Probing university students’ adoption and utilization of social networking websites in Nigeria

15-23This study was designed to examine the influence of socio-demographic variables, innovation characteristics, time and social systems, on university students’ adoption and use of social networking websites (SNWs). Survey design was adopted. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from 600 respondents comprising undergraduate and postgraduate students in the two public universities. Frequency distribution, factor and regression analyses were performed on the data collected. Findings revealed that socio-demographic variables had positive influence on students’ adoption and use of SNWs. The three Diffusion of Innovation variables significantly contributed to the adoption and use of SNWs but innovation characteristics had the strongest influence, while time exerted the least. All the innovation characteristics had positive and significant correlation with the use of SNWs with relative advantage having the highest contribution and complexity the least. In view of these findings, university authorities need to design and develop appropriate social networking systems to serve as a cost-effective platform to deliver instructions to students