Akpan-obong

In recent years, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been linked with socioeconomic development with the assumption that they can be harnessed for economic growth in developing countries and facilitate integration into the global information society. However, very few studies in the ICT-for-development field examine the direct connections between ICTs and socioeconomic growth. Information and Communication Technologies in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges for Development is a compelling account of the development of ICTs in Nigeria. It examines the ICT policy framework and the societal context within which application of the technologies emerged and highlights the potentials of ICTs in socioeconomic development. However, this book also demonstrates, through interviews and case studies, that ICTs are not the panacea to underdevelopment; constraining factors in different countries can limit their capacity to succeed. The author employs a rare multidisciplinary approach that makes the book appealing and accessible to a diverse range of readership.

The Author: Patience Idaraesit Akpan-Obong is Assistant Professor at Arizona State University where she teaches political science and women’s studies. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Alberta, Canada, and a master’s in journalism from Carleton University, Canada. Akpan-Obong’s research focuses on the role of information and communication technologies in socioeconomic development and in regional integration. She is a regular columnist for Saturday Punch, a national newspaper in Nigeria.