Source: Department
of Library and Information Services University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Library Philosophy and Practice 2013
Introduction
The
development of any nation is usually barometered by the degree and extent of
the sociocultural, socioeconomic, and political improvement that are brought to
bear through the enterprises of science, technology and mathematics. According
to Bajah and Fariwantan in Olorundare (2007). Sustainable development leads to
fulfillment of societal ideals considered relevant to the needs and aspirations
of the society.
Factors, which influence such developments, are based on human
ability to explore, invent, and utilize. Satisfaction of spiritual, physical
and material needs and the mastery of the environment are parameters of
development when applied to the human society. It has been stated by several
authors and scholars that the development of any nation depends very much on
the advancement and application of science and technology. The role of science
in the development of modern societies is not in dispute more so now that the
influence of modern technological innovations is far reaching in every sphere
of man’s life. If Nigeria is to build an organized, self-reliant, and
technologically compliant society, much emphasis has to be continually made on
science and technology.
There
is no doubt that Information and Communication Technology has found its niche
in every sphere of Nigeria ’s polity. Information and Communication Technology
has been defined as “a broad based technology (including its methods,
management and application) that supports the creation, storage, manipulation
and communication of information” (French, 1996). According Hang and Keen in
Nworgu (2007), information technology means a set of tools that helps you work
with information and perform tasks related to information processing”. The
definition of French is more encompassing than that of Nworgu, which was
limited to information processing and did not extend to the communication of
ICT. Actually, the term originated as Information Technology (IT) until
recently when it was thought that the communication component ought to be
highlighted because of its significance. It was then that the concept
transformed to Information and Communication Technology ICT (Olusanya and
Oleyede, 2003).
The
ICT industry according to Nworgu (2007) appears to be making significant in
road into the Nigeria society. Prior to 1999, ICT resources and facilities were
grossly limited in the country. Only very few wealthy Nigerians had access to
these facilities and services. Internet facilities and services were rare to
come by and the facsimile (ie. Fax) remained for a long time, the only means
available to Nigerians for transmitting and receiving data or documents to
other parts of the world. Public awareness of ICT and its application was low.
But
now, the picture is entirely different. Huge investments have been made by both
the public and private sectors in the ICT business in the country. Within the
last three (3) years, the country has witnessed tremendous expansion in ICT
resources and facilities. About 20 million Nigerians now have access to GSM.
With the liberalization policy of the Federal Government, more GSM operators
and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been licensed and are now operating
in the country. Millions of Nigerians now have access to these facilities and
services even in the rural communities.
A
significant milestone in the development of the ICT industry in the country is
the formulation of a National Information Technology Policy (NITP), which was
approved in March, 2001 by the Federal Executive Council. With the enactment of
this policy came the establishment of an implementing agency-the National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in April 2001. This agency is
charged with the responsibility of implementing Nigeria ’s IT policy “as well
as promote the healthy growth and development of the IT industry in Nigeria (Isoun,
2003).
The
major thrust of the IT policy in Nigeria can be gleaned from its vision and
mission statement. According to the then Honourable Minister of Science and
Technology, Professor Turner Isoun, the vision of the policy is to make Nigeria
IT-capable country in Africa and a key player in the information society by the
year 2015, using IT as the engine for sustainable development and global
competitiveness. On the other hand, its mission statement is to: Use IT for:
- Education
- Creation of Wealth
- Poverty Alleviation
- Job Creation
- Global Competitiveness
The
policy relies on human capacity building as the major strategy for realizing
its vision and mission (Isoun, 2003).
ICT
Resources for Sustainable Development
According
to Attama and Owolabi (2008)the following are primary ICT resources,
1.
Computers: Computers are no longer just mathematical tools but essential
management resources. As we all may know, different operations can be handled
more efficiently using Computers. With the computer, such activities as
information generation, processing, analyzing, storage and communication for
sustainable development could be executed easily. The greatest assets of the
computer are speed, cost-effectiveness and optimal utilization of available
resources. Some other computer accessories worthy of mentioning are CD.ROM,
diskettes, flash drive, etc.
2.
The Internet: This has proven to the most valuable vehicle for accelerated
information flow. According to Ogbomo (2004), it is a network of computers that
communicate with each other, often over telephone lines. The potentials of the
internet lies in the provision of global platform for information sharing among
organizations and individuals. Information sharing creates awareness, ensures
continuous use of products and services, provides feedback and support for
organization. The contention here is that any organization or government that
has current and useful information is empowered to enhance productivity and
good governance.
3.
Electronic Mail (E-mail): This is the most widely used resource of the
Internet. It is provided for sending and receiving mails (messages) through
electronic devices. Intra and inter organizational communication has been made
faster and cheaper. E-mail has become the life-wire for many business and
organizational communication.
4.
World Wide Web (WWW): World wide web is also an Internet-based resource. It is
a utility based on hypertexts (Hypertexts simply documents through keywords in
document or page). A visit to a website helps individuals or organization to
locate products, information, pursue political or social agenda and transacts
business (Chilvetalu, 2003). From the above, we can infer that being on the web
would put any nation or organization on the right course of speedy and
sustainable development in line with the emerging changes in technology,
economic and political paradigms. Consequently, many organizations, ministries
and parastatals in Nigeria have their own websites through which they make
relevant information available to members of the public.
Sectorial
Impact of ICT in Nigerian Development
The
importance of ICT to different sectors of national, economic and educational
life of the nation cannot be over stressed. The specific benefits of ICT to
these sectors and how the use has been contributing to sustainable national
development are discussed under this segment.
