critical purviews where information and communication technology (ict) can promote sustainable...
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This article discusses the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in engendering sustainable development in Nigeria. The article identifies some critical areas where ICT can be applied in order to harness better results, e.g., e-government, e-heath care, e-agriculture, e-education, rural development, etc.TRANSCRIPT
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
111
Critical Purviews Where Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
can Promote Sustainable Development in Nigeria
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim
Fakulti Bahasa Moden dan Komunikasi
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Malaysia
thegdmprince79gmailcom
Md Salleh Hj Hassan PhD
Fakulti Bahasa Moden dan Komunikasi
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Malaysia
md sallehupmedumy
Abstract
Information and communication technology (ICT) has become the buzz word in academia
government business economy and many other social purviews of human society especially in
the areas of sustainable development From a mere acronym ICT has over the last decade
metamorphosed into the driving force behind many monumental changes and innovative
development in the world The author reviewed e-journal articles chapters from e-books and
other relevant literature that critically examined ICT and its wider applications in the realms of
making life better for the majority of the people particularly the indigent and information have-
nots The paper critically discusses and analyses some of the key areas where a successful
application of ICT can effectively engender the much needed sustainable development in society
focusing on Nigeria Moreover the paper outlines inter-alia agriculture culture economy
education governance and tourism as paramount realms in which the proper application of ICT
can help in the management of natural human and capital resources for effective utilisation by
the present generation without jeopardising the ability of future generations to benefit from them
The paper concludes that for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
manipulate the capital resources for better results
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112
Keywords ICT sustainable development critical purviews management of natural human and
capital resources Nigeria Malaysia
Introduction
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is changing the world dramatically ICT has
made political cultural and socio-economic integration much easier and faster than before
Consequently ICT has ushered us into the much-talked about information age something
Marshal McLuhan had foreseen since the 1960s which he called the global village and now
widely referred to as globalization ICT has made access to knowledge and education
(awareness) much easier and relatively cheaper Awareness increases peoplersquos chances to be
carried along in the ICT-driven global dynamism Information poverty or digital divide
however impedes peoplersquos access to knowledge and education which unfortunately reinforces
their vulnerability constraints and challenges Such constraints and challenges usually thwart the
socio-economic well-being of the people by pushing them into the abyss of exclusion
powerlessness and penury
Nigeria is the most populous country on the African continent according to the United Nations
(UN) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Nigeria The country is the sixth most
populous nation in the world after China India US Indonesia and Brazil according to the UNFP
Report cited on the Nigerian National Population Commission (NPC) website with an estimated
population of over 167 million (NPC 2014) The estimated population growth rate (average
annual percentage) of the country from 2010 to 2015 is 25 its urban growth rate from 2010 to
2015 is estimated at 38 its rural population growth rate (annual average percentage) from
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
113
2010 to 2015 is 13 its urban population in 2012 was 503 its primary-secondary school
gross enrolment ratios for both male and female per 100 persons in 2012 were 620 and 689
respectively its telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants in 2011 was 590 while in 2010 it
was 558 and its Internet users per 100 inhabitants in 2011 was 284 while in 2010 it was
558 (UN 2014 UNDP Nigeria 2012) The country is approximately 923768 square
kilometres which is equivalent to 356669 square miles
(about the size of California United
States- US) and the literacy rate is 39ndash51 (US Department of State Nigeria 2012 UNDP
Nigeria 2012) Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones viz North-east North-central
North-west South-east South-south and South-west See appendix for the geopolitical zones
ICT in Nigeria
Just like in other parts of the developing world in Nigeria there has been an upsurge in Internet
penetration and the use of ICT particularly in the areas of health education business agriculture
governmentadministration tourism and transportation in the last 15 years (Jimoh Pate Lin and
Schulman 2012) In spite of that ICT infrastructures in the country may still be regarded as
underdeveloped when compared with other developing countries like South Africa Malaysia
Brazil and South Korea Nigeriarsquos Internet penetration for instance was less than 16 in 2012
according to an online news blog portal 234nextcom (2012) while its Internet broadband
penetration per 100 household was between 4 and 6 (Nigeriarsquos National Broadband Plan
2013-2018) which can be regarded as extremely lower compared with Malaysiarsquos 109 in 2006
(UNDPMDGs Malaysia 2010 Report) 556 in 2010 and 672 in the third quarter of 2013
(Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission-MCMC 2013 Department of
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
114
Statistics Malaysia 2013 National Broadband Initiative Malaysia- NBI 2014) According to
234nextcom Nigeria had an average broadband download speed of 138 Mbps (Megabits per
second) which is very much lower compared to the 101 Mbps of the United States (Google
Public Data 2012) and according to Internet World Stats- IWS (2014) Nigeriarsquos broadband
download speed rose to 522 Mbps in November 2013 In June 2012 there were about 484
million internet users in Nigeria which was about 284 of the countryrsquos population In
December 2012 there were over 663 million Facebook users and the countryrsquos Internet
penetration rate was 39 (IWS 2014) In Malaysia for instance like in many other ldquoemergingrdquo
developing countries ICT is rapidly growing The Malaysian Government is currently
vigorously pursuing its famous national development plan Malaysia 2020 in which it targets at
least 25 of the countryrsquos population to be ICT-literate by the year 2020
In Nigeria the Federal Executive Council approved the National Information Technology Policy
in March 2001 and the implementation started in April with the establishment of the National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in charge of the mission to make
Nigeria an ICT-capable country in Africa and a key player in the Information Society while
using ICT as a catalyst for sustainable development and global competitiveness (ICT4D Nigeria
Annual Report 2007) In the new policy draft document 2012 the vision and mission statements
of the ICT policy are as follows
Vision [To make] Nigeria as a knowledge-based and globally competitive society
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115
Mission To fully integrate Information and Communication Technologies into the socio-
economic development of Nigeria in order to transform the country into a knowledge-based
economy (Federal Ministry of Communication Technology-FMCT 2012 10)
The famous long-term strategic development plan of Nigeria ldquoVision 20-2020rdquo contains
elaborate goals for the ICT sector The increasing globalization driven by ICT makes it
imperative for Nigeria as an emerging market to irreversibly consider the application and
promotion of ICT strategy to facilitate its rapid growth and development This will involve the
development of a vibrant ICT sector to drive and expand the national production frontiers in
agriculture manufacturing and service sectors It would also require the application of the new
knowledge to drive other soft sectors governance entertainments public services media sector
tourism etcetera (FMCT 2012 10)
Malaysiarsquos Networked Readiness Indicator (NRI) 2012 indicates that the country ranked 29th
out
of 142 economies 8th out of 22 Asia-Pacific economies and 2
nd in the Association of South-East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc Furthermore based on the 2012 networked readiness index
rankings by the Global Information Technology Report (GITR) with an index score of 480 out
of maximum score of 700 Malaysia was placed among the top quartile of the worldrsquos most
networked ready economies However in 2013 Malaysiarsquos GITR rank dropped to 30th placing
but with a little higher score of 482 out of 144 countries in the world In the area of governance
for example Malaysiarsquos use of ICT is rated 6th in the world (GITR 2012 xxi) Although
Malaysia is obviously far ahead of Nigeria in ICT development Nigeriarsquos ICT status is
undergoing a rapid transformation especially in the area of mobile telecommunication Nigeriarsquos
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116
networked readiness index ranking is number 113th with a score of 327 out of 144 countries in
2013 and number 112th with a score of 322 out of 142 countries in 2012 (GITR 2013 xxiii)
Hence it can be said that Nigeria is no longer a laggard as far as ICT is concerned The
liberalisation of the countryrsquos telecommunication sector in the year 2001 has led to the
emergence of a Nigerian indigenous mobile telecommunication network ldquoGlobacomrdquo The
company currently provides mobile telecommunication services in the country and therefore it is
one of the global GSM operators From 2001 when the mobile telecommunication services began
a considerable penetration into the country the progress has been monumental The 2013
Ministerial Report of Nigeriarsquos Federal Ministry of Communication Technology (FMCT)
indicates that about 83 of the countryrsquos 1666 million people are active mobile phone
subscribers In 2011 and 2012 it was 68 and 71 respectively Similarly the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) indicates that out of the 114172 million active subscribers
on the global system for mobile telecommunication (GSM) networks in the country only 345
million which is approximately 394 of them use Internet data and it is expected to rise to
98 by the year 2015 On Internet accessibility and usage the statistics are 29 in 2011 34 in
2012 and 36 in 2013 and it is expected to rise to 42 in 2015 (BBC 2013 FMCT 2013
NCC 2013)
Since the last two decades a lot of dynamic changes have taken place in the areas of socio-
economic cultural political and by extension diplomatic and international relations
development ICT is being envisaged as possessing the potential to transform society and impact
positively on the lives of people particularly the have-nots There is quite a lot of literature on
the possibilities of using ICT to alleviate poverty and improve the social and economic status of
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117
people Some of these studies include those conducted by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2005 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab- Hamid
(2004) etc Although many of such studies are case studies and therefore their findings might
not be generalised there are quite a number of success stories from countries like China case
study on Wursquoan telecentres by Soriano (2007) India case study on Bellandur Gram Panchayat
Karnataka telecentres by Dossani Misra and Jhaveri (2005) Iran case study on Gharnabad and
East Livan telecenters by Jalali Okhovvat and Okhovvat (2011) and Malaysia case study on e-
Bario and e-Bedian ICT projects by Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid (2004)
People get empowered with information but when they lack it they often become isolated and
ignorant about their rights and choices That is to say they could be lack of the basic knowledge
about the political and developmental processes that shape their lives in society Singh (2006)
noted that ICT is a powerful tool when used in the right way as part of overall development
strategy In the same vein Boating (2007) opined that ICT may not be a panacea to the worldrsquos
problems but it can be a powerful tool to facilitate and enable affordable solutions to basic
human developmental problems It is widely accepted by intellectuals that ICT has become an
integral part of the social economic and political paraphernalia of social interactions hence
countries all over the world are taking to ICT for various developmental initiatives (Moghaddam
and Khatoon-Abadi 2013 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid 2004) As such it can be
argued that in the 21st century the role of ICT in transforming the world into a better place for all
(or at least for many) cannot be overemphasised Nowadays many people especially the poor and
the uneducated more than ever before can have access to basic ICT services like mobile
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118
communication mobile banking online transactions and sending emails to donor agencies and
receiving instant feedback (Ebeling 2003)
What is ICT
Scholars and intellectuals have given rainbow definitions for ICT It is an acronym that stands
for Information and Communication Technology ldquoHowever apart from explaining an acronym
there is not a universally accepted definition of ICTs because the concepts methods and
applications involved in ICTs are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis It is difficult to
keep up with the changes - they happen so fastrdquo (Riley 2012 Np) To understand the concepts
holistically let us fragment it into its component constructs of
(i) Information
(ii) Communication
(iii) Technologies
As Riley (2012 Np) puts it
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exists to help individuals businesses and
organisations use information ICT covers any product that will store
retrieve manipulate transmit or receive information electronically in a
digital form for example personal computers digital television
email[and] robots
Therefore it can be said that ICT primarily involves not only the technology per se but also the
processes of storing retrieving manipulating and transmitting or receiving of digital data
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119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
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120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
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122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
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123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
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Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
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Addis Ababa CODIST
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Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
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February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
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2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
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IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
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ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
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Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
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Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
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Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
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wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
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Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
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February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
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Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
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wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
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December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
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Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
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Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
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Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
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Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
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150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
112
Keywords ICT sustainable development critical purviews management of natural human and
capital resources Nigeria Malaysia
Introduction
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is changing the world dramatically ICT has
made political cultural and socio-economic integration much easier and faster than before
Consequently ICT has ushered us into the much-talked about information age something
Marshal McLuhan had foreseen since the 1960s which he called the global village and now
widely referred to as globalization ICT has made access to knowledge and education
(awareness) much easier and relatively cheaper Awareness increases peoplersquos chances to be
carried along in the ICT-driven global dynamism Information poverty or digital divide
however impedes peoplersquos access to knowledge and education which unfortunately reinforces
their vulnerability constraints and challenges Such constraints and challenges usually thwart the
socio-economic well-being of the people by pushing them into the abyss of exclusion
