Agriculture, Communication, and Socioeconomic Development

Author(s):  
Emmanuel C. Alozie

This study explores Nigeria’s e-agriculture policies and those of other African governments. It also proposes what e-agricultural strategies these governments could adopt to enhance their agricultural output by examining the history of agriculture in Nigeria; the current status of Nigerian information and communication technologies and e-government policies with emphasis on agriculture. The analysis addresses the role of communications as instrument of national development. In view of the economic status of African countries, the study calls on Nigeria and other African governments to adopt a cautious approach as they embark on e-agriculture policies and acquisition of information and communication technologies to promote national development. The study calls on African governments to liberalize their agricultural policies, establish agricultural cooperatives, educate rural famers and offer telecommunication services in the rural areas if they hope to raise their agricultural productivity.

2012 ◽  
pp. 396-413
Author(s):  
Emmanuel C. Alozie

This study explores Nigeria’s e-agriculture policies and those of other African governments. It also proposes what e-agricultural strategies these governments could adopt to enhance their agricultural output by examining the history of agriculture in Nigeria; the current status of Nigerian information and communication technologies and e-government policies with emphasis on agriculture. The analysis addresses the role of communications as instrument of national development. In view of the economic status of African countries, the study calls on Nigeria and other African governments to adopt a cautious approach as they embark on e-agriculture policies and acquisition of information and communication technologies to promote national development. The study calls on African governments to liberalize their agricultural policies, establish agricultural cooperatives, educate rural famers and offer telecommunication services in the rural areas if they hope to raise their agricultural productivity.


Author(s):  
Bobak Rezaian

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.


Author(s):  
Bobak Rezaian

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.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques Habib Sy

AbstractTo date, the possibilities for African countries to use information and communication technologies to respond to the challenges and the demand of higher education have been limited. An assessment and analysis of the development, state, and usage of telecommunications in Africa constitute in fact an indication of Africa's overall marginalization in the global system. Communication technologies do not operate independently of the global economic system, which is characterized by structural inequality. Various initiatives devised by governments and development agencies to address the effective and productive integration of telecommunications technology into the educational system have been hindered by the contextual and structural impediments to harnessing and fulfilling their promise, especially for higher education. The paper explores innovative and multi-stakeholder partnership strategies to enhance the development and relevance of new telecommunications technologies to the African education system, especially higher education, for long-term and rooted socioeconomic development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Synowiec

The objective of this study is to identify the current state of, and the prospects for, information and communication technologies (ICT) dissemination in rural areas in Ukraine in juxtaposition with other post-transition countries. The spread of ICT is discussed within the frame of economic, infrastructural, and social factors affecting rural areas in Ukraine since the post-communist transition period. Information and communication technologies may support the socio-economic development of peripheral areas in many ways—including rural ones. Dissemination of ICT contributes to the emergence of sources of income, equalizes education opportunities, and increases the attractiveness of rural areas. However, the rural—urban divide in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and other former USSR countries is still remarkable and, as a type of structural inequality, should be better recognized. The source material is based on secondary data, which consists of selected literature on the subject of rural development in Central and Eastern European Countries, strategic documents, available reports and studies of international institutions, research from agencies, state documents and statistics, and research conducted by international and domestic NGOs. In reference to the paper’s objective, the method of content analysis was employed. Dissemination of ICT in rural areas in Ukraine is influenced by two groups of factors. The infrastructural divide concerning Internet access between rural and urban populations in Ukraine has been diminishing, but the issue of structural exclusion due to place of residence has still not been solved. As far as the social aspects of ICT dissemination in rural areas in Ukraine are concerned, the level of digital literacy among rural dwellers is significantly lower in comparison to urban residents. Rural areas are more exposed to the consequences of various aspects of digital exclusion.


Legal Ukraine ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 16-23
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Sosnin

