Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Nigeria census in 1963 recorded a total of 55.670.055. There was another census
in 1973, but the results were never published. In 1984, the population of Nigeria was
officially estimated at over 94 million. Nigeria's population today is put at about
100,000,000 on a land mass of approximately 930,000sq. kms. It is a Federation of
thirty states and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. The climatic conditions range
from wet and humid in the South to dry and hot in the North.
There have been suggestions that more than 45% of the Nigerian populace are under
20 years old and are still of school going age. This has put a lot of pressure on the
educational systems of the country, and eventually on the labour market. The
economy is therefore being planned to grow fast enough to provide jobs for the many
school leavers annually.
Furthermore, the rural-to-urban migration has been found to be growing daily and
thus creating unprecedented problems of health and housing, transportation, law and
order. This puts a lot of pressures on the delivery systems for these social services. In
spite of this, majority of Nigerians still live in rural areas, living on subsistence
farming, trading, rural industries, and crafts.
1.1.2 Some Telecommunication Information on Nigeria
The total number of subscribers to telephone lines as at the end of December 1986
was put at around 230,000 while Telex subscribers were only 5,300 in number. Total
installed capacity for telephone then was 320,834 and telex 11,577. The percentage
utilisation for telephone therefore was 71.6 per cent while telex was approximately
45.7 per cent. However, modernity in telecommunications has provided facilities that
make for new class of service, improved revenue generation with properly reviewed
tariff policy. Now, in 1996, the country has almost 1,000,000 subscribers to telephone
lines all of which are handled by standard A antennae facing both the Indian and the
Atlantic Ocean Regions installed at four (4 NO.) different geographical locations
across the country. Nigeria operates a Domestic Satellite System by leasing three (3
No.) transponders from INTELSAT which are accessed by nineteen (19 No.) Standard
B earth stations in some state capitals of the Federation. There is a Territorial Manager
responsible for Telecommunications Administration in each state except Lagos state
where because of the relatively large number of switching centres and subscribers in
the metropolis, it was considered prudent to have at least two (2No.) Territorial
managers.
Nigeria embraced Digital Technology since the 1980s with the introduction of Digital
Switches and Transmission Systems (Radio and Optic fibre) into the network. Since
the beginning of the 90s, Mobile Telephone Services (Cellular), Paging and Electronic
Mail have also been part of the services offered by NITEL (Nigerian
Telecommunications Plc). NITEL now has an X.25 and X.40 switching facilities in its
network. Today however, to a population of One hundred million (100m), the figure
of more than half a million telephone lines in the country means in effect, a very low
telephone density ratio; though the country has the largest number of telephones in
any one country in Africa.
1.1.3 Economic and Socio-Political Climate of Nigeria
The importance of communication in any country whether developed or developing is
so obvious. In fact the inter-relationship between the economic development of a
country and effective telecommunication services is so interwoven that it is difficult to
tell which one comes first. Suffice it to say however, that most developed nations have
the more developed telecommunications infrastructures and services. While the
inhabitants of the developed world look forward to enjoying the full benefits of the socalled "Information Society" by the year 2000, the situation in the developing world is
the opposite. For example, it is well known that the city of Tokyo has more telephones
than the whole of the continent of Africa with a population of 500 million.
This type of disparity, coupled with the interest of common humanity, led the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to seek ways and means of not only
bridging the gap but also enabling humanity, as a whole, to cooperate towards a
common goal of telecommunications service within easy reach of all people at the
turn of the century. One of these ITU efforts (2) culminated in the Resolution (No.20)
adopted by the Plenipotentiary Conference of ITU in Nairobi, 1982, which called for
the establishment of "an International Commission for worldwide telecommunications
development.
The Resolution mandated the Commission, inter alia, "to recommend a range of
methods including novel ones for stimulating telecommunications development in the
developing world using appropriate and proven technologies in ways which would:
a) serve the mutual interest of governments, operating companies, the public and
specialised user groups in the developing world and of the public and private sectors
in the developed world; and
b) lead to progressive achievement of self-reliance in the developing world and the
narrowing of the gap between the developing and developed countries".
The Independent Commission for Worldwide Telecommunications Development,
which was set up, eventually submitted its report, titled the "Missing Link" which is
famous for its contents and recommendations on world telecommunications
development especially in the developing world.(3) The ITU felt it necessary that after
Economic development during the colonial era, under the British, supported the
production of raw materials and tropical products like palm-oil, palm-kernel, rubber,
cocoa, groundnut, groundnut oil, and timber, and also minerals for export.
Since the discovery of oil in 1970, oil has come to dominate the whole economy and
trade of Nigeria.
In the Second Development Plan 1970-74, the role of the government was reviewed
and stated explicitly. The rationale for the government role in the economy was stated
as follows:
..."that progress would be faster, if the nation is motivated in its economic activity by
a common sound purpose. Effective coordination ..... easier when they all subscribe to
a common goal and operate under a common impetus(1).