powerlessness and penury
Nigeria is the most populous country on the African continent according to the United Nations
(UN) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Nigeria The country is the sixth most
populous nation in the world after China India US Indonesia and Brazil according to the UNFP
Report cited on the Nigerian National Population Commission (NPC) website with an estimated
population of over 167 million (NPC 2014) The estimated population growth rate (average
annual percentage) of the country from 2010 to 2015 is 25 its urban growth rate from 2010 to
2015 is estimated at 38 its rural population growth rate (annual average percentage) from
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
113
2010 to 2015 is 13 its urban population in 2012 was 503 its primary-secondary school
gross enrolment ratios for both male and female per 100 persons in 2012 were 620 and 689
respectively its telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants in 2011 was 590 while in 2010 it
was 558 and its Internet users per 100 inhabitants in 2011 was 284 while in 2010 it was
558 (UN 2014 UNDP Nigeria 2012) The country is approximately 923768 square
kilometres which is equivalent to 356669 square miles
(about the size of California United
States- US) and the literacy rate is 39ndash51 (US Department of State Nigeria 2012 UNDP
Nigeria 2012) Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones viz North-east North-central
North-west South-east South-south and South-west See appendix for the geopolitical zones
ICT in Nigeria
Just like in other parts of the developing world in Nigeria there has been an upsurge in Internet
penetration and the use of ICT particularly in the areas of health education business agriculture
governmentadministration tourism and transportation in the last 15 years (Jimoh Pate Lin and
Schulman 2012) In spite of that ICT infrastructures in the country may still be regarded as
underdeveloped when compared with other developing countries like South Africa Malaysia
Brazil and South Korea Nigeriarsquos Internet penetration for instance was less than 16 in 2012
according to an online news blog portal 234nextcom (2012) while its Internet broadband
penetration per 100 household was between 4 and 6 (Nigeriarsquos National Broadband Plan
2013-2018) which can be regarded as extremely lower compared with Malaysiarsquos 109 in 2006
(UNDPMDGs Malaysia 2010 Report) 556 in 2010 and 672 in the third quarter of 2013
(Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission-MCMC 2013 Department of
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
114
Statistics Malaysia 2013 National Broadband Initiative Malaysia- NBI 2014) According to
234nextcom Nigeria had an average broadband download speed of 138 Mbps (Megabits per
second) which is very much lower compared to the 101 Mbps of the United States (Google
Public Data 2012) and according to Internet World Stats- IWS (2014) Nigeriarsquos broadband
download speed rose to 522 Mbps in November 2013 In June 2012 there were about 484
million internet users in Nigeria which was about 284 of the countryrsquos population In
December 2012 there were over 663 million Facebook users and the countryrsquos Internet
penetration rate was 39 (IWS 2014) In Malaysia for instance like in many other ldquoemergingrdquo
developing countries ICT is rapidly growing The Malaysian Government is currently
vigorously pursuing its famous national development plan Malaysia 2020 in which it targets at
least 25 of the countryrsquos population to be ICT-literate by the year 2020
In Nigeria the Federal Executive Council approved the National Information Technology Policy
in March 2001 and the implementation started in April with the establishment of the National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in charge of the mission to make
Nigeria an ICT-capable country in Africa and a key player in the Information Society while
using ICT as a catalyst for sustainable development and global competitiveness (ICT4D Nigeria
Annual Report 2007) In the new policy draft document 2012 the vision and mission statements
of the ICT policy are as follows
Vision [To make] Nigeria as a knowledge-based and globally competitive society
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
115
Mission To fully integrate Information and Communication Technologies into the socio-
economic development of Nigeria in order to transform the country into a knowledge-based
economy (Federal Ministry of Communication Technology-FMCT 2012 10)
The famous long-term strategic development plan of Nigeria ldquoVision 20-2020rdquo contains
elaborate goals for the ICT sector The increasing globalization driven by ICT makes it
imperative for Nigeria as an emerging market to irreversibly consider the application and
promotion of ICT strategy to facilitate its rapid growth and development This will involve the
development of a vibrant ICT sector to drive and expand the national production frontiers in
agriculture manufacturing and service sectors It would also require the application of the new
knowledge to drive other soft sectors governance entertainments public services media sector
tourism etcetera (FMCT 2012 10)
Malaysiarsquos Networked Readiness Indicator (NRI) 2012 indicates that the country ranked 29th
out
of 142 economies 8th out of 22 Asia-Pacific economies and 2
nd in the Association of South-East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc Furthermore based on the 2012 networked readiness index
rankings by the Global Information Technology Report (GITR) with an index score of 480 out
of maximum score of 700 Malaysia was placed among the top quartile of the worldrsquos most
networked ready economies However in 2013 Malaysiarsquos GITR rank dropped to 30th placing
but with a little higher score of 482 out of 144 countries in the world In the area of governance
for example Malaysiarsquos use of ICT is rated 6th in the world (GITR 2012 xxi) Although
Malaysia is obviously far ahead of Nigeria in ICT development Nigeriarsquos ICT status is
undergoing a rapid transformation especially in the area of mobile telecommunication Nigeriarsquos
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
116
networked readiness index ranking is number 113th with a score of 327 out of 144 countries in
2013 and number 112th with a score of 322 out of 142 countries in 2012 (GITR 2013 xxiii)
Hence it can be said that Nigeria is no longer a laggard as far as ICT is concerned The
liberalisation of the countryrsquos telecommunication sector in the year 2001 has led to the
emergence of a Nigerian indigenous mobile telecommunication network ldquoGlobacomrdquo The
company currently provides mobile telecommunication services in the country and therefore it is
one of the global GSM operators From 2001 when the mobile telecommunication services began
a considerable penetration into the country the progress has been monumental The 2013
Ministerial Report of Nigeriarsquos Federal Ministry of Communication Technology (FMCT)
indicates that about 83 of the countryrsquos 1666 million people are active mobile phone
subscribers In 2011 and 2012 it was 68 and 71 respectively Similarly the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) indicates that out of the 114172 million active subscribers
on the global system for mobile telecommunication (GSM) networks in the country only 345
million which is approximately 394 of them use Internet data and it is expected to rise to
98 by the year 2015 On Internet accessibility and usage the statistics are 29 in 2011 34 in
2012 and 36 in 2013 and it is expected to rise to 42 in 2015 (BBC 2013 FMCT 2013
NCC 2013)
Since the last two decades a lot of dynamic changes have taken place in the areas of socio-
economic cultural political and by extension diplomatic and international relations
development ICT is being envisaged as possessing the potential to transform society and impact
positively on the lives of people particularly the have-nots There is quite a lot of literature on
the possibilities of using ICT to alleviate poverty and improve the social and economic status of
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
117
people Some of these studies include those conducted by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2005 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab- Hamid
(2004) etc Although many of such studies are case studies and therefore their findings might
not be generalised there are quite a number of success stories from countries like China case
study on Wursquoan telecentres by Soriano (2007) India case study on Bellandur Gram Panchayat
Karnataka telecentres by Dossani Misra and Jhaveri (2005) Iran case study on Gharnabad and
East Livan telecenters by Jalali Okhovvat and Okhovvat (2011) and Malaysia case study on e-
Bario and e-Bedian ICT projects by Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid (2004)
People get empowered with information but when they lack it they often become isolated and
ignorant about their rights and choices That is to say they could be lack of the basic knowledge
about the political and developmental processes that shape their lives in society Singh (2006)
noted that ICT is a powerful tool when used in the right way as part of overall development
strategy In the same vein Boating (2007) opined that ICT may not be a panacea to the worldrsquos
problems but it can be a powerful tool to facilitate and enable affordable solutions to basic
human developmental problems It is widely accepted by intellectuals that ICT has become an
integral part of the social economic and political paraphernalia of social interactions hence
countries all over the world are taking to ICT for various developmental initiatives (Moghaddam
and Khatoon-Abadi 2013 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid 2004) As such it can be
argued that in the 21st century the role of ICT in transforming the world into a better place for all
(or at least for many) cannot be overemphasised Nowadays many people especially the poor and
the uneducated more than ever before can have access to basic ICT services like mobile
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
118
communication mobile banking online transactions and sending emails to donor agencies and
receiving instant feedback (Ebeling 2003)
What is ICT
Scholars and intellectuals have given rainbow definitions for ICT It is an acronym that stands
for Information and Communication Technology ldquoHowever apart from explaining an acronym
there is not a universally accepted definition of ICTs because the concepts methods and
applications involved in ICTs are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis It is difficult to
keep up with the changes - they happen so fastrdquo (Riley 2012 Np) To understand the concepts
holistically let us fragment it into its component constructs of
(i) Information
(ii) Communication
(iii) Technologies
As Riley (2012 Np) puts it
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exists to help individuals businesses and
organisations use information ICT covers any product that will store
retrieve manipulate transmit or receive information electronically in a
digital form for example personal computers digital television
email[and] robots
Therefore it can be said that ICT primarily involves not only the technology per se but also the
processes of storing retrieving manipulating and transmitting or receiving of digital data
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
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Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
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Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
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Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
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FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
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GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
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GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
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Google image 2013 retrieved from
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Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
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February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
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IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
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IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
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IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
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Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
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Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
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Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
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on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
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Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
113
2010 to 2015 is 13 its urban population in 2012 was 503 its primary-secondary school
gross enrolment ratios for both male and female per 100 persons in 2012 were 620 and 689
respectively its telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants in 2011 was 590 while in 2010 it
was 558 and its Internet users per 100 inhabitants in 2011 was 284 while in 2010 it was
558 (UN 2014 UNDP Nigeria 2012) The country is approximately 923768 square
kilometres which is equivalent to 356669 square miles
(about the size of California United
States- US) and the literacy rate is 39ndash51 (US Department of State Nigeria 2012 UNDP
Nigeria 2012) Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones viz North-east North-central
North-west South-east South-south and South-west See appendix for the geopolitical zones
ICT in Nigeria
Just like in other parts of the developing world in Nigeria there has been an upsurge in Internet
penetration and the use of ICT particularly in the areas of health education business agriculture
governmentadministration tourism and transportation in the last 15 years (Jimoh Pate Lin and
Schulman 2012) In spite of that ICT infrastructures in the country may still be regarded as
underdeveloped when compared with other developing countries like South Africa Malaysia
Brazil and South Korea Nigeriarsquos Internet penetration for instance was less than 16 in 2012
according to an online news blog portal 234nextcom (2012) while its Internet broadband
penetration per 100 household was between 4 and 6 (Nigeriarsquos National Broadband Plan
2013-2018) which can be regarded as extremely lower compared with Malaysiarsquos 109 in 2006
(UNDPMDGs Malaysia 2010 Report) 556 in 2010 and 672 in the third quarter of 2013
(Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission-MCMC 2013 Department of
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
114
Statistics Malaysia 2013 National Broadband Initiative Malaysia- NBI 2014) According to
234nextcom Nigeria had an average broadband download speed of 138 Mbps (Megabits per
second) which is very much lower compared to the 101 Mbps of the United States (Google
Public Data 2012) and according to Internet World Stats- IWS (2014) Nigeriarsquos broadband
download speed rose to 522 Mbps in November 2013 In June 2012 there were about 484
million internet users in Nigeria which was about 284 of the countryrsquos population In
December 2012 there were over 663 million Facebook users and the countryrsquos Internet
penetration rate was 39 (IWS 2014) In Malaysia for instance like in many other ldquoemergingrdquo
developing countries ICT is rapidly growing The Malaysian Government is currently
vigorously pursuing its famous national development plan Malaysia 2020 in which it targets at
least 25 of the countryrsquos population to be ICT-literate by the year 2020
In Nigeria the Federal Executive Council approved the National Information Technology Policy
in March 2001 and the implementation started in April with the establishment of the National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in charge of the mission to make
Nigeria an ICT-capable country in Africa and a key player in the Information Society while
using ICT as a catalyst for sustainable development and global competitiveness (ICT4D Nigeria
Annual Report 2007) In the new policy draft document 2012 the vision and mission statements
of the ICT policy are as follows
Vision [To make] Nigeria as a knowledge-based and globally competitive society
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
115
Mission To fully integrate Information and Communication Technologies into the socio-
economic development of Nigeria in order to transform the country into a knowledge-based
economy (Federal Ministry of Communication Technology-FMCT 2012 10)
The famous long-term strategic development plan of Nigeria ldquoVision 20-2020rdquo contains
elaborate goals for the ICT sector The increasing globalization driven by ICT makes it
imperative for Nigeria as an emerging market to irreversibly consider the application and
promotion of ICT strategy to facilitate its rapid growth and development This will involve the
development of a vibrant ICT sector to drive and expand the national production frontiers in
agriculture manufacturing and service sectors It would also require the application of the new
knowledge to drive other soft sectors governance entertainments public services media sector
tourism etcetera (FMCT 2012 10)
Malaysiarsquos Networked Readiness Indicator (NRI) 2012 indicates that the country ranked 29th
out
of 142 economies 8th out of 22 Asia-Pacific economies and 2
nd in the Association of South-East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc Furthermore based on the 2012 networked readiness index
rankings by the Global Information Technology Report (GITR) with an index score of 480 out
of maximum score of 700 Malaysia was placed among the top quartile of the worldrsquos most
networked ready economies However in 2013 Malaysiarsquos GITR rank dropped to 30th placing
but with a little higher score of 482 out of 144 countries in the world In the area of governance
for example Malaysiarsquos use of ICT is rated 6th in the world (GITR 2012 xxi) Although
