DEVELOPMENT I 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
SECURITY, SOCW SERVICES, AND SUSTAIUBLE 
Edited By 
Chidi Ikomb 
h a0 .W illiams 
& 
Eucharia N. Nwagbam 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
University of Port Harcourt Press 
University Post Off~ceB ox 50 
University of Port Hacourt 
Port Hazcau& Mi@. 
E-mail:uppIltd@yahpo , c m  
ISBN: 978-2321-35-4 
First ~)jl&isrh2d0 05 
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, s t o d i n a 
d e v a l  system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, 
mechanical, photocopying, recording or othewise without the prior 
permission of the publisher. 
UNIVERSITY OF PORT EMRCOURT PRESS 
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TAMS OF CONTENTS ' 
Preface 
Notes on Contributon 
CHAPTER 1 
Introduction 
CH&TER 2 
Religion and National Secwity: 
The Challenge for Nigeria in the 21" Cenhuy 
Michael 0.M aduczgwar 
CHAPTER 3 
Infomation and Communication Technology 
for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: 
Hope of Hype? 
~ene& A. Oladele 
CHAPTER4 
Peace, Security, and Sustainable Development 
in Niger Delta Region of Nigetia 
Andrew Efemini 
CHAPTER 5 
The Post Colonid State and Insecurity in Afr3~11: 
The Nigerian State Experience 
Dung Pam Sha 
CHAPTER 6 
Poverty and Environmental Degradation in Nigeria 
Chika N. Oguonu 
CHAPTER 7 
Human Rights and the Rule of Law: 
Challenges for National Security under a 
Civilian Regime in Nigeria (1999 - 2004) 
Habu Mohammed 
c-8 
Human Rights Violations in Nigeria: 
A Comparison between Stated Policy and Actual Practice 
Sadiq Isah Radda 
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CJ3APTER 9 
Ethnic, Religious and Communai Conflicts in Nigeria: 
Implications for Security 
E. M. U h  
CHAPTER 10 
The Impact of C o a c t  on tbe Economy: 
The Case of Plateau State of Nigeria 
Abubakar S. Mohammed 
CHAPTER11 
The Dynamics of Peace and Violence in Platmu State 
Sam Godons 
CHAPTER 12 
"A f k i n  I n s m c e "  and Etbno-Religious Conflicts: 
The Relationship between Local Charms 
and National Insecurity 
Sati U. FwafS?t& 
CHAPTER 13 
Implications of Recurrent Ethnu-Religious Conflicts 
for Sustainable Development in Nigeria 
Kayo& A. Olnojmva 
CHAPTER 14 
The Plateau Crises and the Challenges of Peace-BuiIding 
habe Toye 
CHAPTER 15 
The Impact of Ethno-Religious Crisis 
on Food Security in Plateau State 
Zakrrn'y D. Goskit 
CHAPTER 16 
Ethno-Religious and Communal Conflicts in the Jos Plateau: 
Causes, Consequencies and Remedies 
Baba T. Bingel 
CHAPTER 17 
Social Services and Social M t y in  Nigeria: 
A Somber Reflection 
Ebele E. Eko 
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CHAPTER 18 
The Erosion of Traditional Social Services 
Available to the Elderly and its Implication 
for the Elderly in Nigeria 
Uzoma 0.O bye  
CHAFTER 19 
The Conception of the Woman as the W d e r V essel: 
Its Implidon for National Security 
Ckidi Ibmk 
CHAFTER 20 
Women and Rum1 Poverty in Nigeria: 
Implications for Sustainable Development 
Hussainatu Abahrllahi 
c m21  
A Study of Student Attrition by Gender in Abia State 
Secondary &ation System: 1996 - 2003 
Okpte R Kanu 
CHAPTER 22 
Tackling the Issue of Sustainable Natima uevelopment: 
Does Gender Matter? 
Eucharia N. Nwugbum 
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Preface 
This third volume of the publication of the Fulbright Alumni 
Association of Nigeria (FAAN). The first two volumes bore the title "Book if 
M g s "a nd were to all intents and purposes a record of the proceedings of 
the conferences that w i t n e d  the presentation of the papers they contain. The 
present volume, M i y , S ocial Services, and Sustainable Development in 
Nigerk, also contains papers duly presented at one of the conferences of 
FAAN. However, unlike the fmt two volumes, this is not a record of 
pmceecbgs of the fifth Annual Conference in C d k t hat witnwsed the 
presentation of the papers it cont&hs. 
The f k t  of the matter is that, as was the case in the previous 
conferences, the quality of the papers presented at the Calabar Conference was 
very high. Equally high was the standard of eduation to which the papers 
were subjected before selection for publication It was, therefohe, in'faimesst o 
the papers and their authors, decided to spare them the conventional albeit 
erroneous judgement that, papers that appear in cohference pruceedhgs do so 
not because they are of high quality but only because they managed to h d  
their way into the meeting. The papen selected h m t he Cakbar conference 
and published in this volume merit the space given to them, h n h t o their 
perceived contribution to knowledge and schoIarship in their various areas of 
research. 
