INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) AND GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECT

Abstract

Information and communication technologies have permeated the different sectors of the Nigerian
society, like they have done globally, gradually making the dependence on them an imperative for the
effective and smooth functioning of the society. Especially, ICTs have contributed to e-governance in
Nigeria and created more open spaces for citizen, organisation and interagency interaction with gov-
ernment and its representatives. E-governance is increasingly becoming the touchstone and facilitator
of the delivery of social goods by national, state and local governments via ICTs to citizens, busi-
nesses and governmental agencies today. The increasing diffusion of e-governance practices globally
has been underpinned by the Diffusion of Innovations Theory adopted in this study. However, in spite
of the role of e-government in enabling the provision of relevant government information in electronic
form to the citizens in a timely manner; better service delivery to citizens; empowerment of the people
through access to information without red tape; improved productivity and cost savings in doing busi-
ness with suppliers and customers of government; and participation in public policy decision-making, e
-government practice is still faced with different challenges in Nigeria. Resolving issues such as legis-
lative and regulatory barriers, limited budgetary allocations for development, the digital divide between
urban and rural areas of the country and lack of basic infrastructure such as power, among others,
must be hastened for a robust and effective e-governance practice to happen in Nigeria. In this study,
valid recommendations have been made on the way forward.