Malaysia is obviously far ahead of Nigeria in ICT development Nigeriarsquos ICT status is
undergoing a rapid transformation especially in the area of mobile telecommunication Nigeriarsquos
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
116
networked readiness index ranking is number 113th with a score of 327 out of 144 countries in
2013 and number 112th with a score of 322 out of 142 countries in 2012 (GITR 2013 xxiii)
Hence it can be said that Nigeria is no longer a laggard as far as ICT is concerned The
liberalisation of the countryrsquos telecommunication sector in the year 2001 has led to the
emergence of a Nigerian indigenous mobile telecommunication network ldquoGlobacomrdquo The
company currently provides mobile telecommunication services in the country and therefore it is
one of the global GSM operators From 2001 when the mobile telecommunication services began
a considerable penetration into the country the progress has been monumental The 2013
Ministerial Report of Nigeriarsquos Federal Ministry of Communication Technology (FMCT)
indicates that about 83 of the countryrsquos 1666 million people are active mobile phone
subscribers In 2011 and 2012 it was 68 and 71 respectively Similarly the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) indicates that out of the 114172 million active subscribers
on the global system for mobile telecommunication (GSM) networks in the country only 345
million which is approximately 394 of them use Internet data and it is expected to rise to
98 by the year 2015 On Internet accessibility and usage the statistics are 29 in 2011 34 in
2012 and 36 in 2013 and it is expected to rise to 42 in 2015 (BBC 2013 FMCT 2013
NCC 2013)
Since the last two decades a lot of dynamic changes have taken place in the areas of socio-
economic cultural political and by extension diplomatic and international relations
development ICT is being envisaged as possessing the potential to transform society and impact
positively on the lives of people particularly the have-nots There is quite a lot of literature on
the possibilities of using ICT to alleviate poverty and improve the social and economic status of
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
117
people Some of these studies include those conducted by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2005 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab- Hamid
(2004) etc Although many of such studies are case studies and therefore their findings might
not be generalised there are quite a number of success stories from countries like China case
study on Wursquoan telecentres by Soriano (2007) India case study on Bellandur Gram Panchayat
Karnataka telecentres by Dossani Misra and Jhaveri (2005) Iran case study on Gharnabad and
East Livan telecenters by Jalali Okhovvat and Okhovvat (2011) and Malaysia case study on e-
Bario and e-Bedian ICT projects by Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid (2004)
People get empowered with information but when they lack it they often become isolated and
ignorant about their rights and choices That is to say they could be lack of the basic knowledge
about the political and developmental processes that shape their lives in society Singh (2006)
noted that ICT is a powerful tool when used in the right way as part of overall development
strategy In the same vein Boating (2007) opined that ICT may not be a panacea to the worldrsquos
problems but it can be a powerful tool to facilitate and enable affordable solutions to basic
human developmental problems It is widely accepted by intellectuals that ICT has become an
integral part of the social economic and political paraphernalia of social interactions hence
countries all over the world are taking to ICT for various developmental initiatives (Moghaddam
and Khatoon-Abadi 2013 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid 2004) As such it can be
argued that in the 21st century the role of ICT in transforming the world into a better place for all
(or at least for many) cannot be overemphasised Nowadays many people especially the poor and
the uneducated more than ever before can have access to basic ICT services like mobile
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
118
communication mobile banking online transactions and sending emails to donor agencies and
receiving instant feedback (Ebeling 2003)
What is ICT
Scholars and intellectuals have given rainbow definitions for ICT It is an acronym that stands
for Information and Communication Technology ldquoHowever apart from explaining an acronym
there is not a universally accepted definition of ICTs because the concepts methods and
applications involved in ICTs are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis It is difficult to
keep up with the changes - they happen so fastrdquo (Riley 2012 Np) To understand the concepts
holistically let us fragment it into its component constructs of
(i) Information
(ii) Communication
(iii) Technologies
As Riley (2012 Np) puts it
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exists to help individuals businesses and
organisations use information ICT covers any product that will store
retrieve manipulate transmit or receive information electronically in a
digital form for example personal computers digital television
email[and] robots
Therefore it can be said that ICT primarily involves not only the technology per se but also the
processes of storing retrieving manipulating and transmitting or receiving of digital data
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
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Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
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Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
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2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
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IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
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IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
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ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
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Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
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Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
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Pp 773-774 Also available at
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wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
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Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
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February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
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Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
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httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
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December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
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Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
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August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
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population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
114
Statistics Malaysia 2013 National Broadband Initiative Malaysia- NBI 2014) According to
234nextcom Nigeria had an average broadband download speed of 138 Mbps (Megabits per
second) which is very much lower compared to the 101 Mbps of the United States (Google
Public Data 2012) and according to Internet World Stats- IWS (2014) Nigeriarsquos broadband
download speed rose to 522 Mbps in November 2013 In June 2012 there were about 484
million internet users in Nigeria which was about 284 of the countryrsquos population In
December 2012 there were over 663 million Facebook users and the countryrsquos Internet
penetration rate was 39 (IWS 2014) In Malaysia for instance like in many other ldquoemergingrdquo
developing countries ICT is rapidly growing The Malaysian Government is currently
vigorously pursuing its famous national development plan Malaysia 2020 in which it targets at
least 25 of the countryrsquos population to be ICT-literate by the year 2020
In Nigeria the Federal Executive Council approved the National Information Technology Policy
in March 2001 and the implementation started in April with the establishment of the National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in charge of the mission to make
Nigeria an ICT-capable country in Africa and a key player in the Information Society while
using ICT as a catalyst for sustainable development and global competitiveness (ICT4D Nigeria
Annual Report 2007) In the new policy draft document 2012 the vision and mission statements
of the ICT policy are as follows
Vision [To make] Nigeria as a knowledge-based and globally competitive society
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
115
Mission To fully integrate Information and Communication Technologies into the socio-
economic development of Nigeria in order to transform the country into a knowledge-based
economy (Federal Ministry of Communication Technology-FMCT 2012 10)
The famous long-term strategic development plan of Nigeria ldquoVision 20-2020rdquo contains
elaborate goals for the ICT sector The increasing globalization driven by ICT makes it
imperative for Nigeria as an emerging market to irreversibly consider the application and
promotion of ICT strategy to facilitate its rapid growth and development This will involve the
development of a vibrant ICT sector to drive and expand the national production frontiers in
agriculture manufacturing and service sectors It would also require the application of the new
knowledge to drive other soft sectors governance entertainments public services media sector
tourism etcetera (FMCT 2012 10)
Malaysiarsquos Networked Readiness Indicator (NRI) 2012 indicates that the country ranked 29th
out
of 142 economies 8th out of 22 Asia-Pacific economies and 2
nd in the Association of South-East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc Furthermore based on the 2012 networked readiness index
rankings by the Global Information Technology Report (GITR) with an index score of 480 out
of maximum score of 700 Malaysia was placed among the top quartile of the worldrsquos most
networked ready economies However in 2013 Malaysiarsquos GITR rank dropped to 30th placing
but with a little higher score of 482 out of 144 countries in the world In the area of governance
for example Malaysiarsquos use of ICT is rated 6th in the world (GITR 2012 xxi) Although
Malaysia is obviously far ahead of Nigeria in ICT development Nigeriarsquos ICT status is
undergoing a rapid transformation especially in the area of mobile telecommunication Nigeriarsquos
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
116
networked readiness index ranking is number 113th with a score of 327 out of 144 countries in
2013 and number 112th with a score of 322 out of 142 countries in 2012 (GITR 2013 xxiii)
Hence it can be said that Nigeria is no longer a laggard as far as ICT is concerned The
liberalisation of the countryrsquos telecommunication sector in the year 2001 has led to the
emergence of a Nigerian indigenous mobile telecommunication network ldquoGlobacomrdquo The
company currently provides mobile telecommunication services in the country and therefore it is
one of the global GSM operators From 2001 when the mobile telecommunication services began
a considerable penetration into the country the progress has been monumental The 2013
Ministerial Report of Nigeriarsquos Federal Ministry of Communication Technology (FMCT)
indicates that about 83 of the countryrsquos 1666 million people are active mobile phone
subscribers In 2011 and 2012 it was 68 and 71 respectively Similarly the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) indicates that out of the 114172 million active subscribers
on the global system for mobile telecommunication (GSM) networks in the country only 345
million which is approximately 394 of them use Internet data and it is expected to rise to
98 by the year 2015 On Internet accessibility and usage the statistics are 29 in 2011 34 in
2012 and 36 in 2013 and it is expected to rise to 42 in 2015 (BBC 2013 FMCT 2013
NCC 2013)
Since the last two decades a lot of dynamic changes have taken place in the areas of socio-
economic cultural political and by extension diplomatic and international relations
development ICT is being envisaged as possessing the potential to transform society and impact
positively on the lives of people particularly the have-nots There is quite a lot of literature on
the possibilities of using ICT to alleviate poverty and improve the social and economic status of
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
117
people Some of these studies include those conducted by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2005 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab- Hamid
(2004) etc Although many of such studies are case studies and therefore their findings might
not be generalised there are quite a number of success stories from countries like China case
study on Wursquoan telecentres by Soriano (2007) India case study on Bellandur Gram Panchayat
Karnataka telecentres by Dossani Misra and Jhaveri (2005) Iran case study on Gharnabad and
East Livan telecenters by Jalali Okhovvat and Okhovvat (2011) and Malaysia case study on e-
Bario and e-Bedian ICT projects by Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid (2004)
People get empowered with information but when they lack it they often become isolated and
ignorant about their rights and choices That is to say they could be lack of the basic knowledge
about the political and developmental processes that shape their lives in society Singh (2006)
noted that ICT is a powerful tool when used in the right way as part of overall development
strategy In the same vein Boating (2007) opined that ICT may not be a panacea to the worldrsquos
problems but it can be a powerful tool to facilitate and enable affordable solutions to basic
human developmental problems It is widely accepted by intellectuals that ICT has become an
integral part of the social economic and political paraphernalia of social interactions hence
countries all over the world are taking to ICT for various developmental initiatives (Moghaddam
and Khatoon-Abadi 2013 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid 2004) As such it can be
argued that in the 21st century the role of ICT in transforming the world into a better place for all
(or at least for many) cannot be overemphasised Nowadays many people especially the poor and
the uneducated more than ever before can have access to basic ICT services like mobile
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
118
communication mobile banking online transactions and sending emails to donor agencies and
receiving instant feedback (Ebeling 2003)
What is ICT
Scholars and intellectuals have given rainbow definitions for ICT It is an acronym that stands
for Information and Communication Technology ldquoHowever apart from explaining an acronym
there is not a universally accepted definition of ICTs because the concepts methods and
applications involved in ICTs are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis It is difficult to
keep up with the changes - they happen so fastrdquo (Riley 2012 Np) To understand the concepts
holistically let us fragment it into its component constructs of
(i) Information
(ii) Communication
(iii) Technologies
As Riley (2012 Np) puts it
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exists to help individuals businesses and
organisations use information ICT covers any product that will store
retrieve manipulate transmit or receive information electronically in a
digital form for example personal computers digital television
email[and] robots
Therefore it can be said that ICT primarily involves not only the technology per se but also the
processes of storing retrieving manipulating and transmitting or receiving of digital data
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
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Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
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2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
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IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
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IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
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ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
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Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
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Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
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Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
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Pp 773-774 Also available at
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wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
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Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
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February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
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Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
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December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
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August 2013
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Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
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2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
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Retrieved on 2 February 2014
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150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
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November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