Scientific discussion of the problems of transformation of the legal foundations of state institutes of scientific and educational institutions under the influence of the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) and innovative thinking of people is extremely relevant and complex at the same time. Various scientific knowledge has been lacking for a long time, however, today, when the development of creative, moral, innovative potential of each person and humanity as a whole has become a priority for any individual and society, has become the most important, generalizing indicator, criterion of national development. To be taken more systematically and responsibly. Information has always and everywhere been valued as a jewel, on which huge financial resources were spent to acquire its media, have always been important. With the advent of radio and television and, ultimately, modern ICTs, it has increasingly become a product that has always been in demand and also sold well, which, unfortunately, has helped turn the miracle of human communication into a monster — a weapon against the sustainable. development of mankind, the protection of which requires deep knowledge of the human psyche, the laws of society and decision-making algorithms. The nature and meaning of the world, covered by various technical means of communication, are increasingly of interest to society, however, the information and communication sphere, as a geocultural phenomenon and force of influence, began to form not so long ago, around the XVIII century, gradually acquiring geocultural weapons. Again, under the influence of the development of ICT, it has become a pervasive force in the twentieth century, and having acquired network methods of use — a weapon. Today it is becoming the most important factor in the transformation of the world order in the structure «matter (people) — energy (finance) — information — a resource for development». This is how the state and legal policy and the realities of the interaction of the countries of the world with each other and, accordingly, the citizens with the government are built, forcing them to look for new ways of evolution of the economy, military affairs, public power, etc. Using new ICTs, the world’s leading countries are constantly updating their scientific and educational sphere, increasing the requirements for professional training of young people in their universities, trying to form an open society with a responsible attitude to social values, more fully define the responsibilities of public authorities, and it is in this direction that the problems of the formation of modern statehood are concentrated. Key words: information, informatization, information and communication technologies, information and communication security, information and communication activity, information space, information war, humanities, scientific and educational policy, information legislation.


Author(s):  
Airi Ifinedo ◽  
Princely Ifinedo

This study examines the influence of national IT policies, socio-economic and cultural factors on the network readiness of African countries. The capability and level of preparation of a nation to participate in and benefit from information and communication technologies (ICT) for socio-development is assessed by the network readiness index. Prior studies have shown that such factors have a significant influence on how a country benefits from its use of ICT products for development. Research on this topic with data from the African continent is rare. This study serves to fill this gap. It is based on data from a cross-section of twenty diverse African countries. The data suggested variability in the use of ICT for developmental purposes among the sampled countries. To that end, Africa should not be viewed as monolithic in such respects. The study showed that all the measures used to operationalize national IT policies, socio-economic and some cultural factors are positively related to the network readiness of the sampled African countries. Importantly, the quality of each country’s educational systems, its transparency (corruption) levels, its ICT regulatory framework, and its cross-cultural dimension of power distance (PDI) were found to have significant relevance to its network readiness. The implications of the study’s findings for research and policy making are discussed.


Author(s):  
Leo Tan Wee Hin ◽  
R. Subramaniam

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) hold great potential for promoting socioeconomic development in many developing countries. ICT has not significantly percolated down the economic value chain in these countries for various reasons. The example of Singapore is used to show how governments can make a difference in entrenching a vibrant ICT sector through appropriate policies, programs, and other intervention instruments. It is suggested that aspects of the Singapore experience would be useful for other developing countries.


2012 ◽  
pp. 187-200
Author(s):  
Kristina Pitula ◽  
Daniel Sinnig ◽  
Thiruvengadam Radhakrishnan

Requirements engineering is an important stage in any software development. It is more so in the case of software development for social development projects in rural areas of the developing countries. ICT4D which stands for “Information and Communication Technologies for Development” is gaining more and more attention as computing is more widely affordable. This article is concerned with requirements engineering in the ICT4D domain. In many developing counties, a significant effort is being put into providing people in rural areas with access to digital content and services by using Information and Communication Technologies. Unfortunately most ICT4D projects pursue a top-down development model which is driven by the technology available and not by the very needs and social problems of the people living in rural communities (Frohlich et al., 2009). Existing technologies are often applied in a non-inclusive manner with respect to the local population, without sufficient adaptation or re-invention, and often without regard for user’s needs and their social contexts.


2011 ◽  
pp. 251-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Pierson

People living together in harmonious communities is the primary goal of most modern societies. The way these communities are built depends on the ideas, values and ideals of the society in which it is carried out. Campfens discerns two perspectives: “From a humanitarian perspective, it may be seen as a search for community, mutual aid, social support, and human liberation in an alienating, oppressive, competitive, and individualistic society. In its more pragmatic institutional sense, it may be viewed as a means for mobilizing communities to join state or institutional initiatives that are aimed at alleviating poverty, solving social problems, strengthening families, fostering democracy, and achieving modernization and socioeconomic development” (1997: 25). Yet any community is only viable when all members can communicate with each other. Nowadays, the possible ways of communication have expanded enormously, especially since the convergence of informatics and telecommunication into information and communication technologies (ICT) offers a powerful tool.


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