For a long time, the influence of the government in the economy has been all
pervading, not restricted to the traditional areas of providing infrastructural support,
law and order, but has made direct investments via its numerous publicly owned
corporations, companies and joint ventures in the direct production of some goods.
The foundation of the modern economy of Nigeria was laid during the implementation
of the 2nd Development Plan. The 3rd Development Plan 1975 - 1980 adopted the
objectives of the 2nd Plan and also adopted the following implementing and
measurable objectives:
i) Increase in per capita income
ii) More even distribution income
iii) Reduction in the level of unemployment
iv) Increase in the supply of high level manpower
v) diversification of the economy
vi) Balanced diet
vii) Indigenization of economic activity
The third plan was aided by OPEC and sustained favourable balance of payments
positions, then.
people to define their collective identities or make decisions about their common and
binding interests, without communications. Communication networks make society a
reality.
It makes it possible for people to cooperate, to produce and exchange commodities, to
share ideas and information and to assist one another in times of need.
Indeed, every facet of the basic rights is dependent on telecommunication. Such basic
rights of the individual as the right to life, the right to personal liberty and dignity, the
right to free expression and information and the right to free movement, all of which
enhance the quality of life of the individual, are facilitated by telecommunications.
Electronic Communications involve the process by which messages are sent across
the globe through the use of the computer, telephone line and a modem. Unlike the fax
system which allows one page of text to be transmitted at a time, electronic
communication facility allows several pages to be processed off-line and through a
single dialling, it allows these several pages of messages to be transmitted to a
gateway where they can be distributed to their various destinations.
Furthermore, electronic communication involves any of several forms of information
exchange between two or more computers through any of several methods of
interconnection such as telephone line, optical fibre, satellite or radio. This
communication mode is rapidly spreading throughout the world as a fast, reliable and
in most applications, an inexpensive form of communication. It is fast and
inexpensive because it can use existing public telephone lines, a dedicated (leased)
line or via microwave radio frequency.
The foregoing is indicative of the requirements necessary to induce a meaningful
development of telecommunications infrastructure in Africa.
1.1.5 The Geopolitical Structrue of NITEL
This section of this report examines geopolitical structure and policy phasing and its
implications on the pursuit of profit and social services objectives including national
interest and unit within the framework of telecommunications policy in Nigeria.
Geopolitics in its generic sense attempts to explain world political developments in
terms of geographic space. It emphasizes fact of physical and economic geography
seen either as opportunities or limitations in the pursuit of specific goals and
objectives.
The geopolitical structure and policy phasing is also well demarcated when we
examine the functions and roles of which the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL)
was set up. NITEL was established to provide efficient telecommunications services
to all parts of the Federation and to link Nigeria with all parts of the world with
emphasis on those countries maintaining strong economic and political relations with
Nigeria. In its external services, it was also mandated to give priority to the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region and other independent
African States as a reflection of Nigeria's foreign policy.
On domestic telecommunications services and the implications of pursuing multiple
objectives, i.e. socio-political and economic policies on the operations of NITEL, the
enormous difficulties in evolving and implementing telecommunications policies and
programmes in Nigeria became apparent when consideration is given to the large size
and regional distribution of the country's population and the structure of the country's
rural settlements. An effective coverage of all parts of the Federation in the supply of
telecommunications services depended on resource availability and effective planning
and co-ordination of the systems network as well as efficient management and
technical operations. Telecommunications is a capital intensive industry. However,
with resource constraints, a phased approach to network expansion was adopted. This
called for sound investment decisions, technological and management innovations,
operational and financial efficiency and generation of profits sufficient enough to
efficiently maintain and expand telecommunications services to all parts of the
Federation.
Prior to 1985, the internal and external telecommunications services were provided
and managed by two distinct organisations, namely the Posts and Telecommunications
Department, for internal services and the Nigerian External Telecommunications Ltd
for external services. This situation was fraught with problems. The Posts and
Telecommunications Department consisted of two dissimilar businesses with different
operating objectives and environments. The Postal Service was essentially social in
outlook. As telecommunications on the whole is a commercial operation, there were
difficulties in the management of these two services to the detriment of the public
interest of having good communications facilities. Further, the existence of separate
organisations for the management of the internal and external telecommunications
networks did not augur well for efficient national telecommunications network
because of lack of co-ordination that existed between the two operating entities in
development planning, project phasing, implementation, operation, maintenance and
billing. This separate existence of the operating entities often resulted in duplication in
investment with consequential heavy demand on scarce national financial and human
resources for telecommunication development. It also affected the promotion of cross
subsidisation from the more lucrative international sector to the not-so-lucrative
domestic sector which was beset with problems arising from logistics and
maintenance due to, among other things equipment spread.