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Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
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UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
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UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
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February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
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8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
115
Mission To fully integrate Information and Communication Technologies into the socio-
economic development of Nigeria in order to transform the country into a knowledge-based
economy (Federal Ministry of Communication Technology-FMCT 2012 10)
The famous long-term strategic development plan of Nigeria ldquoVision 20-2020rdquo contains
elaborate goals for the ICT sector The increasing globalization driven by ICT makes it
imperative for Nigeria as an emerging market to irreversibly consider the application and
promotion of ICT strategy to facilitate its rapid growth and development This will involve the
development of a vibrant ICT sector to drive and expand the national production frontiers in
agriculture manufacturing and service sectors It would also require the application of the new
knowledge to drive other soft sectors governance entertainments public services media sector
tourism etcetera (FMCT 2012 10)
Malaysiarsquos Networked Readiness Indicator (NRI) 2012 indicates that the country ranked 29th
out
of 142 economies 8th out of 22 Asia-Pacific economies and 2
nd in the Association of South-East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc Furthermore based on the 2012 networked readiness index
rankings by the Global Information Technology Report (GITR) with an index score of 480 out
of maximum score of 700 Malaysia was placed among the top quartile of the worldrsquos most
networked ready economies However in 2013 Malaysiarsquos GITR rank dropped to 30th placing
but with a little higher score of 482 out of 144 countries in the world In the area of governance
for example Malaysiarsquos use of ICT is rated 6th in the world (GITR 2012 xxi) Although
Malaysia is obviously far ahead of Nigeria in ICT development Nigeriarsquos ICT status is
undergoing a rapid transformation especially in the area of mobile telecommunication Nigeriarsquos
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
116
networked readiness index ranking is number 113th with a score of 327 out of 144 countries in
2013 and number 112th with a score of 322 out of 142 countries in 2012 (GITR 2013 xxiii)
Hence it can be said that Nigeria is no longer a laggard as far as ICT is concerned The
liberalisation of the countryrsquos telecommunication sector in the year 2001 has led to the
emergence of a Nigerian indigenous mobile telecommunication network ldquoGlobacomrdquo The
company currently provides mobile telecommunication services in the country and therefore it is
one of the global GSM operators From 2001 when the mobile telecommunication services began
a considerable penetration into the country the progress has been monumental The 2013
Ministerial Report of Nigeriarsquos Federal Ministry of Communication Technology (FMCT)
indicates that about 83 of the countryrsquos 1666 million people are active mobile phone
subscribers In 2011 and 2012 it was 68 and 71 respectively Similarly the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) indicates that out of the 114172 million active subscribers
on the global system for mobile telecommunication (GSM) networks in the country only 345
million which is approximately 394 of them use Internet data and it is expected to rise to
98 by the year 2015 On Internet accessibility and usage the statistics are 29 in 2011 34 in
2012 and 36 in 2013 and it is expected to rise to 42 in 2015 (BBC 2013 FMCT 2013
NCC 2013)
Since the last two decades a lot of dynamic changes have taken place in the areas of socio-
economic cultural political and by extension diplomatic and international relations
development ICT is being envisaged as possessing the potential to transform society and impact
positively on the lives of people particularly the have-nots There is quite a lot of literature on
the possibilities of using ICT to alleviate poverty and improve the social and economic status of
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117
people Some of these studies include those conducted by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2005 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab- Hamid
(2004) etc Although many of such studies are case studies and therefore their findings might
not be generalised there are quite a number of success stories from countries like China case
study on Wursquoan telecentres by Soriano (2007) India case study on Bellandur Gram Panchayat
Karnataka telecentres by Dossani Misra and Jhaveri (2005) Iran case study on Gharnabad and
East Livan telecenters by Jalali Okhovvat and Okhovvat (2011) and Malaysia case study on e-
Bario and e-Bedian ICT projects by Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid (2004)
People get empowered with information but when they lack it they often become isolated and
ignorant about their rights and choices That is to say they could be lack of the basic knowledge
about the political and developmental processes that shape their lives in society Singh (2006)
noted that ICT is a powerful tool when used in the right way as part of overall development
strategy In the same vein Boating (2007) opined that ICT may not be a panacea to the worldrsquos
problems but it can be a powerful tool to facilitate and enable affordable solutions to basic
human developmental problems It is widely accepted by intellectuals that ICT has become an
integral part of the social economic and political paraphernalia of social interactions hence
countries all over the world are taking to ICT for various developmental initiatives (Moghaddam
and Khatoon-Abadi 2013 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid 2004) As such it can be
argued that in the 21st century the role of ICT in transforming the world into a better place for all
(or at least for many) cannot be overemphasised Nowadays many people especially the poor and
the uneducated more than ever before can have access to basic ICT services like mobile
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
118
communication mobile banking online transactions and sending emails to donor agencies and
receiving instant feedback (Ebeling 2003)
What is ICT
Scholars and intellectuals have given rainbow definitions for ICT It is an acronym that stands
for Information and Communication Technology ldquoHowever apart from explaining an acronym
there is not a universally accepted definition of ICTs because the concepts methods and
applications involved in ICTs are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis It is difficult to
keep up with the changes - they happen so fastrdquo (Riley 2012 Np) To understand the concepts
holistically let us fragment it into its component constructs of
(i) Information
(ii) Communication
(iii) Technologies
As Riley (2012 Np) puts it
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exists to help individuals businesses and
organisations use information ICT covers any product that will store
retrieve manipulate transmit or receive information electronically in a
digital form for example personal computers digital television
email[and] robots
Therefore it can be said that ICT primarily involves not only the technology per se but also the
processes of storing retrieving manipulating and transmitting or receiving of digital data
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
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Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
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8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
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February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
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on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
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150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
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November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
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httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
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1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
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2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
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February 2014
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8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
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151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
116
networked readiness index ranking is number 113th with a score of 327 out of 144 countries in
2013 and number 112th with a score of 322 out of 142 countries in 2012 (GITR 2013 xxiii)
Hence it can be said that Nigeria is no longer a laggard as far as ICT is concerned The
liberalisation of the countryrsquos telecommunication sector in the year 2001 has led to the
emergence of a Nigerian indigenous mobile telecommunication network ldquoGlobacomrdquo The
company currently provides mobile telecommunication services in the country and therefore it is
one of the global GSM operators From 2001 when the mobile telecommunication services began
a considerable penetration into the country the progress has been monumental The 2013
Ministerial Report of Nigeriarsquos Federal Ministry of Communication Technology (FMCT)
indicates that about 83 of the countryrsquos 1666 million people are active mobile phone
subscribers In 2011 and 2012 it was 68 and 71 respectively Similarly the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) indicates that out of the 114172 million active subscribers
on the global system for mobile telecommunication (GSM) networks in the country only 345
million which is approximately 394 of them use Internet data and it is expected to rise to
98 by the year 2015 On Internet accessibility and usage the statistics are 29 in 2011 34 in
2012 and 36 in 2013 and it is expected to rise to 42 in 2015 (BBC 2013 FMCT 2013
NCC 2013)
Since the last two decades a lot of dynamic changes have taken place in the areas of socio-
economic cultural political and by extension diplomatic and international relations
development ICT is being envisaged as possessing the potential to transform society and impact
positively on the lives of people particularly the have-nots There is quite a lot of literature on
the possibilities of using ICT to alleviate poverty and improve the social and economic status of
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
117
people Some of these studies include those conducted by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2005 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab- Hamid
(2004) etc Although many of such studies are case studies and therefore their findings might
not be generalised there are quite a number of success stories from countries like China case
study on Wursquoan telecentres by Soriano (2007) India case study on Bellandur Gram Panchayat
Karnataka telecentres by Dossani Misra and Jhaveri (2005) Iran case study on Gharnabad and
East Livan telecenters by Jalali Okhovvat and Okhovvat (2011) and Malaysia case study on e-
Bario and e-Bedian ICT projects by Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid (2004)
People get empowered with information but when they lack it they often become isolated and
ignorant about their rights and choices That is to say they could be lack of the basic knowledge
about the political and developmental processes that shape their lives in society Singh (2006)
noted that ICT is a powerful tool when used in the right way as part of overall development
strategy In the same vein Boating (2007) opined that ICT may not be a panacea to the worldrsquos
problems but it can be a powerful tool to facilitate and enable affordable solutions to basic
human developmental problems It is widely accepted by intellectuals that ICT has become an
integral part of the social economic and political paraphernalia of social interactions hence
countries all over the world are taking to ICT for various developmental initiatives (Moghaddam
and Khatoon-Abadi 2013 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid 2004) As such it can be
argued that in the 21st century the role of ICT in transforming the world into a better place for all
(or at least for many) cannot be overemphasised Nowadays many people especially the poor and
the uneducated more than ever before can have access to basic ICT services like mobile
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118
communication mobile banking online transactions and sending emails to donor agencies and
receiving instant feedback (Ebeling 2003)
What is ICT
Scholars and intellectuals have given rainbow definitions for ICT It is an acronym that stands
for Information and Communication Technology ldquoHowever apart from explaining an acronym
there is not a universally accepted definition of ICTs because the concepts methods and
applications involved in ICTs are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis It is difficult to
keep up with the changes - they happen so fastrdquo (Riley 2012 Np) To understand the concepts
holistically let us fragment it into its component constructs of
(i) Information
(ii) Communication
(iii) Technologies
As Riley (2012 Np) puts it
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exists to help individuals businesses and
organisations use information ICT covers any product that will store
retrieve manipulate transmit or receive information electronically in a
digital form for example personal computers digital television
email[and] robots
Therefore it can be said that ICT primarily involves not only the technology per se but also the
processes of storing retrieving manipulating and transmitting or receiving of digital data
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119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
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120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
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122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
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123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
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125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
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127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
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In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
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151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
117
people Some of these studies include those conducted by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2005 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab- Hamid
(2004) etc Although many of such studies are case studies and therefore their findings might
not be generalised there are quite a number of success stories from countries like China case
study on Wursquoan telecentres by Soriano (2007) India case study on Bellandur Gram Panchayat
Karnataka telecentres by Dossani Misra and Jhaveri (2005) Iran case study on Gharnabad and
East Livan telecenters by Jalali Okhovvat and Okhovvat (2011) and Malaysia case study on e-
Bario and e-Bedian ICT projects by Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid (2004)
People get empowered with information but when they lack it they often become isolated and
ignorant about their rights and choices That is to say they could be lack of the basic knowledge
about the political and developmental processes that shape their lives in society Singh (2006)
noted that ICT is a powerful tool when used in the right way as part of overall development
strategy In the same vein Boating (2007) opined that ICT may not be a panacea to the worldrsquos
problems but it can be a powerful tool to facilitate and enable affordable solutions to basic
human developmental problems It is widely accepted by intellectuals that ICT has become an
integral part of the social economic and political paraphernalia of social interactions hence
countries all over the world are taking to ICT for various developmental initiatives (Moghaddam
and Khatoon-Abadi 2013 Gnaniah Yeo Songan Zen and Ab-Hamid 2004) As such it can be
argued that in the 21st century the role of ICT in transforming the world into a better place for all
(or at least for many) cannot be overemphasised Nowadays many people especially the poor and
the uneducated more than ever before can have access to basic ICT services like mobile
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
118
communication mobile banking online transactions and sending emails to donor agencies and
receiving instant feedback (Ebeling 2003)
What is ICT
Scholars and intellectuals have given rainbow definitions for ICT It is an acronym that stands
for Information and Communication Technology ldquoHowever apart from explaining an acronym
there is not a universally accepted definition of ICTs because the concepts methods and
applications involved in ICTs are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis It is difficult to
keep up with the changes - they happen so fastrdquo (Riley 2012 Np) To understand the concepts
holistically let us fragment it into its component constructs of
(i) Information
(ii) Communication
(iii) Technologies
As Riley (2012 Np) puts it
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exists to help individuals businesses and
organisations use information ICT covers any product that will store
retrieve manipulate transmit or receive information electronically in a
digital form for example personal computers digital television
email[and] robots
Therefore it can be said that ICT primarily involves not only the technology per se but also the
processes of storing retrieving manipulating and transmitting or receiving of digital data
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
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123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