This is not to say that all the papers are ofthe same standard. Some are 
better than others in tenns of research they had entailed, and artidation of the 
ideas they embody. Yet dl of them, dong with the ones that d d no t be 
published in this volume, were rigorously reviewed by experts in their 
respective fields of reseatch-scholars who, in most cases, are noimembers of 
FAAN. Again, dong with the ones that could not be published in this volume, 
many of the selected papers were reviewed by two independent specialists. 
The high quality of the selected papers herein published, is, therefore, 
Wlth regard to the papers that have not been selected, it must be 
pointed that they have not been published in some cases, not because they 
were adjudged irredeemably bad Rather some of them could not appear in this 
volume because of technical reasons including the failure of their contributors 
to adhere to review guidelines and submission deadline. The decision to 
exclude such papers, therefore, has been as agonizing as it was purely 
professiond. ALI these, however, is not to suggest that this volume is by any 
judgement perfect. It is not. But how we wish it were, given the support and 
encouragement that underpin its publication. 
The Public Affairs Department of the Embassy of the United States of 
America, as usual, has been exceedingly gracious and generous in terms of 
moraI and -cia1 support. Oae, indeed, wonders what would have been the 
Eate of the papers in this volume, without the sponsorship of the U. S. 
Embassy-the main source h m w hich the volume has derived its being. The 
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President of the Association, Mallrun Abubakar Sokoto Mohammed, was 
always ready to listen to the needs of the Editorial Board. Dr. Michael 0. 
Madwgwu, one of the editors of the previous volumes, was always available 
with u s e l l  suggwtions. All these and the reviewers have done their best to 
rnake the publication perfect. But alas, the volume, as already indicated, is by 
no meam perfect, AH lapses in editorial matters are completely attributable to 
the editors. ~ uspron sors, colleagues and reviewers have done their best anti 
not in any way responsible for any technical or editorial impedkctions. And 
this can dso be said about the id- md opinions expressed in the papers in 
this volume. They belong entidy to their contributors and do not newsarily 
reflect the idem and opinions of the Fulbright Alumni Association of Nigeria 
(FAAN) as an association, or &e editors of this volume as agents of the 
Association. 
professor Chi& Ikonn6 
Editor, 
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Notes on Contributors 
Professor Okpete Roseiine Kanu is of the Faculty of Education, Abia 
State University, Uturu 
Dr. Kayode Adeniran Omojuwa is of the Department of Political 
science,'~ hmaduB ello University, Zaria . 
Habu Mohammed is of the Department of Political Science, Bayero 
University, Kano 
Ambassador Professor Okon Edet Uya is of the Department of 
History and International Studies, University of Calabar. 
Sam Godongs is of the Centre for Development Studies, University of 
Jos 
Dr. Chika Njideh Oguonu is of the Department of Public 
Administration and Local Government, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. 
Dr. Benedict A. Oladele is of the National Institute for Policy and 
Strategic S u e s W IPSS), Kuru - Jos. 
Professor Ebele E. Eko is of the Department of English and Literary 
Studies, University of Calabar. 
Dr. Dung Pam Sha is of the Department of Political Science 
University of Jos. 
Dr. Sati U. Fwatshak is of the Department of History, University 
of Jos. 
Dr. Michael 0. Maduagwu is a Senior Fellow/ Moderator at the 
National Institute for Policy aad Strategic Studies W S S ) ,  K m -  Jos. 
Sadiq Isah Radda' is of the Department of Sociology, Bayero 
University, Kano. 
Dr. Baba Thomas Binge1 is of the Department of History University 
of Jos 
Professor E. M. Uka is of the Department of Religious Studies, 
University of Calabar 
Abubahr Sokoto Mohammed is Senior Fellow/ Institute Editor at 
the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru - Jos. 
Dr. Uzoma 0, Okoye is of the Sub-Department of S o d  Work, 
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 
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Security, Social Services1 and Sustainable Developme~i~n t Nigiar 
,Ambe Toye is of the Department of Political Science, University of 
Jos 
Professor Chidi lkonn6 is of the Department of English Studies, 
University of Port Harcourr 
Dr. Andrew Efedni is of the Department of Philosophy, University 
of Port Harcourt 
Dr. Euchotria Nwagbara is of the Department of Sociology, 
University of Calabar. 
Dr. Hussainatu ~bdulldhii s of the Department of Economics, 
Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, 
Dr. Zakariya D. Goshit is of the Department of History, Univemity of 
Jos. 
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Information and Communication Technology for Sustainable 
Development in Nigeria: Hope or Hype 
Abstract 
Th e increasing diffusion and adoption of Inkmation and Communication Technologies as tools for development activities is impacting positively on the economies of 
most nations so much that access to and utilization of the 
technologies have now become one of the determining factors 
in the categorization of nations into developed and developing. 
The disparity in the capacity to access ad apply the 
technologies among nations is referred to as digital divide. 