Organisational problems were not the only one that retarded telecommunication
development efforts in Nigeria. Others including the following, deserve special
mention:
a) The planned objective could not always be achieved due mainly to shortage of
funds, inadequate executive technical manpower and uncoordinated project
management.
b) Rapid advancement in technology is making the procurement of spare parts for
maintenance of existing systems a costly undertaking as these were then obtainable
from fewer sources than before.
c) Lack of equipment standardisation which created problems of spare parts stocking.
d) The inadequacy of the tariff, at times, has made generation of revenue to cater for
recurrent capital expenditure and future development difficult.
e) Lack of future plan, information and needs from local government areas.
f) Lack of co-ordination of infrastructural planning.
(g) Poorly defined and discontinuous policies on national development plans.
The net effect of these problems was constant failure to attain planned targets and
poor performance of the telecommunications undertaking in the country.
It is pertinent, however, to point out that these problems are being tackled within the
limits of the authority and resources of the new organisation, NITEL. For example,
plans have been completed to start the establishment of standards for equipment
operation and architecture, while at the same time the tariff is being reviewed to
reflect the reality of the present-day operational costs. The NITEL organisation is such
that it is now very easy to contact local government areas for information about their
development plans where these exist. Also, efforts are being made to follow up
equipment standardisation with local manufacture of telecommunications equipment.
In fact, the centralisation of the control of the international and domestic services has
led to an improvement in the operation and maintenance of the national network and
the situation is such that NITEL is now able to pay all salaries from its earnings.
Telecommunications is both dynamic and capital intensive and in view of its catalystic
effect on the development of other sectors of the economy such as agriculture, health,
tourism and education and its necessity for the commercial, industrial, socio-economic
and political development of the country, the need for an orderly and efficient
It is clear that the African countries are grossly underwired and their
telecommunications facilities quite clearly underdeveloped. An analysis, showing the
correlation between national GDP and telephone density revealed the link between
economic affluence and the penetration of telecommunications. It is only of academic
interest as claimed by Maduka whether it is affluence that came before the telephone
or it is the telephone that created the affluence. By treating telecommunications as an
infrastructure, the notion is that wealth and affluence can thereby be enhanced, but a
quick evaluation of the cost of the telephone line shows that it probably requires an
affluent economy to pay for the minimum UN recommended telephone density, of one
line per 100 inhabitants. Today, the Nigerian statistic is about 0.66 lines per 100
inhabitants. A combination of the latest census figure and the drastic devaluation of
the Nigerian currency (Naira) value is naturally of considerable interest and
interpretation to different professionals and scholars.
In the Information Society, information is also a stand-alone commodity, not merely
associated with primary or industrial production, but essentially with services,
including communication itself. The range of these services includes messengering,
broadcasting, advertising, news services, databases, financial and several other
professional services. The computer falls in the centre of this rapidly developing
information business and the countries which have attained this tertiary or information
stage of occupation have large telephone densities. At this point in time, it would be
difficult to try to identify a threshold for this stage to be attained. Workers in this stage
are finding the POT rather inadequate for the high demands which they now place on
telecommunications. They need to be freed from the short cable or leash on the
telephone instrument, hence the cordless phone; they have to be reached anywhere
(mobile), they manage their time critically (voice/electronic mail) and the need to
access large masses of data at high speed, for decision-making in the highly
competitive world of modern global business.
1.4 TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY
1.4.1 Background Information
Technology development refers to the translation of research results into goods and
services as well as improvement on existing technologies based on cost and effective
evaluation.
Science and Technology have become critical factors of economic and social
development. Through their application, it has become possible to harness the forces
of nature and to transform the raw material resources with which nature endows man
into goods and services for better quality of life. Indeed, the extent to which a nation
is committed to this awareness and integrates science and technology practice into the
for evaluating them, for predicting accurately what they will cost and for determining
priorities for their execution. Happily enough, the procurement procedures often
embarked upon in Nigeria secure an optimum balance between low initial cost,
reliability and running cost like maintenance and power.
2.1. THE STATE OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE IN
NIGERIA
2.1.1 Research and Development
Since Nigeria's independence on October 1, 1960, up till 1995, only four national
development plans were executed under the Ministry of Communications supervision,
and these plans provided about 400,000 installed direct exchange lines (DEL). In
1992, barely seven years after NITEL (Plc) was established, new technologies electro-magnetic digital, satellite fibre optic, INMARSAT, Integrated Services Digital
Network (ISDN) -were introduced into the national networks. Up till 1989, all the
exchanges and transmission facilities were of analogue system. Nitel has now
successfully introduced the digital system into the network with a total of over
160,000 digital lines since this operation started a couple of years ago. Apart from
providing a number of improved telecommunication facilities to the populace,
Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) Plc, has been recently identified as housing
the most suitable computer communications for the use of the South Investment Trade
and Technology Exchange Centre (SITTDEC), a collaboration of the G15 countries
working to facilitate South-South co-operation with its headquarters in KualaLumpur, Malaysia. The Centre's mission is principally to foster and promote
investments, trade and technology in the South countries by providing relevant,
authoritative and accessible information to governments, organisations, corporations
and individuals in the south countries.
The network capacity of NITEL's 450,516 lines in 1991 was increased to 600,000 at
the end of 1992 and to about 1,000,000 at the end of 1995 and it has continued to
grow since.
