Information and communication technologies (ICTs): The potential for enhancing the dissemination of agricultural information and services to smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 026666692110648
Author(s):  
Obvious Mapiye ◽  
Godswill Makombe ◽  
Annelin Molotsi ◽  
Kennedy Dzama ◽  
Cletos Mapiye
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Timely Access ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan

The transformation of smallholder farming is poised to be one of the key drivers of achieving the dual objectives of food security and poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Smallholder farmers account for between 60–80% of the food produced in the region but face many challenges that impede their productivity. Such challenges include a lack of timely access to appropriate agricultural information and services, which results in poor decision-making, particularly in addressing challenges and responding effectively to opportunities. In that context, the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in improving accessibility to appropriate agricultural information and services presents substantial prospects for transforming the productivity and livelihoods of the farmers. Currently, the region experiences massive penetration and propagation of mobile and web-based applications. However, there is a dearth of compelling, comprehensive reviews evaluating their importance in enhancing agricultural information and services dissemination to smallholder farmers. Therefore, the current review explores the potential of enhancing agricultural information and services dissemination to smallholder farmers through ICTs and highlights gaps in their development and deployment in SSA. Five existing mobile applications used to disseminate agricultural information and services to smallholder farmers were identified, and their advantages, limitations, and opportunities were discussed. These were Esoko, iCow, Community Knowledge Workers, WeFarm and DigiFarm. The development and deployment of user-driven mobile applications that provide curated skill-sharing platforms, encourage farmers to give feedback to extension systems in real-time and promote the participation of women and youth in agriculture are recommended.

Integrating ICTs in African Development

2008 ◽  
pp. 2586-2616
Author(s):  
Bobak Rezaian
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
National Development ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
The Status ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan

This chapter reviews the role of information and communication technologies in socioeconomic development and poverty-reduction programs in sub-Saharan countries. To this end, the author first provides an overview of the status of ICTs and national ICT strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. He then analyzes the treatment of ICTs in three major policy documents that provide the framework for economic growth and poverty reduction efforts in most developing countries. These are (a) national poverty-reduction strategies, (b) country assistance strategies of the World Bank, and (c) poverty-reduction support credits. The analysis reveals that while a majority of national ICT policies strongly promote the use of ICTs for socioeconomic development, the poverty-reduction and country assistance strategies focus primarily on the use of ICTs in public-sector management. Hence, there is a persistent disconnection between the ICT policies and the poverty-reduction strategies. The author identifies some of the main challenges and the substantial opportunities that would arise from the mainstreaming of ICTs in national development initiatives.

Integrating ICTs in African Development

2011 ◽  
pp. 23-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobak Rezaian
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
National Development ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
The Status ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan

This chapter reviews the role of information and communication technologies in socioeconomic development and poverty-reduction programs in sub-Saharan countries. To this end, the author first provides an overview of the status of ICTs and national ICT strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. He then analyzes the treatment of ICTs in three major policy documents that provide the framework for economic growth and poverty reduction efforts in most developing countries. These are (a) national poverty-reduction strategies, (b) country assistance strategies of the World Bank, and (c) poverty-reduction support credits. The analysis reveals that while a majority of national ICT policies strongly promote the use of ICTs for socioeconomic development, the poverty-reduction and country assistance strategies focus primarily on the use of ICTs in public-sector management. Hence, there is a persistent disconnection between the ICT policies and the poverty-reduction strategies. The author identifies some of the main challenges and the substantial opportunities that would arise from the mainstreaming of ICTs in national development initiatives.

Women in Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa

2011 ◽  
pp. 1279-1285
Author(s):  
Vashti Galpin
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Women ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Women In Technology ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan

