. Specifically, it sought to identify the types of information required, the sources utilized, their information-seeking patterns, and the challenges encountered in accessing business-related information. Methods: A descriptive survey research design was adopted. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 235 respondents selected through simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, simple percentages, and mean scores. Results: The findings revealed that small-scale business owners have strong information needs in areas such as customer relations (M = 3.38), finance (M = 3.34), marketing (M = 3.28), and government regulations (M = 3.25). Informal sources such as customers and suppliers (M = 3.34) were more commonly used than formal and ICT-based sources (M = 3.08–3.13). Information-seeking behaviour was moderate to active (M = 3.10–3.34). Major challenges included high cost of information access (M = 3.32), difficulty in accessing reliable sources (M = 3.30), and limited ICT skills (M = 3.13). Conclusion and Recommendations: The study concludes that while small-scale business owners have significant information needs, their ability to access and utilize information is constrained by cost, source reliability, and ICT skills. It is recommended that ICT training, improved access to information services and affordable digital infrastructure be provided to enhance information access and overall business performance
Institutions: College of Education Warri, Southern Delta University, Ozoro
Language: English
Subfield: Library and Information Sciences
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7203870093