Efforts at bridging this divide perhaps explain the worldwide 
move by nations to put in place policies as mechanisms for 
developing their capacity, adopting and utilizing the 
technologies thereby availing themselves of  the opportunities 
presented by the global infomation superhighway, including 
membership of the information society. Nigeria midingly in 
the year 2001 put in place the National Policy for Information 
Technology with a mission statement to make the country an - 
active player in the iafomtion society, including using the 
technology as an engine for sustainable development and 
gIobal c o ~ t i v e n e s sT.  he paper thus, takes a critical look at 
the policy with regard to its suitrtbility or otherwise to attain the 
set policy objectives of utilizing ICTs for sustainabIe economic 
development, delivery of social services across the different 
sectors of the economy and membership of the global 
information society. The policy is analyzed in the context of 
the country's growing development challenges. The paper 
concludes that the policy though, a reactive one for that matter, 
is nevertheless capable of making Nigeria an ICT - driven 
society provided the issues of synergy and resource allocation 
are addressed at the level of implementation. 
Introduction 
Contempmy advances in information and communication technology 
(KT) have brought about the emergence of products and services for 
infomation management (sourcing, p m i n g 3 t ransmission and delivery), 
which, is an intermediate operation to decision-making and 
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Seruriip, Social Sem'ces, and Sustuina6le Lkvelupment in Nigeria 
productive activities. The integration and application 9f these products and 
services or ICTs (computers, telecommunication, electronics, software) have 
resuited in a number of possibilities such as distant learning and 
communication services including the ubiquitous World Wide Web all of 
which in recent times have affected human activities in a way that has never 
been known. The impact of these services is of such a magrlitude in'developed 
and in some emerging economies that in the words of Oladele (2004) "new 
habits and culture have emerged in much the same way the old ones have been 
redefined," Arising from this development is among other things the concept 
of global village, which seems to enjoy wide acceptability but diverse 
meanings among scholars. In the area of ICT studies, the concept enjoys a 
much clearer explication in tJ~ec ontext of literal disappearance of time, 
distance and spatial barriers with regad to information sourcing and delivery. 
Thus Oshikoya and Hussain (2004) perceived the global village as that world 
arena that consists of "network of individuals, b u a nd countries that are 
linked electroaicalIy and in inter-dependent relationships." The individuab, 
organizations as well as nations therefore are no more than nodes in the gIobal 
network. In this network therefore, access to and possession of ICTs are 
critical determinants for relevance and competitiveness. 
At the national level, the demands and challenges of ICT-induced 
competitiveness have prompted countries to put in place policy and strategies 
for developing their national information infrastructures (NII) and human 
resources as platforms for ICT utilization and dimion across dl sectors of 
their economies. In an a p p m t  reaction to this global development, the 
Nigerian government recently enunciated the National Policy for Infonnation 
Technology WIT) as a mechanism for hunching the country into the global 
information super highways. The policy is also presumably expected to help 
bridge the digital divide (ICT4D) between the country and the rest of the 
world, as well as making the country an active player in the ever-changing 
information arena. These objectives are encapsulated in the mission statements 
of the policy which envision making "Nigeria an IT capable country in Aficca 
and a key player in the Information Society by the year 2005, using IT as the 
engine for sustainable development and global competitiveness" (NITDA, 
2003:iii). In the light of this vision, the question is whether the policy can Iead 
to the actualization of the set objectives or not and if the objectives are to be 
attained what are the challenges that must be addressed in the light of the 
urgent need for the delivery of social services in the country. The intention of 
this paper therefore is to critically discuss the NPIT in the context of the 
contemporary development challenges staring the country in the face with 
regard to social services delivery. The paper is therefore divided into five 
sections. Following this introductory part is the section on the counby's 
development challenges and how they can be addressed using ICTs as tools. 
The third section deals with a review of the implementation strategies of the 
policy in the light of the existing government set up. Next to this section is an 
analysis of the role of National information 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Dmeiopmmt Agency (NlTDA) in the implementation of the policy. This 
section is followed by ol road map agenda arising from the analysis and fmally 
the concluding section. 
Cbanenges OfDev-meflt 
IleveI-t is a dynamic prooess of enhancing human dignity through 
the provision and access to thaw elements or social senrices that a n  impact 
positively on the w d b eing of the members of any society. In addition to 
m b c h g  the general staadard of living of the people, these d c e s a lso go to 
a h m e t heir We expctaacy. For these sewices to be effective, they must be on 
a amtinuow or su&aimbIe basis of which guvmment has the constitutional 
respom'b'rlity of providing the enabling environment a d m echanism for the 
rttfhment of the utopia But then development as an ex& has its dque 
challenges depending on existing societal cwditiom. 
Nigeria like any other countries is daily cdhnted  with a number of 
development challenges. Principal among these challmges are the need for a 
stable polity, the need far a rapid traasfbdon of the monolithic economy to 
that which ensures development and growth in such a way that there is equitable 
distribution of mid sewices i a~ lwhgp overty dwiation, f d s ecurity, 
duction of utlmplopent, quick but fhir and h administration of justice. 
The high prwalence of these challenges and their W t u d e  suggest the 
gemhgly Wity of the political class in conjunction with the bureaucracy to 
bring the immense mmms of the country to bear on its strategic development 
needs. T W  habiIlity inevitably explains the lack luster perfonnance of the 
country's social sewices Mtratims as implied in the National Economic 
Empowennmt and Development Strategy (NEEDS) document where it is stated 
that 
Nigeria has the potentid to become M c a ' s  largest economy 
and a major player in the global economy by virtue of its rich 
human and material resource endowment. But much of its 
potentials have remained untapped, and if previous trends 
continue, Nigeria runs the risk of not meeting the 
inkmationally agreed Milleaaium Development Goals (MDGs) 
by 20 15  (NEEDS Secretariat, National Planning Commission, 
2004). 