One of the NITEL's most significant achievements between 1990 and 1993 was that
up to 60% of the total of about N12 billion invested in the provision of the digital
exchanges, transmission links, gateways, and cellular telephone system, was from the
company's internally generated revenue. The first time that NITEL's services were
going wire-less was when the mobile cellular telephone system services were
introduced. The cellular systems introduction into Nigeria was the first of its kind in
Africa, South of the Sahara. Across the country today, about a quarter of the total
number of telephone lines is of the digital system. NITEL's Research and
Development (R & D) which was put in place in 1992 to develop and improve system
components to suit the environment and put NITEL in the fore-front of information
technology, has continued to assist NITEL forge ahead in its operations. In line with
this development, a joint venture agreement to provide data communications services
known as DATANET was negotiated with SATCOM. In 1992, a Rural
Telecommunications programme which it intended to sustain as part of its
contribution to overall national economic growth was also introduced.
More importantly, research and development in NITEL has ben strategically designed
to identify and develop solutions to technical problems as the launching pad for
technological self-reliance and the introduction of new services. The shift of its R&D
efforts from purely theoretical to applied research has now enabled NITEL to design
and fabricate systems that are tailored to Nigeria's environmental conditions.
Collaborative arrangements were also made with Universities and other Research
Institutions. These collaborative efforts led to the design, development and fabrication
of devices and systems on up-to-date technology by NITEL, one of which is the Cable
Theft Alarm Device.
During the first quarter of 1993, the voice mail, the paging system, trunked radio, and
phone card were introduced by NITEL. 15,000 voice mail lines, 100,000 pagers and
trunked radio were provided. The voice mail can be accessed from anywhere in
Nigeria or other countries throughout the world by using the cellular telephone or
touch-tone telephone. For now, there are three kinds of pagers available and only
Lagos and Abuja are within the coverage areas of paging services. This means that
messages can be sent to or from anywhere in the world within these areas. Some of
the advantages of a pager include the freedom of users to go anywhere within the
coverage area and be reached, i.e. a pager
subscriber in Lagos and Abuja can receive messages from anywhere in the world at
any time.
The Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is another technological feat which
made it possible to employ a range of services via one telephone line. The services
included were electronic mail, video telephone [tele-conferencing], telefax, etc.
NITEL Research and Development [R & D] efforts also supported the evolution of a
maintenance philosophy which enabled NITEL to do away with the services of
contractors in system maintenance. For instance, NITEL staff designed and fabricated
loop converter modules, which used to be imported at higher costs, to meet the
demand for private networks based on leased and Special circuits. The cellular is also
being used by NITEL to provide celluphone
v) Value-Added Services
* Cellular Mobile Telephone
* Voice Mail
* Trunked Radio
* Paging
vi) Other Services
* Voice Cast and Press Reception
* NIFAX Service
* Television Standard Conversion
* International Mobile Satellite Communication (INMARSAT)
* Telecommunications Training Facilities
* Compatibility Tests
* Calibration
vii) Data switching System (New Services)
* Electronic Mail (National Service Only)
* Press Reception and Broadcast
* Word/Data Processing
* X.25 Switch
* X.40 Electronic Messages
* Teleconferencing
* Air traffic Sub-system
* International and Local Card Payphone
* International Transit
viii) Biznet
ix) Hardware
* Cable Theft Security Devices
* Digital PABX
* Manhole Water Detector
* TV Antenna
With the above being the specific telecommunication activities, the next step discusses
the media for the operation of the services. Thes services are usually carried out
through:
Satellite
Leased Lines
Radio (HF or VHF)
Dial-up
The country started embracing Digital Technology since the 1980s with the
introduction of Digital Switches and Transmission Systems (Radio and Optic fibre)
into the telecommunications network. Since the beginning of the 90s, Mobile
Telephone Services (Cellular), Paging and Electronic Mail have been part of the
services offered by NITEL which, hitherto enjoyed the monopoly of
Telecommunications services provisions, operations and maintenance until 1992,
when a decree establishing the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),
liberalised terminal ends equipment and value added services for competition and
private sector participation.
In order to carry out the above services the following facilities currently exist in the
country:
* INTELSAT leased global transborder channels.
* INMARSAT Satellite Access.
Private wire is a dedicated point-to-point circuit which could be provided over cable
or radio link system. This is being provided to customers for private and exclusive
use. Private Wire facilities, also called local exchange are dedicated lines or local
exchange area leased circuits. It is being provided on Analogue (up to 9.6 kbts) or
Digital (up to 64 kbts) speed lines. They are in Two categories:
a. Private Wire (Full Time)
b. Private Wire (Part Time)
3. Temporary Exchange Lines
These are voice grade circuits provided to serve at exhibitions and special events on
temporary basis.