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124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
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125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
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126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
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127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
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128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
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129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
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130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
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131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
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133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
118
communication mobile banking online transactions and sending emails to donor agencies and
receiving instant feedback (Ebeling 2003)
What is ICT
Scholars and intellectuals have given rainbow definitions for ICT It is an acronym that stands
for Information and Communication Technology ldquoHowever apart from explaining an acronym
there is not a universally accepted definition of ICTs because the concepts methods and
applications involved in ICTs are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis It is difficult to
keep up with the changes - they happen so fastrdquo (Riley 2012 Np) To understand the concepts
holistically let us fragment it into its component constructs of
(i) Information
(ii) Communication
(iii) Technologies
As Riley (2012 Np) puts it
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exists to help individuals businesses and
organisations use information ICT covers any product that will store
retrieve manipulate transmit or receive information electronically in a
digital form for example personal computers digital television
email[and] robots
Therefore it can be said that ICT primarily involves not only the technology per se but also the
processes of storing retrieving manipulating and transmitting or receiving of digital data
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
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BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
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httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
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Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
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ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
119
Importantly it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other
Furthermore ICT also includes a variety of computing hardware (PCs servers mainframes
networked storage) the rapidly developing personal hardware market comprising mobile phones
personal devices MP3 players the collection of application software from the simple home-
developed spreadsheet to the complex enterprise packages and online software services In
addition it includes the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of
information as well as the internet which stands out as the major driver of most of the ICT These
information and Communication Technologies are used for various purposes including
sustainable development
The application of ICT to sustainable development efforts is very crucial especially in the realms
of renewable energy water and environmental conservation and indeed agriculture What makes
the application of ICT to sustainable development so crucial is that as populations all over the
world are rapidly growing resources are conversely depleting hence the need for the global
community to redouble effort toward evolving sturdy means of not only judiciously utilising
resources to meet the present needs but also ensuring that the ability of future generations to
meet their needs is not compromised either Sustainability however is not without its challenges
as ldquothe notion of sustainability has led to new insight into the challenges of development where
the process of building alliances and seeking common agendas among stakeholders with
different interests becomes as important as the output itselfrdquo (Prabhakar and Basu 2007 284)
The World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) as
cited in Gladwin Kennelly and Krause (1995 876) defines sustainable development as the
ldquodevelopment which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
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httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
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Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
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8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
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February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
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on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
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2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
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In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
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ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
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2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
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Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
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Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
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Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
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150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
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on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
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2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
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UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
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February 2014
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8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
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151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
120
generations to meet their own needsrdquo The question now is how could we facilitate sustainable
development using ICT
Information may not be a panacea to hunger poverty diseases illiteracy etc But the right
information at the right time however can bring about sustainable development when used
appropriately with the maximum participation of stakeholders The intrinsic values of ICT lie not
in easing communication and information but rather in stimulating growth and development
(Gladwin et al 1995) through the facilitation of virile and smooth socio-economic activities as
well as serving as a catalyst to sustainable development efforts In a country like Nigeria where a
vast section of the population lives below the poverty line (UNDP 2012) ICT offers a chance to
empower these people through innovative social development and participatory application of
ICT in agriculture education tourism marketing health faith or religion home management
governance and transform them into productive human capital In Figure 1 I have graphically
illustrated some of the critical areas where ICT can help engender sustainable development in
Nigeria The lines linking the various boxes are for illustration purposes only
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
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123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
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124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
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125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
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126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
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127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
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128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
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129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
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130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
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133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
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134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
121
Source Author
Figure 1 Some critical purviews where ICT can promote sustainable development in Nigeria
ICT and Agriculture
ICT can be utilised to enhance agriculture in order to maximise food production and food
security ICT can also be used to enhance industrial raw materials by determining suitable
climatic condition soil type and the production of improved varieties of cash crops and
livestock for example rubber oil palm sugar cane cattle sheep (for their hide skin wool etc)
and poultry ICT can be applied for the improvement and preservation of agricultural produce at
both the input and output levels ICT can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant information
about enhanced farming methods and latest commodity prices reached the farmer on time This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
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Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
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Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
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GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
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GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
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Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
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February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
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IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
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IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
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ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
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Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
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Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
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Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
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on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
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Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
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Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
122
can be achieved through the introduction of innovative agricultural extension services and the
empowerment of agricultural extension staff with the relevant ICT skills and provision of the
necessary ICT devices and facilities like mobile phones laptops and even telecenters where
necessary in order to boost their performance in their jobs Using this technique the farmers
stand the chance to get better yields and lucrative proceeds from the sales of their produce
directly to buyers without the involvement of middle men This can be a direct poverty
alleviation strategy Other areas where online agriculture or e-agriculture may be involved
include digital mapping land use soil types meteorology ecology and agricultural records
(Munyua 2000) Thus the e-agricultural extension staff will be poised to provide prompt and
relevant e-agricultural extension services to his or her clients effectively
An agricultural database can be developed to provide support for planning production storage
and distribution of agricultural produce and other natural resources This will ensure that farmers
of all types and categories are trained in relevant ICT skills in order to facilitate effective
dissemination of agriculture-related information and ultimately to ensure the effective utilisation
of the information to boost agriculture in say using genetic modification technology in
horticulture animal husbandry fishery poultry crop rotation mixed cropping and forestry to
ensure food security (Munyua 2000) and a balanced ecosystem It can also provide ready access
to comprehensive up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information particularly to rural
farmers even though as Prabhakar and Basu (2007 30) put it ldquothe food in-secure may not place
high priority on the development of ICT in their communities access to such technology could
prove to be vital to their economic developmentrdquo The Federal Government of Nigeria while
issuing statistics about the agricultural sector of the country posted on its official web site that
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
123
Agriculture has suffered from years of mismanagement inconsistent and poorly conceived
government policies and the lack of basic infrastructure Still the sector accounts for about 40
of GDP and two-thirds of employment Agriculture provides a significant fraction
(approximately 10) of non-oil growth Poultry and cocoa are just two areas where production is
not keeping pace with domestic or international demand Fisheries also have great potential but
are poorly managed Most critical for the countrys future Nigerias land tenure system does not
encourage long-term investment in technology or modern production methods and does not
inspire the availability of rural credit (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014)
Certainly the Nigerian agricultural sector has suffered years of neglect Some of the challenges
bedevilling the sector in relation to the use of ICT include less than 19 of individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) could read a newspaper at least once per week with a much
smaller percentage in rural areas Landline or fixed telecommunication coverage is limited with
less than one landline subscriber per 1000 people in 2008 according to International
Telecommunications Union - ITU (2009) and Egbule Ague and Uzokwe (2013 24) Access to
other communication facilities such as fax machines computers for e-mail and Internet is
similarly low primarily due to their dependence upon landline infrastructure (Egbule et al
2013) Another key challenge is having to travel personally in order to get information about
say modern farming techniques improved seedlings or make inquiries about current market
prices of commodities and it not only involves transport costs but also the opportunity costs of
an individualrsquos time stressed In other words the time taken to accomplish a simple task is often
unnecessarily extended resulting in loss of opportunities that otherwise could have been
averted According to Egbule et al (2003) ldquoThis can be substantial in the context of unpaved
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
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BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
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In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
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February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
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Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
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ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
124
roads and vast distancesrdquo [which characterise most developing countries especially Nigeria]
(Egbule et al 2013 24)
ICT and Culture
A social phenomenon through which a society can excel in a unique way is culture The United
Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) say that ldquoIn todayrsquos
interconnected world culturersquos power to transform societies is clear Its diverse manifestations-
from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary
art forms ndash enrich our everyday lives in countless waysrdquo (UNESCO 2014) A societyrsquos ability to
preserve and promote its culture is another facet of development The global scenario today is
such that the information-rich or ICT superpowers use the technologies to promote their culture
beyond the borders of their nations indeed globally That means future generations will be able
to appreciate their cultural heritage ICT-backed facilities can be used to document cultural
practices such as folklores dance music and other facets of everyday human life through the
media Broadcast genres like soap operas situation comedies or sitcoms musical shows and
documentaries provide ample opportunities for people to appreciate the aesthetics of culture The
media (which are of course components of ICT) can even serve as an avenue for marginalised
groups or minorities to unfold and reach out to the wider society through the promotion of their
traditional practices beliefs artefacts norms and values
Nigeria is a multi-cultural society with over 250 ethnic groups The major tribes are Hausa-
Fulani 29 Yoruba 21 Igbo 18 Ijaw 10 Kanuri 4 Ibibio 35 and Tiv 25 living as
a nation (The World Factbook 2013) In a diversified society like Nigeria cultural events are a
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
125
very good means of re-strengthening the bond of unity in diversity among its peoples In all the
nooks and crannies of the country culture stands out prominently In the North for example
there is a traditional horse-riding pageantry popularly known as Durbar Festival It is usually
organised periodically by traditional emirate councils during annual religious festivities like Eid-
el-Kabir Eid-el-Adha and other important anniversary celebrations The most famous of all the
Durbar Festivals is probably the one organised by the Kano Emirate Council in the ancient city