The consequence of the bability to tap the nation's resources has in 
effect according to NEEDS Secretariat (2004: 19) left the country 'kith a GDP 
of a b ~$~45t b illion in 2001 and a per capita income of about $300 - one of 
the poorest countries in the world." This state of affair hss direct implications 
on the nation's capacity to provide social services for its populace. After all, it 
is believed that the economic imbalance among nations is a reflection on 
nation's capacity to deliver social services to their populace, which, according 
to UN system in Nigeria (2001:89) constitutes "the core of development". In 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Secum'& Sociai Semhs, and S-able Dewbpment & Nk&a 51 
effect, while developed countries are characterized by functior@ socid service 
systems, their developing counterparts including Nigeria zqe constrained by 
weak structures which inhibit the delivery of services like education, health 
care, food and nutrition, shelter as well as gainful employment for all. ihe 
i m p o m  of these services on a cour~hy's human resowe qevelopment 
needs little underscoring as the y m e  UN source in Nigeria posited that "by 
enabling the world's poorest to lead healwer and more productive lives, such 
services are a key to reducing the worst manifestations of poverty and to 
b d & g  its vicious cycle". 
The state of social services availability and delivery in Nigeria 
therefore is such that does, not engender any confidence. Education as an 
instrument of empowerment is only.a£fordable by st negligible proportion of 
the population with the public schod) system &biting the worst 
manifistation of neglect and decline. According to Okore (2004: 19) 'public 
expenditure an education has been declining over the years. It dropped from 
11.12% of the 1999 budget to 1.83% in the 2003 budget". The health care 
system on the other hand is to say the least poor as availability and 
accessibility (personnel, facilities and services) are meapt for the few dlluent. 
The average life expectancy an4 infant mortality rate as indices of 
development are on the lower side when compared with statistics h r n  
countries with comparable level of developrpent. According to the world 
Development Report of the World Bank (20003243) in 1997 the average life 
expectancy and infant mortality rates of Nigeria stood at 52 and 55 for men 
and women respectively compared to South M c a o f 62 and 68 for men and 
women respectively. Furthermore, the m e so urce in 1997 showed that the 
infant mortality rate of Nigeria was e s h t e d  qt 97 de&s per lPOO births 
compared with those of South Africa and Ghana, wbicb, respectively stood at 
48 and 66 per 1000 births. In like m e r , f ood availability and provision of 
safe water show that about 50% Nigerians are underfed compared to 35% in 
Ghana (World Bank, 2000). A cursory look on the streets of almost all the 
urban areas in the country shows evidence of malnutrition. The same picture 
replays itself in the rural areas. It is however important to observe that the 
inadequacy of food and prevalence of malnutrition among children are not ia 
terms of national food aggregate availability but in terms of houselaold 
availability and affordability, which the FAO/WHO (1992:~) docuxnent 
dehed as the capacity of a household '"to secure either from its awn 
production or through purchases, .. .  (or) adequate food for meeting the dietary 
needs of its members". Just like food and water, shelter is an inalienable nght 
of every human being. The situation in Nigeria today marks a departure fmm 
this i d 4  ss only the affluent can afford decent and fimctional housing with 
the traumatized middle class barely surviving. The urban and rural poor who 
are the most hit are abandoned to their own devices. Govement policies on 
housing are at best exercises in cyclical motion, which is incapable of moving 
the nation to greater heights. To illustrate this, the National Housing Scheme 
policy is aimed at assisting public servants to own houses of their choice. 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Accordingly, it is statutorily mandatory at the end of every month for 2.5% of 
w&m salaries to be deducted at sowe and paid into an account managed by 
the Federal Mortgage Bstak. In turn, workers are ki principle expected to avail 
theinselves of loan fhm the bank at a interest rate. The 
implementation of the scheme is anything but successful as obtaining a loan 
has h o m e  a mirage. 
On the aggregate, the inadequacy of social services availability and 
delivery mechmism in the country me exemplified by the high prevalence of 
poverty among income earners and in particular among those in the core 
poverty rung of the ladder. The distinction between poverty related income 
earnings and core poverty nmg is that the fornet relates to the paucity of 
minimally acceptable income while the latter has to do with non-availability of 
resources and opportunities to support human basic needs (UN System in 
Nigeria, 2004:64). In Nigeria today according to a FOS source quoted in 
Okore (2004) over 60% of Nigerians belong to the core poverty p u p .  The 
characteristic features of this group are lack of shelters, inadequate food 
supply and poor access to clean water, inaccessible functional health and 
educational sewices and extmne deprivations. In turn, these features have 
impacted negatively on the confidence and self-esteem of this poor of the 
poorest. in advertently, the o d t y o f this nation is not only unaffected as the 
people readily become very vulnerable to those who may want to capitalize on 
their predicaments to use them for anything but noble. In addition, the abiIity 
and capacity of the country to take on issues at international fora is inhibited 
as the nation stands to negotiate fmm position of weakness rather than from 
s-gth. The possibility of exploiting this weakness by enemies of the nation 
becomes more probable. 
