Use of Mobile Phones for Adult Learning Among Market Women in Aba, Abia State

This study examined the use of mobile phones as adult learning tools among market women in Aba, Abia State, South East Nigeria. The widespread penetration of mobile telephony across Nigerian urban and semi-urban areas has opened new opportunities for delivering informal and non-formal learning content to populations traditionally excluded from formal education systems. The study adopted a descriptive survey design involving 160 market women drawn from three major markets in Aba. Questionnaires, usage diaries, and observational field notes formed the data collection basis. Findings revealed that most women used mobile phones primarily for communication and entertainment; however, a growing segment reported utilising phone-based tools for business calculations, accessing trade pricing information, watching instructional videos, and participating in cooperative WhatsApp groups for knowledge sharing. Women with higher levels of prior literacy were significantly more active mobile learners than those with lower literacy. Barriers to mobile learning included data costs, small screen sizes, language of digital content, and limited smartphone literacy. The study found that women who participated in structured mobile literacy coaching sessions demonstrated rapid skill transfer and increased engagement with phone-based learning applications. Recommendations include designing Igbo-language mobile learning applications adapted for low-literacy users, partnering with telecommunications providers to subsidise data access for adult learner groups, and integrating mobile literacy skills into existing adult education programmes. Keywords: mobile learning, market women, adult education, Aba, digital literacy.