4. Domestic Leased Circuit
These are dedicated (Leased) circuits within Nigeria. The circuits could be provided
on point-to-point or point-to-multi-point as may be required by the customer. Below is
a summary of the currently available infrastructure in all the NITEL installations in
the country. Table 1 illustrates those infrastructures that are currently available in
some states and zonal headquarters of NITEL.
Table 1: NITEL FACILITIES AT THE ZONAL OFFICES AND IN SOME
STATES
STATES
Abuja
Akwa Ibom
Anambra
NITEL
Bauchi
NITEL
Benue
Borno
Cross River
Edo
Imo
Kaduna
Earth
Western
EXCHANGE TYPE
FWSD (Siemens)
Analogue (PC 1000C)
Analogue (PC1000C)
REMARKS
Federal Capital
North Eastern HQ of
Analogue PC 1000C
Digital IEWSD), analogue (PC 1000C)
Analogue (ARF10.Ericsson)
Digital (ITT system 12)
Analogue (AXE10, Ericsson)
Digital (Axe 10 Ericsson) analogue (NEC
230L)
Station. North
Kano
Kwara
Lagos
Digital (EWSD)
Digital (ITT System 12)
Analogue (ESK 10,000E) at Amuwo
Ondo
Analogue/Digital
East Central HQ of
zonal HQ of NITEL
Lagos Zonal HQ of
NITELNiger
Osun
Oyo
NITEL
Plateau
Rivers
South-Western HQ of
At present, Government sponsors almost all research activities in the country. There
has not been any significant break-throughs over the years and this has been
attributable to three factors, namely:
i) Multi-national companies who, although appreciate the role research and
development can play in increasing profits in their industries, nevertheless are fully
committed to carrying out their inevitable research and development activities in their
parent companies outside the country;
ii) Indigenous entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector who are unwilling to invest
in research and development locally, preferring to buy packaged technologies which
are the outcome of foreign research and development activities; and
iii) Service organisations, public and private, who lack the appreciation of the role of
science and technology in their operation.
In order to ensure an increase in the general level of funding of science and
technology development activities and its stability, government has decided that
science and technology development activities in the country shall be financed
through a funding system involving the Federal Government and its parastatals, the
State Government and the Private Sector. In this connection, a National Science and
Technology Fund (NSTF) was established to which both government, industries and
philanthropic bodies contribute. In addition, government makes effective use of
bilateral and international schemes for the procurement of funds from outside for
science and technology development activities.
For meaningful technology development, the country's policy is being planned to:
i) have an assured raw materials base;
ii) have a strong manpower base;
iii) have adequate facilities for R & D;
iv) develop capabilities for innovations; and
v) develop production methods.
Furthermore, the need for closer linkage between centres of higher education and
research on one hand and industry on the other is now being emphasized more than
ever before. Also private entrepreneur are being encouraged to utilise the research
findings from the country's University and research institutes for commercial
production. In the past, private sector had complained of the non-relevance of the
work of these research institutions to their needs. To foster close collaboration and
liaison between these groups, the Ministry of Science and Technology has recently set
up a Consultative Committee on Industrial Research and Development made up of
representative from the Universities, Research Institutes, organised private sectors, the
National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture
(NACCIMA), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), etc. and relevant
government departments. Through this forum, strategies are being worked out for the
commercial utilisation of research findings emanating from the various Research
Institutions in the country.
For example, a lot of simple circuits that are currently being used by the Ministry of
Communications are being adapted or developed by local institutions as has been
done in most countries. All that is needed is to identify systems and set target dates by
which Nigerian made units will be used in these systems. The institutions are then
invited to meet these targets. This has served as a challenge that these institutions of
higher learning are now bracing up to. If this line of approach continues to be
followed, in a few years, a number of systems will be developed locally and in some
cases improved versions will be produced. This has been done by other countries such
as India, Japan, Brazil, Taiwan, South Korea, etc., in recent years and Nigeria has just
started to embrace this culture. There has never been a better opportunity than now
that foreign exchange for purchase of systems abroad is scarce.
In this respect, it is pertinent to mention that in the Department of Electrical
Engineering of the University of Lagos, this effort has been started. In the university,
some equipment designed and constructed locally are being used for some of the
undergraduate laboratory experiments. Some of these equipments start as final year
projects and have been developed and in some cases improved upon. Further attempts
are also being made in designing and extending the range of other equipment in the
laboratories. This is necessary in these days of dwindling subventions from
government.
Most of the institutions of higher learning in the country have facilities for research
and development in the areas of electronics and communications engineering and
indeed in many other areas of engineering. In addition there are, in these institutions,
competent and resourceful personnel that can undertake researches in these areas and
their abilities are being utilized in developing systems that can be used in the country
so as to reduce expenditure on foreign consultants, experts or researchers. This has
helped to conserve our foreign exchange in these days of dwindling external earnings.
4.2 OVERALL LEVEL COMPUTER LITERACY AND COMPUTER
UTILIZATION IN NIGERIA
Despite the fact that there are presently many computer installations in Nigeria, the
awareness of the potentials of these computers and their relevance to our national
development and well-being is just emerging.