The need to turn the nation's economy around therefore is an 
imperative that must be addressed in a mast proactive way. This need is 
however captured in the document on NEEDS where it is stated that the 
overall development of the country is one of a whslistic approach in which 
every sector of the economy is required to evolve its development strategy 
within a framework of national coordination. Experience has shown that there 
is always a void b e e n p ublic pntification and bringing resources to bear 
on such pronouncement but it suffices to say that 'national coordination' of 
development programmes has always been the bane of the country. In this 
regard, tools and more importantly ICTs are cruckl resources that nations can 
bring to bear on their develbpment initiatives. 
I , ,  I I  
Social Services and Informadon Technology 
The literature on ICT is replete with the wonder stories of the 
&hnology on countries' development. While some of these stories are 
confmnatory in nature as in the case of Singapore and India, others are 
presented in futuristic terms. Whichever way, the stories point to the fact that 
the diffusion and widespread utilization of I n s i n some countries is not only 
the basis of such countries' economic development and growth but also of 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Secun'@, Social SemrYIeman, d Sustainable Development in Nigeria 
their competitiveness in the global market. The stories further show that 
nations that have failed or yet to embrace the technologies have witnessed 
stunted economic growth or outright stagnation. In all these stories, one is yet 
to know the magnitude of the impact of the technologies on development as 
empirical impact studies are still very scanty (Avgerou, 1998) or in the word 
of Keniston (2003) stories "built entirely on the empirical vacuum." 
What is however known is that the application of the technologies to 
productive o ~ o hmss tr emendous implications for productivity at both 
organizational and national levels. To this extent, it can be said that the 
widespread disequilibrium in the level of economic development among 
nations may among other factors be attributable to the disparity in the level of 
di fkion and application of technologies in the countries. It can further be 
inferred that the utilization of the technologies by nations is capable of making 
a difference in their strive to develop. After all Avgerou (1998) posited that 
ICTs "have enormous potential to increase productivity of almost all economic 
sectors, to overcome problems of dysfuqctional administration and to expand 
and impmve the quality of services" in education, health, agriculture, security, 
environment and job creation. In this regard, the technologies are no more than 
tools for the management and distribution of these services. Specifically the 
technologies as tools can be used fur learning and distant education, primary 
and secondary health care delivery services including telemedicine. The 
technologies can also be used to manage the agricultd sector in such a way 
that mers in the d areas can link up with their counterparts elsewhere to 
discuss common interests such as commodity prices, agricuItural, inputs 
services, pest control and management and issues that are related to their 
environment. In this respect, the idea of community information kiosk or park 
such as obtains in India and other parts of the world is instructive enough. 
Sawity or administration of justice as an aspect of social services is one 
responsibility that is amenable to ICT application and more specifically in the 
areas of community crime monitoring, prevention and justice admimistration. 
It must be said that the management or the delivery of social services in a 
community or society is a function of management and access to information. 
This assumes the existence of at least a two-way communication c h m l  
between the govenunent and the governed. In this regard, the concept of e- 
governance becomes very crucial as an avenue for government to make its 
programmes and services available electronically to the governed. It is 
therefore posited that the impact of ICTs on economic deveroprnent is a 
function of information management within a much wider perspective of 
development programme and project planning, implementation, monitoring 
and evaluation. Herein lies the connection between ICTs and social service 
delivery. It is only when the role of information and knowledge and their 
interplay in the light of technological diffusion and utilization are appreciated 
that the trickIe dawn effect of ICTs on development can be felt by &e 
generality of Nigerians. This cannection however departs from the a priori 
notion of some school oft hought that the impact of ICT on economic 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
development is instantaneous. 011 the cantmy, the impact of technology on aa 
emnomy is tied down to programme phmhg and impIementation. 
As an activity planning entails goal setting and formulation of 
stmtegies for attaining set goals within a framework of mume allocation. As 
a function, planning thrives on the availability and consumption of current, 
accurate, relevant and timely (CART) data or idbmtiori which when 
internalized becomes knowledge. In the case of social service delivery using 
ICT, planuing cannot exist in a vacuum but on the basis of informed 
knowledge about the demography of beneficiaries, their characteristics and 
distribution, existing infrastmchm and allocation of resources. The absence of 
informed knowledge on thw parameters and the d g L y r efusal by the 
ruling class to use such knowledge whenevkr they exist accounts for the 
elusiveness of developmmt in Nigeria. Most of the country's sources fox 
infomed knowledge remain untapped while existing ones are mual ly  driven 
with their attendant mmbemmefless. The adoption and use of ICTs hafore 
can accelerate the growh of the economy if not leapfrogging it. This is even 
more so in the face of the dare need for development programmes and projects 
1e- in the country. A situation in which govemment ministries or agencies 
have unwittingly acquired the hqage of autonomous archipelagos with little or 
no cuntact with one another is dysfunctional to the develophent and growth of 
the economy. The d w i o n  and utilization of ICTs by all govemment 
departments in addition to enhancing g e n d  economic deveIopment and 
gruwth, will hilitate pooling and sharing of resources inaa  network hhion 
for development programmes and projects implementation for the delivery of 
social Wces .  
