Awareness of e-transaction among consumers of indigenous herbal remedies in Ota, Nigeria: A case for e-herbals

Electronic forms of transaction have permeated the world and disrupted traditional payment models, generally. On other hand, global interest in indigenous herbal remedies is gaining unprecedented momentum with researchers and consumers alike, showing keener interest in the product. However, little has been said about the acceptance and application of e-transaction by culturally rooted consumers of indigenous herbal remedies in Nigeria. To fill this gap, this study examined the awareness and usage of e-transaction instruments by consumers of indigenous herbal remedies in the mixed residential/industrial town of Ota, Nigeria. Technology Acceptance Model informed the application of quantitative survey method through which a questionnaire was operated on 1,000 respondents. Results showed that in spite of strong awareness of e-transaction modes of expense, preference for cash payment for purchasing indigenous herbal remedies is preponderant among the local consumers. Fear of possible price increases occasioned by e-transaction adoption is pervasive; but the study suggested infrastructural, informational, and communication steps to erase the prejudice and midwife e-herbals in the near future.