The nation's response to the growing data processing needs, as contained in the
National Development Policy Plans have continued to witness the importation and
sale of many computer hardwares and softwares to clients. Presently, it has been
observed that:
1. There are now well over 400 Computer Science Programmee and 1000 others from
faculties like Engineering and Physical Sciences that require offerings in Computer
Science up to 200 or 300 levels, as against about
150 students in a typical Computer Science Department in 1975, In addition, because
of the recently implemented National Universities Commission (NUC) minimum
standards, every university student must now take computer science courses at the 100
level at least. - (Though not much has been done to improve facilities in the Computer
Centres). Our Computer Science graduates will continue to emerge from the
universities with their heads full of theories but absolutely lacking inpractical
experience.
2. It is estimated that there are about 6000 secondary schools in Nigeria. If
each school were to have TWO computer science teachers to cover courses at the
senior classes, one would need 12,000 qualified computer science teachers to man the
schools.
3. Due to the strong job market for degree holders in Computer Science, fewer
graduates continue with postgraduate studies in Computer Science.
4 To fill in the gaps requires continuing education which now abounds
in every part of the country.
5. Because Nigeria operates a free market economy, there is practically no
control on the in-flow of computer hardware and software into the market.
6. With no regulations or any framework of control or standardization in force,
there is now diverse makes of computers most of which have started to end up as
heaps of faulty electronic gadgets in the few maintenance workshops available.
applications of information trchnology for their day to day operations. Because of the
lucrative payment incentives in these finance houses, most prospective applicants
strive to acquire certificates (formal or informal) in computer training with the hope of
being attracted by the Finance Houses.
3. Because of the liberalisation of the economy since the introduction of the Structural
Adjustment Programme (SAP) in 1986, many hitherto public companies have now
been privatised and in order to maximize production vis-a-vis profits, a number of
them have now imbibed computerisation into their operations. Computer literacy has
now become aprerequisite for appointment into most cadres of these companies.
4. Before 1988, offerings in computer science were envisaged strictly for the tertiary
level of education. Only the universities, polytechnics and Colleges of
Education/Technology were expected to teach courses in computer science and
produce graduates in that discipline.
5. The resultant effects of the above state of affairs as claimed by Uche, were:
(i) Very few Nigerians had access to tertiary education and only a negligible
percentage of this number were admitted into Departments of Computer Science.
Thus, only very few Nigerians were trained in computer technology.
(ii) Societal demand for computer literate Nigerians far outstripped the level of
production of this cadre of manpower.
In an attempt to solve all the above mentioned problems, the Federal Government of
Nigeria decided to formulate a Computer Policy which will not only address the need
for more awareness but also ensure that sound basis for computer education and
utilization is laid.
As the experience in several countries that had introduced computer literacy
programmes shows, the most appropriate place to start computer awareness
programmes is at the school level and the most appropriate level within the education
system is the secondary school level. Therefore the decision in 1988 of Government to
start its pilot programme in the Federal Government Colleges was in keeping with
what had proved successful for other countries and in line with the recommendations
of the committee on National Policy for Computer Education in Nigeria.
The Committee which consisted of eminent scholars and professionals in informatics
was mandated, amongst others, to
(i) advise Government on the types and levels of education that will contain offerings
of Computer Education courses;
(ii) determine the curricular contents and procedures best suited to the needs of this
country for the various levels of education, including general computer literary at the
tertiary levels;
(iii) Consider and advise on the ways and means of ensuring a smooth transition of
computer courses between and among the various types and levels of education.
In carrying out its assignment the Committee noted that the major objective of
introducing computer literacy and eduction at the secondary school level is to enable
them acquire a level of knowledge about computers which would fit them directly into
the employment market or enable them to pursue courses in computer science at
higher levels. The Committee outlined the following as the general Informatics Policy
Objectives for the nation:
(a) to bring about a Computer Literate Society in Nigeria by the middle of the 90's.
(b) to enable the present generation of school children at this level appreciate the
potentials of the computer and be able to utilise the computer in various aspects of life
and later occupation.
The first of these general objectives was interpreted by the Committee to imply that
the Government would like to see a policy which would not only cater for those
involved in the education enterprise, but also for the general populace. The intent of
government appears to centre around the need to ensure that everyone appreciates - the impact of information and computer technology on today's society;
- the importance of the effective use of information to the individual and the society;
- the techniques by which information is processed, managed, and communicated; and
- the role of computers in information management.
The second general objective directly addresses students who for the first time in the
history of the country would benefit from the computer education programme and
who will therefore be the flag-bearers in the nation's determination to join the current
world-wide computer revolution. This general statement has thus been expanded to
comprise the following educational objectives:
faced before by the teachers. The Committee noted that for the first time both the
teacher and the learner will be at virtually the same level of knowledge (or lack of it!).
A training package was therefore recommended by the committee for the teacher.
The objectives of such training are to:
- build confidence in the handling of computer hardware and software.