Natiod Poky for Information Technology 
The Federal Government of Nigeria in an apparent realmtion of the 
centrality of ICT as an engine of growth for s u s ~ l deev etopment made 
public in March 2001 the National Policy for Information Technology. The 
vision statement of the Policy is to make ''Nigeria an IT capable country in 
Africa and a key player in the information society by the year 2005" (NlTDA, 
2001: iii). In order to realize this vision, the policy document listed --one 
generic objectives in addition to sectoral specific (educations, health, 
agriculture, indusw, etc) objectives. The summation of all these objectives is 
to mure or encourage widespread adoption, d ih ion and utilization of IT 
m s s t he broad spectrum of the economy including making the country a 
consumer and producer of ICT of products and services. To attain these policy 
gods, govemment listed twenty generic strategies as well as sector based 
specific ones. The policy charges the National Information Technology 
Development Agency (NITDA) with the responsibility 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Secuw, S d a lS emkts, and Sustahable Dedopmeni in N W a  
To implement the IT Policy, regulate, monitor, evaluute and 
yen> progress on an on-going h i s u nder.the supemision and 
coordination of the Federal Ministry ofScence and Technology. 
(P.vii) 
To further demonstrate govemnwt commitment to the implementation of the 
policy, the policy document contains the following resolve 
Govenutteltt recognka IT us a strat&c imperativef or national 
development and &king cognisunce of its immense bend&, 
gowmment hm rasoIved to provide c o n s ~ b l ena tional 
resourt~ph, th~n'ancian~d  othmvis~jbtrh e realization of the 
National IT Vision Statement. @.vii). 
I 
This resolve is given effect with a promise in the policy document to 
kick-start NITDA with the sum of $10 million take-off grant and the 
establishment of National Information Technology Development Fund 
(MTDEF) with an allocation of the sum of $150 million as seed money in 
addition to the periodic allocation of 2% of mu1 Federal Capital budget and 
3% tax on dl IT items imported into the country* Reading through the 
document, the Policy can .be said to be well couched and well intended but 
then the potential for its implementation seems to raise more questions than 
are necessary as a result of a number of inmnprehmsible poiicy 
~ e r s a u l t s .  
As contained in the Policy document, NITDA is to mid-wife the Policy 
into life. The agency came into existence de fato in 2000 but unknown de 
jure in that its enabling law is yet to come into being. In likewise manner, 
attempt to give the policy the much-needed l e d  backing is yet to come into 
fruition. in the h eof  these shortcomings, all the agency can do for now in the 
word of Ajayi (2004) is to provide "enabling environment for the "kick- 
starting'' of IT development in Nigeria" in the form of awareness campaign. 
The same source further enumerated the agency achievements as to include 
institutional capacity building such as the setting up of CISCO Network 
Academy Enterprise Technology Center (NAETC), collaborations with some 
public and private capacity building institutions in the country as well as 
assistance to some state governments. These achievements not withstanding, 
the lack of an enabling law for the agency including a legal backing for the 
policy, can only s m e  to inhibit the agency credibility status with resped to 
s u p e ~ s o r ya nd contractual relationships with other stakeholders in the IT 
industry. The tendency therefore is to attribute the afore-mentimed 
enthusiasms to the general, urge of the citizens to embrace IT, and the 
countsy's desire to avail itself of the benefits of the global i n f o d n  
highways including joining the exclusive club of information society. 
Similarly, the non-release of fund for the take-off of NITDEF as stipulated in 
the policy is traceable to non-passage of the required enabling law. This 
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typical policy summersault can only sewe to deter attainment of policy set 
goals as much as it underscores the reactive tendency of gove-ent in the 
country to development issues instead of proactive approach. 
At the level of impIerneRtation, the policy document enumerated a 
number of strategies but fails to state how these strategies are to be 
accomplished and by who. A typical example is the ciause on human fesource 
development where one of the objectives is to develop a pool of IT specialists. 
The strategy in this regad is to make IT "mandatory at all levels of 
educational institutions through adequate -cia1 provision for tool and 
resources." The extent of the relationship between NITDA and educational 
institutions and their supervisory Ministry of Education is not known with 
particular emphasis on Muriculwn design and fund disbursement. in other 
wonk, the relationship between the agency and Ministry of Education is not 
explicitly stated Ambiguity such as this rud through almost all the sectoral 
strategies of the policy. Another noticeable trend in the policy implementation 
strategies is the power confers on MITDA to take on responsibilities that in the 
technical sense belong to other organs of governeat. For instance, the policy 
empowers NITnA to embark on the development of infrastructure such as the 
expansion of the tele-density of the country. In Chapter 16 of the Policy 
document captioned PoIicy ImpIenrentation, Strategy Number (iii) requires 
MTDA to increase 
The telephone line penetration rate by expanding the existing 
telecom network and providing new networks by 'employing 
modem technologies in order to minimize the cost of 
expansion. 