International research has shown that in most countries, there are few women studying towards information technology (IT) careers (Galpin, 2002), and there is much research, particularly in the United States (U.S.), United Kingdom (UK) and Australia into why this is the case (Gürer & Camp, 2002). This article considers the situation in sub-Saharan Africa and focuses on women’s involvement in the generation and creation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in sub-Saharan Africa, as opposed to ICT use in sub-Saharan Africa, which is considered elsewhere in this volume. There are a number of aspects to the generation and creation of ICTs: how women are involved in this process as IT professionals and how they are educated for these careers, as well how technology can be used appropriately within the specific conditions of sub-Saharan Africa. ICTs will be considered in the broadest sense of the word, covering all electronic technologies, from computers and networking to radio and television. Women’s participation is important: The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Gender Caucus (www.genderwsis.org) has identified women’s involvement in the design and development of technology as well as technology management policy, as key principles for the information society. Marcelle (2001) emphasizes the necessity for African women to become involved in technological and scientific areas, including “computer science, software engineering, network design, network management and related disciplines” (Marcelle, 2001, para. 15) to create an information society appropriate for African women. The diversity of those involved in design leads to higher-quality and more appropriate technological solutions (Borg, 2002; Lazowska, 2002). Background Sub-Saharan Africa has a population of 641 million, young (almost half under 15) and rural (35% urban). Significant problems are undernourishment, poverty and HIV/AIDS (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2004). All the countries in sub-Saharan Africa are classified as developing countries. Some countries are relatively wealthy, such as Mauritius, South Africa, and Nigeria, but have large wealth disparities within their populations. Women in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to focus on the home, they have less access to education and health, and their contribution to family and community is not valued (Huyer, 1997).

Technological Innovations in Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 254-275
Author(s):  
Amadou Tandjigora
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Scientific Arguments

The purpose of this chapter is to review the literature on technological innovations in general and more specifically on the use of information and communication technologies in agriculture. Emphasis was placed on two main tools, namely the telephone and the internet. The opportunities created by these two tools have been highlighted on the basis of previous studies supported by scientific arguments. Some stylized facts have also made it possible to highlight the level of these ICTs in 20 countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Some countries like Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda, and, to a lesser extent, Senegal are more advanced in this process of using ICT because they are relatively more economically stable. Finally, the constraints linked to the adoption of these ICTs as well as certain public policy recommendations were formulated.

scholarly journals A pedagogic approach by contextual immersion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Ismael Billong IV ◽  
Bernabé Batchakui ◽  
René Simo Nono ◽  
Georges Kouamou
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
School Level ◽  
Secondary School Level ◽  
Real Life Situation ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Sub Saharan

In several training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa today, the competency-based approach to teaching (CBA) has been adopted at the secondary school level. In Cameroon, based on our experience in teaching, we have found that this approach does not suit all categories of learners, generally the youngest. With the advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), learners spend most of their time on ICT’s gadgets (mobile phone, tablet, etc ...). In this paper, we propose a complement to the CBA approach through pedagogic differentiation.  This differentiation takes into account the learner's environment and adds a playful and captivating aspect to the techno-pedagogic tools to be made available to them through the gadgets they use. We call this approach contextual immersion. It starts from real life situation familiar to the learner. The tool made available to the learner, which integrates this approach, guides him/her progressively towards the solution to the problem posed and a generalization that summarizes the course that will be transmitted.

scholarly journals Orchestrating Smart Cities, New Disruptive Business Models and Informal Enterprises

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Mkalama ◽  
Bitange Ndemo
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
New Business ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
New Business Models

As the fourth industrial revolutions technologies intensify, cities are becoming smarter, new business models are emerging and informal enterprises are formalizing by default. Research demonstrates that the future of our world is decided by the quality of its future cities. As cities invest in information and communication technologies (ICTs) and embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies to make life easier and solve many of the problems we face today, employment opportunities expand and citizens enjoy better lifestyle. This chapter will examine how the concept of smart cities is disrupting existing business models and creating new ones that have positively impacting Africa’s informal enterprise sector. The chapter leverages abundance theory to explain the emerging phenomenon in the nexus between smart cities, new business models and informal enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study finds that indeed the concept of smart cities is indeed facilitating new business models that are formalizing the informal sector.

scholarly journals Out of Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-47
Author(s):  
Ute Rademacher ◽  
Terri Grant
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Service ◽  
Out Of Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Corporations, social organisations, and government stakeholders are increasingly engaged in implementing Western information and communication technologies (ICTs) in sub-Saharan Africa. Given the impact of the digital revolution, critical questions emerge around the presumed need for this “into Africa” implementation. Our contribution aims to strike a counter-intuitive note amid the global perspective of “expanding” ICT into Africa. In the first place, we argue that the “digital revolution” in Africa is taking place successfully because it is based on important values originating in indigenous cultures – including African cultures – rather than Western principles. In the second place, we assume that digitalisation will be driven through “out of Africa” developments rather than an “implementation in Africa”. To substantiate our thesis, we present an example of a successful ICT service provider “made in Africa” and cutting-edge propositions created by African ICT students as potential future “out of Africa” business solutions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document