ICT
for Good Governance
The
potential attributes and benefits of ICT to policy makers in the society have
been accepted as imperative paradigm (Attama and Owolabi, 2008). In all intents
and purposes, ICT is the acclaimed engine room of modern day global development
and sustainable growth (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development,
2005). In the same vein, Anehobi (2007) maintains that no institution or
organization can still rely only on the traditional printed information
resources to perform efficiently.
The
infusion of ICT into public administration enhances efficiency in the delivery
of services to the people. Heber (1990) in his own view maintains that ICT
helps in taking high quality decisions and at the same time saves time. It is
in line with the laudable roles that the federal government of Nigeria in order
to ensure the full exploitation of the potentials of ICTs in sustainable democracy
laid foundation for e-government in Nigeria (Aragba-Akpore, 2004).
Countries
that have adopted and applied electronic services (ICT) to their operations
have witnessed dramatic improvement in their development efforts. For countries
such as Singapore, United States, Canada, Japan and most European nations, ICT
is a strong tool for sustainable development and improving governance, widening
democratic space, increasing productivity, administrative effectiveness and
cost savings (Adamali, Coffey and Safdar, 2006). It is not surprising therefore
that the application of ICT in governance is engendering much concerns in many
countries of the world.
ICT
Application in Education
Most
of the discussions and initiatives on ICT in Education tend to focus on the use
of ICT for teaching and learning only (The Commonwealth of Learning, 2006;
Becta, 2004; Akale, 2003). This emphasis on instructional applications of ICT
in education has an antecedent. From the earliest times, educational interest
in technology has always centred on the instructional application of such
technology to improve teaching and learning. The case of the computer provides
a perfect illustration of this point. Long before the emergency of ICT,
educational interest in the computer centred on its instructional applications
as exemplified by computer-assisted instruction (CAI), computer-aided testing
(CAT), etc.
It
is perhaps easy to understand why the emphasis at the basic and secondary
education levels should exclude research application of ICT. The primary
responsibility of the teachers at these levels is defined exclusively in terms
of teaching. However at the higher education level, teachers¨primary
responsibility is of a tripartite nature involving teaching, research and
community service. In effect it can be suggested here that any approach to ICT
adoption at the higher education level that stressed only instructional
applications and ignores research applications, will be grossly inadequate in
meeting the needs of both students and teachers:
The
indispensability of ICT in education research in particular includes
- Learning how to optimize the creativity of African Scientists through participation in international networks and working with data sets.
- Accessing various kinds of research information, which would necessitate a link to the libraries group
- Learning new methods for disseminating knowledge produced in Africa and using them.
- ICT applications run through the entire gamut of the educational research process. The advocacy for the indispensability of ICT in educational research can be further strengthened by the following arguments that tends to underscore the values derivable from applying ICT in educational research.
- It reduced time and cost of conducting educational investigation.
- Data sets and library resources can be shared by institutions in different locations
- Educational researchers have easy access to current literature materials
- Data sets, irrespective of size can be stored and retrieved when needed.
- Researchers in different locations can collaborate more easily, etc (Nworgu, 2007)
Ijafuyi
and Adebanjo (2006) while speaking on the usefulness of ICT in sustainable
development advised on the need for a well-equipped ICT centres in all
educational institutions to enable them live up to their social and political
responsibilities.
Benefits
of ICT in Legal System
Globalization
driven by ICT is having a phenomenal impact on acquisition of legal, and other
relevant learning, teaching and research materials in law libraries across the country.
Through ICT, lawyers and students can have access to current court
proceedings/cases and law reports anywhere, any time and in any form in the
country.
There
is no doubt that the integration of ICT into the practice of law is of much
benefit to the profession in Nigeria in the 21st century. ICT is a remarkable
tool for providing comprehensive, current and timely legal services to the
citizenry. (Okon and Bassey, 2008). The relevance of ICT adoption and
utilization in Nigerian legal system for effective and efficient service
delivery is a contributory factor to sustainable development in Nigeria.
ICT
in Business Management
Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) is an essential part of national
infrastructure and factors greatly in both public and private sector business
enterprises. It creates business opportunities, especially for companies
located far from urban centres, and improves links among firms, suppliers and
clients. When used well, ICT can also make management and operation more efficient.
In
another development, Sangowusi cited by Attama and Owolabi (2008) maintains
that ICT is very useful in corporate environment because it promotes
performance and improves efficiency.
Summary
and Conclusion
It
has been commonly accepted and proven that information and communication
technology (ICT) is the engine of the 21st century and beyond; as it will chart
the economic, religious, cultural, legal and social life of nations,
particularly that of developing countries (Ukodie, 2004). Hence, according to
Nkereuwem (1996), the importance of information and communication technology
for sustainable development, has long been recognized by developing countries.
ICT has impacted on different sectors of the Nigerian economy. The application
of ICT has emerged as the most radical development of the 21st century. It has
facilitated speedy information transmission, high level decision making,
reduces cost in resources/organizational management and as well opens vast
opportunities for information sharing among individuals, companies and
governmental institutions. It is a truism that information and communication
technology (ICT) is very indispensable to Nigeriaħ sustainable development
drive. Today, ICT has been successfully integrated in the process of state
administration, leading to a view concept of e-government. The potential
benefits of ICT to sustainable development in Nigeria has been accepted as an
imperative paradigm.
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