This responsibility bothers on moss- assignation of functions as there are 
already on the ground statutory agencies charged with such duties, It is highly 
probable that such agencies are likely to withhold their cooperation from 
NITDA and this has the potential to bring about inter agenci~m utual distrust 
and suspicion. 
One will want to expect the strategies to include assignation of roles 
and responsibilities to all relevant stakeholders including government 
establishments, by dew the level, limits and boundaries of performance of 
every stakeholder. Instead NITDA seems to Be saddled with the responsibility 
of implementing the policy across the different sectors of the economy. 
Therefore, one cannot but observe that, the responsibility for the expansion of 
the country's kle-density lies with the Ministry of Communications and its 
parastatal. 
It seems therefore that NJTDA as a parastatal of the Ministry of 
Science and Technology is saddled with responsibilities beyond its capacity 
and spheres of influence. As such the agency runs the risk of being 
overwhelmed by bureaucracy, cold reception and outright rebuff by those 
Ministries or establishments that may see it as an interloper*T his is wen more 
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LIBRARY
Security, Sda lS erwrWcan, d SustdnrrMc Dedopmmt in Mg& 37 
palpable in the light of the seemingly campartmentaiimtion of govemmmt 
organs with little or no clearly defined mechanisms for policy linkage a d  
synergy. In spite of the enormous responsibilities the policy mnfm on the 
agency, NKDA is yet to be known in law as the bill to bring about such 
recognition is yet to be passed by the l+slature four years after the de k t a  
existence of the body. In like manner a d a s reported by Iboma (2004) the ?ake 
off grant of N2.5 billion fbr the agency %as not been actudbd sinee the 
body was set up in 2001". This smacks of a wrong a p p m h  to ICT 
deveIopment and sustainability in the comtxy, Above all, the policy is a 
c h i c  evidence of lack of policy, programme and project synergy among 
government depmtmmts and no where is this tFend wore mafiifiest than in the 
document on National Economic Emgmwermmt and Developnmt Strategy 
(NEEDS) where no mention of information activity for ~ eand IT 1 ~  
difkion and application is mentioned. AI1 these shortcomhgs have the 
pdential to engender an ICT policy stillborn in the c o w , a s its a c l d i i o n  
is lnost likely to meet with poIite rebuffamong govemmnt m. 
Agenda for Roadmap 
In the light of the foregoing, the diffusion and utilization of ICTs for 
development on st sustainable basis tails for agenda setting within. a critical 
appraisal of some issues contain in the policy document. Some of the isam 
bother on redfition of limits and boundaries of cumulative weight of 
responsibilities confer on NITDA. The responsibilities as they are now are 
overwhelming burdens with regard to efficiency and effectiveness of 
performance. 
A critical look of Appendix A of the Policy Dmument shows that 
NITDA is set out to be an IT Service provider, a c o d t m t  to govmmmt, 
chief clearing house and custodian of government el-nic based documents 
as well as regulatory body fbr ICT industry in the country. These roles are 
more conflicting than they are complementary. For instance the agency as an 
adviser to govment  om all IT related matters is also expected to "oost 
effectively pruvide pooled lT resources to government" (xvi) as well acting 
"as a secure govanmeat infomation clearing house, data repository and 
central electronic archive hility" (xvii). Thse functions conidid the role of 
"licensing and regulatory fwctions in respect of IT systems and d c e s T '( ix) 
and acting "as repository of LT standards and register, classify and do-t 
alI Iocally developed and imported softwm for the purpose of testing and 
bench working its cIaims." (xvii). Combining the .functions of a Service 
Provider as well as a regulatory agency is dysfunctional as it serves to wade 
off the private sector Erom government IT related progmmes and projects. 
This is even moE so that in a developing economy such as the Nigeriaa 
environment, the private sector needs government patronage as much as the 
government relies on the private sector in order to keep the economy d g .  
The status of the National Communication Commission (NCC) as a 
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teIecommunication regulatory body is a typical example of the separation of 
roles between service provision and the regulation of the sector. 
The composition of IWDA Board of Governors is one item on the 
rodmap agenda that deserves some consiWm. It is a truism to say that IT 
is a pervasive phenomenon that transcends all sectors of an economy. The 
composition of the B o d  shows that the Ministries of Science and 
Technology -A parent Ministry), Communications, Information, F h c e  
and Education are represented on the B m d  On the other hand, those of 
Health, Industry and Justice are not represented. Whereas the health sector as 
contained in Chapter 5 of the document is expected to play a very prominent 
role in the adoption and use of the technologies just as objective number (vii) 
of the policy is aimed at using IT "'to impvej ac ia l  pmcahs and enhance 
the dispensation of justice" including making laws relating to the use of 
computer or cyber crimes, piracy and ethics. The exclusion of the Industry 
Mh&y from the Board seems to have been compensated for with the slots 
given to professional bodies like Infomation Technology Association of 
Nigeria (ITAN), Computer Association of Nigeria (COAN), and Nigerian 
bemational Group WIG). The slots to one's t h k h g  seem acceptable at the 
level of professional practice but they do not merit the Ministry that 
c o o ~ kasll a ctivities of the sector. Issues of policy coordination are bound 
to occur and this serves to underscore the need to include the ministry on the 
board. 