- encourage the teacher to develop a "sense" of rapport with the computer and
appreciate its potential for resolving teaching and learning challenges.
- take account of and familiarise the teachers with the dynamic nature of computer
technology, thus stressing the necessity for continuous upgrading of his knowledge.
- manage small computer laboratories and workshops.
- appreciate importance of documentation procedures and softwares maintenance.
The Committee on National Policy for Computer Education in Nigeria was also
mandated to define, as clearly as possible, the roles of Federal and State governments
and relevant institutions, particularly the universities, polytechnics, research institutes
and some of the parastatals in the attainment of the objectives of Computer Education.
The major merit of the National Policy on Computer Education, therefore, is that it
recommends the introduction/incorporation of computer studies at all levels lower
than the universities and Polytechnics. As a matter of fact, the committee
recommended a total lifting of restrictions on computer education in a way that
computer literacy programmes can begin right from the primary school. According to
the Committee, computers should be introduced at any level provided the necessary
facilities and resources exist.
A good computer education programme should therefore aim not only at teaching
Nigerians how to use the computer effectively for national development but also at
preparing them to master computer technology with a view to ensuring the
maintenance, and eventually the production of computers.
4.2.2 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME AT THE TERTIARY
LEVEL
University Level
Since 1962 when the National Univesities Commission (NUC) was set up following
the recommendation of Ashby Commission, the NUC has been supervising and coordinating the activities of all the universities in Nigeria. The Commission has played
a major role in the success of the Computer Literacy Programme in the universities.
It has provided guidelines relating to the minimum hardware and software
environment for the Universities to enable them effectively pursue the computer
literacy programme. Additionally, the Commission has been supporting the
development of curricula and programmes in the universities especially the new
degree programmes in computer science and engineering covering the Bachelors,
Masters and Doctorate degrees.
The computer literacy programmes at the university level have over the years been
directed at:
- establishing and entrenching a computer culture that permeates all activities in the
University;
- producing university graduates who are considered computer literates irrespective of
their course of studies or major disciplines;
- producing Computer Science and Engineering graduates who constitute the core of
professionals in the practice and advancement of Computer Technology;
- conducting research and developing hardware, firmware, software, and course-ware
that will enable the country to attain the latest Computer Technology capability; and
- ensuring the provision of the manpower and other resources required to meet the
broader objectives of computer literacy at the tertiary, secondary and primary levels of
education, and at the societal level.
4.2.3 Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Level
Apart from the NUC there is also the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)
which has statutory responsibility for ensuring standards of Education in Polytechnics
and Technical Colleges, and also in co-ordinating the development, management and
funding of Federal Polytechnics and Federal Technical Colleges. Within this general
framework, the NBTE has had the following specific roles to play in the introduction
of Computer Education in the institutions under its jurisdiction;
- integrating the curriculum for computer literacy at the secondary and tertiary levels,
into the programmes of Polytechnics and Technical Colleges nation-wide.
- mounting of courses for technicians and technologists for the various levels of
personnel from industry and the community at large.
4.2.4 ESTABLISHMENT OF MIS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES
Management Information System (MIS) was formally introduced into Nigerian
Universities Management systems in 1990 under the auspices of the National
Universities Commission (NUC) to deal
essentially with students, staff and financial records in the universities, and to provide
periodic information reports for all Units within the Universities.
Training needs were identified as realistic ways of meeting the proposal. The areas
identified as priorities include:
(i) Creating general awareness for MIS;
(ii) Computer appreciation;
(iii) Data collection and processing;
(iv) Data interpretation; and
(v) Computer operations
Each university was requested to set up an MIS Committee with
membership specified by the NUC. The first training assignment of the MIS
committee was to organise training for Principal Officers in order to get them
personally identified with the project and provide leadership and support. This was to
be followed by training of other users in the Registry, Bursary, Library, Academic
Planning etc. For the generality of staff and students, the MIS Committee was
mandated to organise sensitisation and popularisation campaigns on MIS, its
objectives and benefits.
In all the above, in-house training , using the facilities of the computer centres and/or
the computer science department was to be encouraged.
In addition to the above courses, most of the universities, polytechnics and colleges of
education operate short-time courses in Wordprocessing, Database Management,
Spreadsheet and Statistical analyses leading to awards of in-house certificates and
diplomas.At the international level but with the country, other Informatics activities
include the establishment of:
4.2.5 OTHERS
1. Centre for Micro-Informatics Maintenance Department of Computer Technology,
Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
This Centre was established by the International Governmental Informatics
Programme of UNESCO with the main purpose of:
. Providing exposure and training in hardware maintenance
. understanding the modular layout and functional organization of units used in
present day architecture
. understanding the use of state-of-the-art test equipment and software diagnostics aids
in practical problems acquiring hands-on practical training through direct and
inductive tuition.
It organises short-time and advance study internship in information technology and
micro-informatics maintenance and training for participants within the West African
sub-region.