of Kano showcasing the rich and flamboyant regal and cultural pomp and prowess of the Emir
of Kano In addition there is the famous annual Argungu Fishing Festival celebrated annually in
Zamfara State These cultural events are of international fame and therefore could be a very
strong and sustainable means of revenue generation not only for the individual states within
which the celebrations take place but also the country as a whole Furthermore other annual
cultural events of international reputation include the Eyo Festival in Lagos South-western
Nigeria the Calabar Carnival in the South-south the Abuja Carnival in the Federal Capital City
of Nigeria and the Atilogwu Dance in Enugu South-eastern Nigeria to mention but a few
Now the question to ask here is in addition to the promotion and preservation of culture what
more significant roles could ICT play in culture As stated earlier ICT can play the roles of
projecting (creating an identity for) promoting (showcasing) preserving and globalising culture
Significantly however the mass media which are envisaged as part and parcel of ICT can
through status conferral elevate the status of a culture (or a particular aspect of a culture) over
time to global level and consequently render it a global culture Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007)
believe that as part of their functions the mass media (ICT inclusive) do raise the status of an
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
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Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
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Addis Ababa CODIST
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Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
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2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
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IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
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IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
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ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
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Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
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Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
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Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
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wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
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Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
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February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
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Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
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Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
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December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
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imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
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Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
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Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
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Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
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150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
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November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
126
individual organisation or group (culture is inherently part and parcel of them) to certain levels
through status conferral
Common experience as well as research testifies that the social standing of persons or social
policies is raised when these command favourable attention in the mass media In many quarters
for example the support of a political candidate or a public policy by the Times is taken as
significant and this support is regarded as a distinct asset for the candidate or the policyhellip
WhyhellipFor some the editorial views of the Times represent the considered judgment of a group
of experts thus calling for the respect of laymen But this is only one element in the status-
conferral function of the mass media for enhanced status accrues to those who merely receive
attention in the media quite apart from any editorial supporthellip The mass media bestow prestige
and enhance the authority of individuals and groups by legitimising their status Recognition by
the press or radio or magazines or newsreels testifies that one has arrived that one is important
enough to have been singled out from the large anonymous masses that ones behaviour and
opinions are significant enough to require public notice (Lazarsfeld and Merton 2007 235)
For example Western (or American) popular culture can arguably be said to have been
globalised by the Hollywood movie industry In recent decades ICT can be said to have enabled
Hollywood to globalise American culture even farther Although lately ICT has also given many
(previously information-poor) societies the opportunity to produce and market their own local
popular culture and consume less of American cultural products Decades ago however Harold
Laswell (1948) provided an answer to this question One of the three famous functions of the
mass media he mentioned is spreading cultural heritage from one generation to another This
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
127
refers to the capacity of the mass media in this case ICT (which is certainly part and parcel of
the mass media) of transmitting values norms lifestyles and customs through different periods
of time and among different groups ICT can therefore play enormous roles in culture
especially in the realms of promotion - through advertisements and other forms of publicity via
the broadcast or print media as well as other electronic and digital multimedia channels devices
museums and even libraries
Also ICT can help preserve and propagate cultural heritages by archiving and disseminating
information about important historical and cultural events (Ekwelem Okafor and Ukwoma
2011) Williams (2001) observed that preservation of cultural heritage resources is essential to
sustainable development Therefore arguably ICT possesses the capacity to do that to the letter
The Internet for instance could be a veritable platform for the promotion dissemination and
preservation of peoplersquos cultural heritages Properly ICT-managed cultural heritages arguably
stand a better chance of boosting the countryrsquos tourism industry thus providing additional
income sources for the Government The two local home movie industries in Nigeria
Kannywood and Nollywood located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country
respectively are another significant cultural purview where ICT has been playing a very crucial
role in cultural and socio-economic development of the people particularly the youth The works
of arts by actors and actresses in the industries are promoted and marketed online ndash via You
Tube Facebook Twitter etc So people can easily purchase an art product online watch a home
video movie and listen to or watch popular music on their mobile devices (Moudio 2013)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
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In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
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151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
128
ICT and Economic Empowerment
Poverty and high rate of unemployment are obviously some of the problems bedevilling Nigeria
and most other developing countries (UNDP 2013) Arguably the economy is the backbone of
every nationrsquos existence With more mouths to feed and meagre resources to cater for the needs
of the teeming population ICT can provide nations with ample opportunities for poverty
alleviation Such small and medium-scale entrepreneurships like running internet cafes selling
mobile phones and their accessories selling and servicing digital satellite equipment selling and
servicing computers and their accessories and working as computer network technicians are
some of the areas where the judicious application of ICT can help bring about positive changes
in the lives of people ICT also provides a platform for Governments international organisations
and the private sector to promote the benefits of international trade online via e-business e-
commerce e-banking e-transactions and e-shopping for household utilities
Considering Nigeriarsquos huge human and natural resources it can be said to possess the capability
to tap the huge opportunities offered by ICT for development especially with the high rate of
poverty among its people According to the World Bank (2011) UNDP Nigeria (2012) and BBC
News Africa (2013) the poverty rate in the country is 626 per capita income is US $1280
human development index (HDI) is 047 and life expectancy is 52 years for men and 53 years for
women ICT can not only help farmers sell and get better prices for their produce but also
provide opportunities for youths to do online trade and business It can also serve as a platform
for artists craftsmen and craftswomen fashion designers artistes teachers and students to
improve their respective entrepreneurship
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
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2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
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IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
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ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
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Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
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Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
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January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
129
Tourism is another socially attractive and economically lucrative area that can get the best out of
ICT initiatives Many tourist destination nations have been able to showcase and promote their
tourism attractions to the global community online in extremely appealing ways more than ever
before Countries like Egypt Kenya and Tanzania derive a large share of their national income
from tourism which in this era is substantially promoted through the Internet and provides
ample employment opportunities for the populace In addition to boosting international business
ICT creates ample room for local entrepreneurs to promote their businesses by utilising available
relevant information to solve their problems This can be achieved when the atmosphere is
conducive for ICT the Government is largely responsible for that and an e-government could be
in a better position to facilitate such an atmosphere more effectively Access to relevant
information has been identified as one of the main challenges facing local entrepreneurs and that
they lack information in three key areas which are
(i) Demand information on new and existing customers
(ii) Finance information on how to get more capital for the business
(iii) Skills information on how to get morebetter technical know-how for the
business
These are problems that can be solved using ICT by making the relevant information available
timely to entrepreneurs (Heeks 2002 Singh 2006)
ICT and Education
The role of ICT in education cannot be underestimated The application of ICT in education
commonly referred to as e-education may be in areas like distance learning teacher training
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
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CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
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Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
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Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
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8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
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Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
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FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
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FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
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GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
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GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
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Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
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Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
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Google image 2013 retrieved from
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stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
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Pp 182-183 Available at
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February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
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ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
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2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
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Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
130
adult education technical and vocational education teacher and student networking and
primary secondary tertiary and even kindergarten education For instance audio-visual aided
teaching and learning can go a long way in imparting comprehensive or ldquo3-Drdquo knowledge to
learners In Malaysia the application of ICT to teaching and learning has been firmly rooted
That arguably could have been one of the major reasons Malaysian universities and other
institutions of higher learning are becoming the cynosure of learning and researching not only to
people from many developing countries but also to students candidates and intellectuals from
developed countries In Nigeria for example the Federal Ministry of Education has made a giant
stride in this direction with the following ICT-driven (mostly tertiary educational) programmes
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) programme the Distance Learning programme
(unfortunately the distance learning programme is merely distance by name in many of the
institutions that run it because students have to attend classes and nothing ICT-related is involved
in the teaching and learning processes) Computer in Schools Initiative Nigerian Universities
Network the National Teachersrsquo Institute programme (teacher training programme through
distance learning) and the National Virtual Library Project The primary objective of these
programmes is to use the ICT-driven approach to improve the efficiency quality and delivery of
education at all levels of the educational system
In its efforts to develop the ICT sector of the country the Nigerian ICT Centre in 2010 provided
internet access to higher institutions which paved the way for the institutions to launch their web
sites and portals According to IT and Telecom Digest (2012) each of the 36 states of the
country benefited from an ICT centre well equipped with computers a Very Small Aperture
Terminal (V-SAT) and related ICT equipment aimed at improving teaching and learning for both
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
131
students and teachers The Government has also planned to establish ICT centres that can offer
24-hour services which could be accessed by more than 20000 students concurrently
Furthermore the Federal government through the ICT Centre also provides scholarships to
successful candidates who are willing to study for Masterrsquos or PhD in ICT-related fields In
2011 it provided scholarships to 37 Masterrsquos (one per each state and the Federal Capital
Territory FCT Abuja) and six PhD candidates one from each geo-political zone in the country
In the previous year however the Government sponsored two candidates per state The National
ICT Centre Abuja also provides e-learning facilities for the training of Nigerians especially the
youth in ICT skills and literacy in fields like Cisco Microsoft Certificated areas D-Link and
other self-tutoring areas Candidates and students use such centres among other things to check
their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results download materials
for their studies and assignments and browse the Internet for social media interaction Other e-
services provided at such centres include e-marketing e-business etc (IT and Telecom Digest
2012)
The prospects and benefits of ICT in education are unquantifiable In addition to the numerous
theoretical as well as practical or physical uses and benefits of ICT mentioned in the previous
sections Idewor Imhonopi and Urim (2014) have enumerated some more of ICT benefits
particularly in education According to them the use of ICT in education has become a modus
vivendi for modern teaching and learning in Nigerian schools and higher institutions of learning
Gradually the physical classroom is being replaced or at least supplemented by the virtual
classroom online blackboard is being replaced or supplemented by whiteboard and PowerPoint
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
132
audio-visual facilities which enrich pedagogy Other benefits and applications of e-education
according to them include
1 Email Many academicians and students now greatly rely on email service to
communicate and exchange vital information without having necessarily to meet face-to-
face
2 Online Peer Review Recently peer review which is an important process or activity that
enhances the quality of research and academic works has been digitalised With the help
of e-peer review service a junior researcher for instance can send draft copies of his or
her works electronically to the email addresses of his or her senior colleagueexperienced