Conclusiom 
Infomation and communicatio~t echnology is not just an engine of 
economic deveIopment as its adoption and utilization has impacted positively 
on micro development initiatives like poverty reduetion and skid services 
delivery. It is however not yet known the quantum of impact the technology 
has exerted on these d c e s a s most reports still belong to the realm of 
conjecture as opposed to empirical calculations, The missing gap not 
withstanding, there is no disputing the fact that the effectiveness and 
efficiency of TCT application to productive ventures depends on the 
availability and functionality of the country's national. idormation 
inhtructures (Nq. 
In Nigeria, the current policy initiative to develop the country's NII as 
well as the adoption and use of ICT across the board is no doubt one of the 
surest way to align the country with the contemporary demands and challenges 
of the global super information highways. It is however observed that due to 
the inherent flaws contained in the policy one can not but conclude that the 
initiative is by nature reactive rather than being a proactive h e w o r k  for 
putting the country on the global information superhighways. The reactive 
nature &the policy may be explained in terms of the level attention that is 
accorded ICTs as engines of growth by nations. As it is today, and from the 
perspective of implementation, the policy suffers from both errors of 
codssion and omission. A situation in which mechanisms for policy 
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
i m p l d o n a re as vague as rrauch as they are, bereft of ammgements for 
Codhation can only bad to amfusion th-y eroding the basis for future 
policy performance q n I d 9 n .  Mom specifically, the failure of the policy to 
assign explicit roles to govefammt stakehofders is a major defect as the policy 
runs the risk of becoming nobudy's responsibiIity. Furthermore, the non- 
passage of the enabling laws to give legal effect to the policy and non- 
appropriation of h f fp n t f or its implementation are'all recipes for policy 
stillborn which has always been the bane of the 'cumtry's development 
initiatives. 
More importantly, the designation o f m A as  the agency to ovemee 
the h p l e m d n n  of the poky in addition to &g as a %!vicep rovider 
and a re- body smacks of excessive devolution of power on one agency 
and this has potential fbr countem productivity and alienation of other actors h 
the sector. The assignation of tbse roles to the agency negates 'the policy 
inteation to pmvide a level field play ground for dl stakeholders. The premise 
fix this assertion is based on the pervasive nature of ICT as it cuts across dl 
strata of the economy. This chamcteristic nature dertlands that the policy 
should be implemented with the active kolhboratim and participation of all 
stakeholders with the agency performing reguhtory functions of providing 
level playins g m d  for all actors. As it is now, the policy if implefllmeed 
serves to engender exclusiveness instead of inclusiveness. One m o t  
therefore but opine that the policy will need to be reviewed with 8 view to 
upgrading NITDA to a commission within the presidency including limiting 
its role to h t o f a regulatory W y  similar to that of the Nigerian 
Communication Cornmission. It is further Concluded that until the identified 
flaws are comted the policy may end up rekindling more of hypes than hope 
for the country's adoption and di&ion of &chnologi:es for the delivery of 
social sewices to all Nigerians. 
Ajayi, G. 0. (2004): Nigeria in the Information Age. Lectuxe to SEC 
Participations No. 26, NIPSS, KUTU 
Avgerou, C. (1998): How Can IT Enable Economic Growth in Developing 
Countries? Idomtion Technology for Development 8(1): 15-28 
FAO/ WHO (1992): Intemdional Conference on Nutrition: Major Issues for 
Nutrition Strategies. Quoted in: Population and Social Development in 
Nigeria: Theoretical and Policy Considerations by A.O. Okore. 
Iboma, J. (2004): The Punch (Newspaper) June 22,2004, p. 29. 
Keniston, K (2003): 
*3 IT for the Masses: Hope or Hype? Economic and Political Weekly, 
February 2003 
+: * For Special issue of the above named journal on "IT and 
Development Societies". 
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National Information TechnoIogy Development Agency (2003): Nigerian 
National Policy for'ldorniatfon Technology (IT): 'Use lT'. 
The NEWS (2Q04): Nigeria: National Economic Empowerment 
and Development Strategy p172. 
0- A 0. (2004): Population and Social Development in Nigeria: 
Theoretical and Policy C o n s ~ ~ t i o n sK.e ynote Address at the 
Conference on Population and Development in Nigeria. NIPSS, Kuru 
27* - 29& August 2004. 
M l e , B .'A . (2004): Human Society Vs Cyborg Society: As I see them. 
Observations of the American Society for Information Science and 
Technology Newsletter, Los Angela Chapter. 
Osbkoya, T. W.' and Hussain, N. M. (2004): Infomation ~ e c h n o l aon~d ~th e 
Challenge of Economic Development in Africa. Economic Research 
Paper No. 36. http://www.afdb.org 4/2/2004 
'LTaited Nations (2001): UN System in Nigmia: Common Assessment, March 
2001. Quoted in Population and Social Developments in Nigeria: 
Theoretical and Policy Considerations by.O km, AO. 
World Bank (2000): Entering the 21'' Cenhuy: World Development Repori 
1999/2000. New Y b k  Oxford Univmity Press p300 
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