researcher for review This process is cost and time effective Thus by using electronic
peer review process nowadays collaborative research activities between Nigerian
scholars and scholars in other countries from around the world has been made easier
3 Digitisation of academic activities As part of Government policy for a robust e-education
and green environment in the country higher educational institutions in Nigeria have
been charged to adopt the culture of digitising their activities and operations in line with
global trends Consequently higher institutions of learning nowadays process their
admissions online Similarly e-communication channels are gradually replacing face-to-
face communication processes and these make for speed ease and time-saving
advantages Digital papers are replacing physical papers which occupy space and create
an environmental eyesore when improperly disposed of Also physical libraries are
gradually giving way to e-libraries Thus higher education in Nigeria is not left behind in
this regard
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
133
4 Websites Most if not all higher educational institutions in Nigeria have at least a
website of their own which contains their corporate information and other details
Through their websites higher institutions are able to communicate and interact with
their students and staff and meet the needs of other stakeholders Furthermore websites
have become marketing tools for higher institutions of learning in addition to the
traditional media where they advertise their various programmes and disciplines for
prospective students and other clients (Idewor et al 2014 359-360)
ICT and Environment
The world has always been faced with one environmental challenge or another The most widely
spoken about and one of the most devastating is climatic change due to global warming brought
about by the greenhouse gas effect particularly in the developed societies The fear is that the
unindustrialised countries in Africa Asia and other parts of the developing world seem to suffer
the effects more than the industrialised societies which are the sources of most of the worldrsquos
greenhouse gases Moreover population explosion and diminishing resources seem to be posing
serious threats to such poor nations particularly Nigeria According to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD 2014) as cited in Rural Poverty Portal (2014)
hellipas the population swells and puts pressure on diminishing resources escalating environmental
problems further threaten food production Land degradation as a result of extensive agriculture
deforestation and overgrazing are already severe in many parts of the country Drought has
become common in the north and erosion caused by heavy rains floods and oil pollution is a
major problem in the south and south-east (Rural Poverty Portal 2014)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
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147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
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148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
134
Permit me to use the clicheacute that information is power Yes the right information at the right time
can help a great deal in alerting nations to manage their environmental challenges One of the
ICT-driven technologies that are used today to manage for instance occurrences of natural
disasters and other environmental hazards is the early warning system Thus environmental
degradation like desert encroachment (especially in northern Nigeria) flooding and erosion
(especially in southern Nigeria) and disasters like the tsunami earthquakes landslides
rainstorms air pollution etc in many parts of the world can be greatly managed ndash controlled and
or prevented This can be achieved through shrewd and prudent application of ICT using for
example the Internet Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) among others to
create awareness about approaching dangers and how to minimise environmental abuse and
degradation Even the everyday TV genre of weather forecasts which uses meteorological
technology can help manage environmental pollution That is to say ICT could help reduce a
communityrsquos vulnerability to disasters and increase chances of saving lives and property from
destruction through pre-disaster warnings post-disaster interventions sustainable natural
resource management weather-based crop insurance etc Some of the major environmental
threats which could be said to have contributed toward the impediment of Nigerias development
include land degradation deforestation drought and desertification erosion environmental
pollution an ineffective and inefficient waste management system and climate change
One of the most advanced applications of ICT in environmental management and development
are the Earth-orbiting satellites According to Cawthorne Beard Carrel Richardson and Lawal
(2008 1) between 2002 and 2005 five satellites of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC)
were launched and one of them was NigeriaSat-1 Nigeriarsquos first satellite which was launched on
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
135
23 September 2003 The successful launching of these satellites has given the assurance of the
social economical political and technological values of Earth- imaging using small cost-
effective satellites The Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA) have also commissioned its first operational high-performance Earth Observation
system NigeriaSat-2 which was initially billed for launching in 2009 It was however launched
on 17 August 2011 The main aims of launching the satellite include
(i) to support food supply security agricultural and geological applications
(ii) to support mapping and security applications
(iii)to support development of national GIS infrastructure and
(iv) to provide continuity and compatibility with NigeriaSat-1 system
(Andrew et al 2008 1-2)
ICT and Governance
Good governance is a key factor to development as it is to democracy The conception adoption
and implementation of developmental strategies are tied to governance The provision of social
amenities and the creation and management of the atmosphere conducive for societal growth and
development are also tied to governance In fact government is all about management
management of the citizenry management of resources management of population management
of the economy and by and large management of good governance For example a good
standard of living good health good education food security and sustainable food production
do to a large extent determine how viable a government is and how successful it will be in
satisfying the needs yearnings and aspirations of its citizens
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
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149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
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httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
136
Good governance entails providing and sustaining the essential needs of citizens through inter
alia effective administration This can be facilitated through proper use of ICT to development
purviews like electoral processes fiscal probityauditing proactive public forums which enable a
higher civil society and citizensrsquo participation in decision-making and policy formulation about
matters that affect them publicising government policies and programmes communication of
citizens and a free press Governance via ICT or e-governance is becoming popular across the
world Governments therefore need to implement e-government strategies focusing on
applications aimed at promoting innovation and transparency in public administration and
democratic processes as well as improving efficiency and strengthening relations with the
citizenry (CODIST 2009) At present the Nigerian Government has adopted e-letters e-
company registration (e-Corporate Affairs Commission- CAC) services) e-national forum e-
passport (e-immigration services) e-driversrsquo licence (e-Federal Road Safety Corps- FRSC)
services) e-drug registration (e-National Food Drugs Administration and Control- NAFDAC)
services (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014) among others as some of the key administrative
purviews where the application of ICT does improve service delivery and performance thereby
boosting the efficiency of governance for social well-being and revenue generation for the
Government
According to Iyanda Ogundele and Oyedemi (2014 3) ldquoe-governance is the use of information
and communication technologies to support good governancerdquo Arguably therefore the
opportunities that ICT offers through e-governance to spur development are enormous
Explaining some technicalities concerning ICT in e-governance Iyanda et al (2014 3) stressed
that the key characteristics of all e-governance projects are that the number of users of the system
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
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Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
137
could be enormous and eventually the number of applications could also probably increase ldquoin
direct proportionrdquo In e-governance the significance of information management cannot be
overemphasised In addition networking securitypasswording ethicslegal backings as well as
proper integration of all the facilities must be ensured and specifications of modus operandi of
the system strictly adhered to ensure maximum and qualitative output with minimum risks or
losses Worthy of note is that the key benefits of e-government include improved government
efficiency convenience and better accessibility of public services for all (Iyanda 2014)
ICT and Health
Healthy people form a healthy nation Productivity and sustainable development are intertwined
and both cannot be achieved without a healthy population Therefore health is a key
development factor Hence developing an ICT-based health care system can help enhance
qualitative health care delivery to the people ICT is applied in such purviews as telemedicine
teleradiology monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks (eg the use of ICT to combat
serious national health threats such as HIVAIDS and leprosy guinea worm physical disabilities
etc) by communicating useful medication tips about how to control or manage and prevent the
occurrence of the scourge This can be achieved through online conferences social media and
the Internet Also networking health care to collate information sharing data and
communicating online full internet connectivity (eg WI-FI broadband) and accessibility for
health care professionals at all levels boost public health Some Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) complement government efforts toward
provision servicing and maintenance of e-health equipment and facilities especially in
developing countries like Nigeria In collaboration with the United Nations Children and
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
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Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
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Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
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24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
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Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
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February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
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146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
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In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
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8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
138
Educational Fund (UNICEF) for instance Nigeriarsquos Midwifery Services Scheme (MSS) supplied
ICT facilities such as computers mobile phones and solar panels to about 200 health facilities
(out of over 10000) in the country to complement the efforts of the Government toward fighting
maternal and child mortality in the country (Jimoh et al 2012)
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking major reforms in the health sector
of the country with the aim of providing effective and affordable health care services to the
citizenry Just like there are three tiers of government or three tiers of education so also the
health sector comprises three tiers According to Hassan Ahmed and Dogo (2013 182) the three
tiers are primary secondary and tertiary health care systems According to them the Nigerian
health sector is faced with several challenges in delivering health care services to the people
especially in the primary health care system where the beneficiaries are mostly remote and rural
dwellers These rural dwellers make up 70 or more of the Nigerian population and have no
adequate access to qualified medical personnel With these many inadequacies coupled with a
growing demand for improved healthcare system the government in its health sector reforms
adopted the use of e-health in the form of telemedicine to tackle the numerous challenges of
medical health care delivery in the country What is telemedicine Hassan et al (2013 182-183)
defined it as the ldquouse of electronic sensor devices and wireless communication [ICT] to deliver
healthcare support services when participants [health personnel and patients] are separated by
distancerdquo Furthermore the Government is considering the use of biosensors in monitoring
patients with critical ailments
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
139
ICT Human and Natural Resources Development
A well-endowed human capital goes beyond having a hardworking dedicated and diligent
manpower In the information era these qualities though sine qua non are arguably not sufficient
to ensure sustainable development Furthermore it can be argued that with the emergence of
highly competitive production economies the key for rapid and sustainable development lies in
building a knowledge-based society The challenge however is how to use ICT for the creation
of new knowledge for all human endeavours
Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources Petroleum has been the major source of
government revenue and chief mineral resource in the country Apart from petroleum however
which is largely found on the coastal regions of the country there are other abundant non-oil
solid natural resources like iron ore gypsum limestone gold etc that if properly harnessed
could boost the economy of the country Using ICT as a tool can help the government in the
exploration extraction and processing of those abundant untapped resources efficiently
sustainably and at relatively lower costs For instance instead of relying on manual exploration
and extraction (mining) of the resources which may constitute a huge danger to the environment
as well as to the well-being of the workers in addition to being time and cost ineffective using
ICT-driven equipment to carry out those activities could be economically environmentally and
even socially more appropriate and viable Another critical realm that ICT could be harnessed for
sustainable development is defence and law enforcement using technologies such as closed-
circuit television (CCTV) trackers and mobile phones
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
140
ICT and Rural Development
The United Nations according to Tersoo (2014 27-31) defines rural development as ldquoA
strategy designed to transform rural life by extending to the masses of the rural population the
benefits of economic and social progressrdquo From that definition it can be understood that the UN
stresses a fundamental principle which is the process through which equitable access to
resources imputes services and participation in the design and implementation of rural
development programmes can be made available to the rural populacerdquo The Nigerian Ministry
of Agriculture in January 2014 said that the country spends N13 trillion (one-point-three
trillion Naira which is approximately more than US $82 billion) in a year on the importation of
basic food items such as fish rice and sugar Currently Nigeria is the second largest importer of
rice in the world The country consumes 2 million metric tons of rice per year (Murdoc 27 April
2012)
With all these huge statistics of importation of food Nigeria stands an enormous chance to
develop its agricultural sector reduce the importation of food items ensure food self-sufficiency
and food security reduce hunger and poverty as well as develop its rural areas if the country
would invest heavily in e-agriculture and e-rural development According to the findings of a
study by Tersoo (2014) about 80 of Nigerians live in rural areas They are predominantly poor
farmers and fishermen and 90 of them are illiterate Tersoo (2014) pointed out that most of the
poor in Africa live in rural areas and that the poverty rate is high in the continent because of its
(Africarsquos) failure to replicate the Asian Green Revolution (Tersoo 2014 27-31)
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
141
The Nigerian Government has made a concerted effort to bring down the level of the urban-rural
digital divide and raise Internet and broadband penetration in the country The countryrsquos ICT
Centre provides an insight into that An excerpt culled from IT and E-Digest (2012) online news
site states In 2007 the Government under its ICT Centre came out with a programme aimed at
providing Internet penetration in rural areas known as the Rural Information Technology
Centres Those centres provide the framework for providing internet access to the rural and other
information disadvantaged areas Currently Nigeria has more than 240 of such centres spread
across the country and most of them conduct Internet training In fact the centres render a lot of
ICT services to clients such as obtaining information on population control statistics death
statistics rural agricultural production statistics do-it-yourself tips and others
Conclusion
Sustainable development has emphatically been identified by intellectuals and experts as a safe
haven of survival and existence on our planet Earth particularly in this era when both natural
and man-made actions are depleting resources at more alarming rates than they could be
renewed recycled or replaced However sustainable development cannot be achieved without a
veritable tool that could pave the avenue for the facilitation of local national and global
partnership for a synergy toward a safer world for all to live With its unfathomable
profoundness (in terms of knowledge creation information and opportunities) and its
formidability (in terms of the overwhelming power to compress the world into a ldquovillagerdquo) ICT
possesses the capability to promote sustainable development practices in our societies through
the dissemination of information about disasters erosions desertification floods drought etc
with the help of ICT experts who could predict with near-accuracy where disasters are likely to
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
142
occur why they are likely to occur how they would occur and proffering possible measures on
how to manage them Therefore this paper argues that the goal of developing the human and
technological potential of any society cannot be achieved effectively unless the society adopts
ICT-driven development strategies especially in an information era like ours
Obviously there are challenges in Nigerian society for example the gender issue In large parts
of the country the female person is not allowed to enrol in schools or attain a certain level of
education or engage in some kinds of businesses or work in an organisation due to cultural
reasons By implication this could mean that nearly half of the population of the country could be
deprived of the power to contribute toward national development However with the advent of
the Internet and subsequently development of ICT coupled with accessibility and ubiquity
individuals and groups can get a great deal of exposure and enlightenment about issues around
them Sometimes these can be a source of social emancipation to people particularly those living
in highly traditional and conservative societies In addition the UN and its agencies together
with NGOs and CSOs have been proactively mobilising resources in collaboration with the
various levels of government in the country advocating for a gender-friendly education policy
and legislation The primary roles ICT has been playing in this realm are those of publicity
enlightenment and sensitisation particularly at the grassroots level through radio TV mobile
phones the Internet etc at a faster rate
Worthy of note is that ICT is often regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elites and the
affluent members of society By and large ICT gadgets are usually exorbitantly expensive to
procure maintain and repair ICT applications seem to be out of reach of the economically poor
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
143
Moreover the source of power and connectivity are issues in many locations and contents are
often not locally relevant To crown it all language barriers illiteracy and media (ICT) illiteracy
are more deterring challenges and problems that hamper the effective utilisation of ICT for
sustainable and participatory sustainable development
To face those challenges squarely it requires commitment by the stakeholders the Government
NGOs and beneficiaries Arguably the entire efforts for ICT and sustainable development
revolve around usersrsquo acceptance accessibility affordability and usage and the implementersrsquo
(government NGOs) access to funds and infrastructural facilities It also involves the
stakeholdersrsquo responsibility for scalability and both stakeholdersrsquo and beneficiariesrsquo
responsibility for sustainability and maintenance That is to say to make ICT work for
sustainable development it requires affordable market-driven infrastructures and multi-
stakeholder efforts at all levels to help the poor the disadvantaged and the marginalised
members of society benefit from ICT interventions according to their priorities and demands
Besides the creation and delivery of services the key to success is acceptance by the end user
For instance if the end user cannot afford to pay for the access or the use of data the access may
provide the system could fail Access must be provided affordably both in terms of
infrastructure and applications
Fundamentally however for ICT to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development the
following facts should be taken into consideration and adjustments made to accommodate them
ICT is a long-range investment (outcomes may be delayed) and for natural resources to be
sustainably harnessed the human resources ought to be adequately mobilised to appropriately
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
144
manipulate capital resources for affirmative outcomes Stakeholders can employ low-cost and
low-powered technology that can sustainably develop both rural and urban societies
Furthermore ICT projects such as telecentres need to be properly administered and monitored
for wholesome outcomes the design of the system and user interface should be suitable to the
target users
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
145
References
BBC News Africa Accessed on 5 June 2013 1309pm
Boating KO (2007) ldquoICT for sustainable development What it is notrdquo Paper presented at
the Euro-Africa ICT Group Meeting Brussels on 27 September 2012
Cawthorne A Beard M Carrel A Richardson G and Lawal A (2008) Launching 2009 the
NigeriaSat-2 mission High performance earth observation with a small satellite 22nd
annual AIAAUSU conference on small satellite SSC08-III-7 Pp 1-2 Available at
httpdigitalcommonsusueducgiviewcontentcgiarticle=1368ampcontext=smallsat
Retrieved on 9 February 2014
CODIST (28 April 2009) The first session of the Committee on Development Information
Science and Technology Analysis of Country Reports on WSIS Action Lines 7- 8-9
Addis Ababa CODIST
Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 Population distribution and basic demographic
characteristics 2010 Pp 2 and 155 Available at wwwstatisticsgovmy Retrieved on
24 January 2014
Dossani R Misra DC and Jhaveri R (2005) Enabling ICT for rural India In Asia-Pacific
research center Stanford University and National Informatics Center India
Available at httpiis-dbstanfordedupubs20972ict_full_oct05pdf Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Ebeling M (2003) The new dawn Black agency in cyberspace Radical History Review
Edewor PA Imhonopi D and Urim UM (2014) ICTs and sustainable development of
higher education in Nigeria Rewriting the ugly narrative In Journal of educational and
social research 41 Pp 359-360 Rome Italy MCSER Publishing Also available at
httpwwwmcserorgjournalindexphpjesrarticleviewFile18541853 Retrieved on 8
February 2014 DOI 105901jesr2014v4n1p357 ISSN 2240-0524
Egbule CL Agwu AE and Uzokwe UN (2013) Availability and use of mobile phones
for information dissemination by public extension agents in Delta State Nigeria In
Journal of agricultural extension 172 P 24 Available at
httpwwwajolinfoindexphpjaearticleviewFile9938088672 Retrieved on
February 2014 ISSN 1119-944X
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
146
Ekwelem VO Okafor VN and Ukwoma SC (2011) Preservation of cultural heritage The
strategic role of the library and information science professionals in South East Nigeria
In Library philosophy and practice University of Nigeria Nsukka ISSN 1522-0222
Also available at httpunllibunleduLLP and
httpwwwwebpagesuidahoedu~mbolinekwelem-okafor-ukwomahtm Retrieved on
8 February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Economy Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovngindexphp2012-10-29-11-05-46economy Retrieved on 1
February 2014
Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Natural Resources Available at
httpwwwnigeriagovng2012-10-29-11-05-462012-11-05-09-52-15 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
FMCT Report (2013) Ministerial report of the Federal Ministry of Technology of
Nigeria Retrieved from wwwnigeriacomputerscomwp-content Retrieved on August
14 2013
FCMT (2012) National information and communication technology (ICT) final draft policy
P 10 Retrieved from httpwwwnitdagovngdownloadsNEW_ICT_Policypdf
Retrieved on 8 February 2014
GITR Report 2013 The networked readiness index rankings In Bilbao-Osorio B Dutta S and
Lanvin B (Eds) The global information technology report 2013 Growth and jobs in a
hyperconnected world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxi Retrieved
from httpwww3weforumorgdocsWEF_GITR_Report_2013pdf Retrieved on 8
February 2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-
77-7
GITR Report 2012 The networked readiness index rankings In Dutta S and Bilbao-Osorio B
(Eds) The global information technology report 2012 Living in a hyperconnected
world Geneva Switzerland World Economic Forum P xxiii Retrieved from
httpwww3weforumorgdocsGlobal_IT_Report_2012pdf Retrieved on 8 February
2014 Also available at wwwweforumorggitr ISBN 13 978-92-95044-33-3
Gladwin TN Kennelly JJ and Krause TS (1995) Shifting paradigms for sustainable
development Implications for management theory and research In The academy
management review 204 P 876 Available at httpwwwjstororgstable258959
Retrieved on 8 February 2014 DOI 1194011818
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
147
Gnaniah J Yeo A Songan P Zen H and Ab-Hamid K (2004) A comparison on the
implementation approaches for the e-Bario and e-Bedian projects In Khaled HM
Helander MG and Yeo AW (Eds) Work with computing systems Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Damai Sciences Available at
httpwwwdticmildtictrfulltextu2a438157pdf Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Google image 2013 retrieved from
httpswwwgooglecomsearchtbm=ischampq=kano20durbarq=+nigerian+movie+indu
stryampsafe=offamptbm=ischampfacrc=_ampimgdii=_ampimgrc=D7zyqdSOt-yfdM3A3
Retrieved on 14 August 2013
Google Public Data (2012) wwwgooglecompublicdata Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Hassan NM Olaniyi OM Ahmed A and Dogo EM (2013) Wireless sensor
network for remote healthcare monitoring in Nigeria Challenges and way forward
In International Conference on Emerging and Sustainable Technologies for Power
and ICT in a Developing Society (IEEE) (NIGERCON) 2013 413 Owerri Nigeria
Pp 182-183 Available at
httpieeexploreieeeorgstampstampjsptp=amparnumber=6715654 Retrieved on 1
February 2014 DOI 101109NIGERCON20136715654 ISSN 978-1-4799-
2016-7
Heeks R (2002) e-Government in Africa Promise and practice In iGovernment working paper
series 13 Institute for development policy and management Retrieved from
httpidpmmanacukwpigovindexhtm Retrieved on 8 January 2014
ICT4D Nigeria Annual Review 2007 Retrieved from
httpwwwjidawcomitsolutionsict4dreview2007html Retrieved on 30 November
2013
IFAD cited in Rural Poverty Portal 2014 Rural poverty in Nigeria Available at
httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria Retrieved on 9 February
2014
IT and Telecom Digest 2012 ldquoWe have more than 240 rural ICT centers across Nigeriardquo
Available at httpwwwittelecomdigestcomcover- 3htm Retrieved on 1 February
2014
ITU (2009) World TelecommunicationICT Indicators Database 2009 Retrieved from
wwwitucom Retrieved on 30 November 2009
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
148
IWS 2014 Usage and population statistics Africa Nigeria Retrieved from
httpwwwinternetworldstatscomafricahtmng Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Iyanda DG Ogundele LA and Oyedemi OA (2014) Grid computing A desirable tool
for electronic governance In Control Theory and Informatics 41 Pp 2-3
Available at httpiisteorgJournalsindexphpCTIarticleviewFile94019623
Retrieved on 1 February 2014 ISSN 2225-0492
Jalali AK Okhovvat RM and Okhovvat M (2011) A new applicable model of Iran rural
e-commerce development In World Conference on Information Technology WCIT
3 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014 DOI101016jprocs201012187
Jimoh L Pate MA Lin L and Schulman KA (2012) A model for the adoption of ICT by
health workers in Africa In International journal of medical informatics 8111
Pp 773-774 Also available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS1386505612001566 and
wwwijmijournalcom Retrieved on 7 February 2014
Laswell H (1948) The structure and function of communication and society The
communication of ideas New York US Institute for Religious and Social
Studies Retrieved from httpwwwukyedu~drlanecapstonemassfunctionalhtm
Retrieved on 9 December 2013
Lazarsfeld PF and Merton FK (2007) Mass communication popular taste and organized
social action P 235 University of Illinois US ISSN 1302-146x Available at
httpwwwiletisimdergisigaziedutrarsiv24pdfpage=239 Retrieved on 3
February 2014
MCMC (2013) Retrieved from wwwskmmgovmy Retrieved on 9 December 2013 Also
available at wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on 4 April 2013
Moghaddam BK and Khatoon-Abadi A (2013) Factors affecting ICT adoption among rural
users A case study of ICT center in Iran In Telecommunications policy 37 Available at
httpwwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlepiiS0308596113000360 and
wwwelseviercomlocatetelpol Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Moudio R (May 2013) Nigeriarsquos film industry A potential gold mine In ldquoAfrica Renewal
Onlinerdquo Retrieved from httpwwwunorgafricarenewalmagazinemay-
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
149
2013nigeriaE280s-film-industry-potential-gold-mine Retrieved on 10
December 2013
Munyua H (2000) Information and communications technologies in rural development and
food security Lessons from field experiences in developing countries CAB
International Africa Regional Centre Retrieved from wwwfaoorgsdCDdirect
Retrieved on 1 August 2013
Murdoc H (April 27 2012) Nigeria tries to curb appetite for imported food In ldquoGlobal Postrdquo
(Americarsquos World News Site) Available at
httpwwwglobalpostcomdispatchnewsregionsafricanigeria120423decrease -food-
imports-increase-food-security Retrieved on 1 February 2014
NBI Malaysia 2014 Retrieved from httpwwwskmmgovmySectorsBroadbandNational-
Broadband-Initiativeaspx and
httpwwwskmmgovmyindexphpc=publicampv=art_viewampart_id=36 Retrieved on 28
January and 8 February 2014 respectively
NCC Report on ICT 2013 Retrieved from wwwvanguardcom201306 Retrieved on 14
August 2013
NPC 2014 Nigeria over 167 million population Implications and challenges Retrieved from
httpwwwpopulationgovngindexphp84-newslatest106-nigeria-over-167-million-
population-implications-and-challenges Retrieved on 8 February 2014
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication and sustainable development In N
Prabhakar and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India
Commonwealth Publishers P 284
Prabhakar N and Basu N (2007) Communication for rural development In N Prabhakar
and N Basu Mass Media and development New Delhi India Commonwealth
Publishers P 30
Riley J (2012) ICT business and technology ICT - what is it (Np) Retrieved from
httpwwwtutor2unetbusinessictintro_what_is_icthtm Retrieved on 17 July
2013 and 7 February 2014
Rural Poverty Portal 2014 (IFAD rural poverty report 2011) Rural poverty in Nigeria
Available at httpwwwruralpovertyportalorgcountryhometagsnigeria
Retrieved on 2 February 2014
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
150
Singh A (2006) Information technologies (ICT) and sustainable development Development
alternatives New Delhi India Retrieved from wwwdevaltorg Retrieved on 30
November 2009
Soriano CRR (2007) Exploring the ICT and rural poverty link Community telecenters
and rural livelihoods in Wursquoan China In The electronic journal on information
systems in developing countries (EJISDC) 321 Available at
httpswwwejisdcorgojs2indexphpejisdcarticleviewFile462230 Retrieved
on 1 February 2014
Tersoo P (2014) Agribusiness as a veritable tool for rural development in Nigeria In
International letters of social and humanistic sciences 3 Pp 27-31 Available at
httpwwwilshsplwp-contentuploads201310ILSHS-3-2014-26-36pdf Retrieved on
1 February 2014 ISSN 2300-2697
The World Factbook (November 2013) Field listing Ethnic groups American Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library Retrieved from
httpswwwciagovlibrarypublicationsthe-world- factbookfields2075htmlni
Retrieved on 10 December 2013
UN Data 2014 World statistics pocketbook 2013 Nigeria Available at
httpdataunorgCountryProfileaspxcrName=Nigeria Retrieved on 1 February
2014
UNDPMDGs Malaysia Report 2010 Retrieved from wwwundporgmalaysia Retrieved on
4 April 2013
UNDP Nigeria 2012 About Nigeria Available at
httpwwwngundporgcontentnigeriaenhomecountryinfo Retrieved on 1
February 2014
UNESCO 2014 Protecting our heritage and fostering creativity Retrieved from
httpenunescoorgthemesprotecting-our-heritage-and-fostering-creativity Retrieved on
8 February 2014
US Department of State Nigeria (2012) Retrieved from
httpwwwstategovrpaeibgn2836htm Retrieved on 15 January 2012
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work
Global Media Journal ndash Malaysian Edition Volume 4 Issue 1 2013 ISSN 2231-9948
151
Williams H (2001) Historic cities The essence of place sacred and secular In Serageldu I
Shluger E and Martin-Brown J (Eds) Historic cities and sacred sites Cultural roots
for urban futures Washington DC US The World Bank
World Bank Nigeria 2012 Available at httpdataworldbankorgcountrynigeria
Retrieved on 1 February 2014
234nextcom (2012) Nigeria has only 16 Internet coverage Retrieved from
http234nextcomcspcmssitesNextMoney5618970-147 Retrieved on 14
January 2012
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adamkolo Mohammed Ibrahim was born in 1979 in Geidam town in Yobe State Nigeria I
was brought up by my guardian Late Adamkolo Snr in Damaturu where I attended Njiwaji
Primary School Damaturu from 1983-1988 and later joined Federal Government College (FGC)
Maiduguri from 1989-1994 In 2002 I joined University of Maiduguri to study Mass
Communication I graduated with a Second-Class Upper BA Mass Comm (Hons) in 2007 I
was employed by Yobe State Government radio Yobe Broadcasting Corporation (YBC)
Damaturu as broadcaster until November 2010 when I joined University of Maiduguri as
Graduate Assistant in Department of Mass Communication In February 2013 I got admission in
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for a Masterrsquos Degree in Development Communication I am
Muslim married and blessed with two children I am enamoured of reading writing and current
affairs I also like jogging football blogging chatting on social media and voluntary social
work