2. The Centre for Informatics Research and Training was established at the Ogun State
University to:
(i) facilitate active and meaningful research for development, using computers;
(ii) serve as a centre for short training programmes in the Africa Commonwealth
region in the area of IT;
(iii) assist researchers in universities and research institutes as well as practitioners in
R & D units of industry to use available resources in the Centre to solve problems and
to meet and exchange ideas with professional colleagues and update their knowledge;
and
(iv) act as a catalyst for initiating research and training programmes in IT which will
eventually benefit the government as well as interested Commonwealth African
countries.
3. The Africa Regional Centre for Information Science (ARCIS) started operating in
November 1990 at the University of Ibadan. A number of international agencies
played important roles in formulating its objectives, organizational structure and
programmes. ARCIS addresses itself to African development problems that have
demonstrable information services components, with a view to providing both shortand long-term solutions to them.
In pursuance of its objective, ARCIS is involved in the following activities:
1. running higher degree programmes in information science (MInfSc, MPhil, PhD);
2. providing short-term training and retraining, through seminars and workshops, at
different levels of information services;
3. providing consultancy services in systems analysis, design and evaluation; database
construction and management; information policy formulation and implementation;
and solutions to operational problems in information technology; and
4. conducting research on the problems and prospects of information science in the
rapid socio-economic development of Africa.
5.0. MANAGING TELECOMMUNICATIONS: REGULATORY AND POLICY
ENVIRONMENT
5.1 Introduction
It is generally accepted that an accessible telecommunications capability is a
prerequisite for national economic growth and, therefore, investment in the
telecommunications infrastructure is paramount in any society. Those countries that
developed their telecommunications services in the private domain of the economy,
notably the U.S.A, have demonstrated that communication is big business and highly
profitable. High net worth customers are naturally attractive to the
telecommunications entrepreneur, but on account of the social benefits of
communication, which are central for interpersonal relations and society's integrity,
society has to protect and provide for low density and less affluent users also. In
Nigeria there have been at least four National Telecommunication Development Plans
since 1960 in which efforts have been made to accord telecommunications some
measure of priority at least in financial terms. However, objectives in one plan period
were invariably unaccomplished during that period and hence have to spill-over to the
next. In terms of achievements in relation to investment, results lagged behind
expectations due to various reasons. Thus although telecommunication development
in Nigeria has followed some pattern, its course was not in accordance with any
definite telecommunications policy. It is in order to stem this tide that the present
administration, like the previous ones, included among its policy objectives, the
establishment of a national telecommunications policy for Nigeria.
concentrate its efforts and resources on core infrastructure development, i.e. the
provision of public switches and long distance trunk capacity.
In return, it was expected that NITEL will benefit from increased traffic to be
generated through its network by private operators and through enhanced revenue
generation and collection.
The regulatory body, the Nigerian Communications Commission was formally
inaugurated on the 16th of July 1993.
5.2.1 The objectives of the Commission were:
to create a regulatory environment for the supply of telecommunications services,
facilities and to promote fair competition and efficient market conduct;
to facilitate the entry into markets for telecommunications services and facilities of
persons wishing to supply such services and facilities.
to ensure that licensees or authorised carries and other providers of
telecommunications services and infrastructure meet their commercial obligations and
such other obligations in a manner which promotes cooperation and fairness;
to protect licensees and the public from unfair conduct of other providers of
telecommunications services, with regard to the quality of service and to the payment
of tariffs;
to ensure that licensees achieve the highest possible level of accountability and
responsiveness to customer and community needs;
to ensure that standard telephone services are supplied as efficiently and economically
as possible and at such performance standards which reasonably meet the social,
industrial, and commercial needs of the community.
to promote the development of other sectors of the Nigerian economy through the
commercial supply of modern telecommunications services.
to establish technical standards and promote the development of Nigeria's
telecommunications capabilities, industries and skills;
to ensure that the Nigerian public have growing access to telecommunications
facilities; and
the responsibility for the protection of public interest by ensuring that the provisions
of the law are carried out with due regard to public interest;
the protection of consumers from unfair practices of licensees and other persons in the
supply of telecommunications services and facilities;
to develop performance standards and indices relating to the quality of telephone and
other telecommunications services and facilities supplied to consumers having regard
to the best international performance indicators and Nigerian conditions;
to monitor and report to the Minister or Secretary on charges paid by consumers, the
performance of licensees and other persons in meeting the standards specified by the
Commission;
the issuance of telecommunications licenses;
to monitor the conduct of holders of the licenses and to enforce the conditions
included in the licenses.
5.2.3 BENEFITS
The benefits of the existence of the Nigerian Communication Commission derive
from private sector participation and investment in the telecommunications Sector and
the benefits both immediate and remote have started to manifest in greater efficiency,
greater flexibility, and less stress in the way people organize their business, economic
and social activities. The Nigerian economy is being stimulated and more wealth
created resulting in the provision of incentives for the development of professionalism
in telecommunications service delivery and for telecommunications professionals to
participate more meaningfully and visibly in the Nigerian economic activities.
The last few years since NITEL was privatised, have witnessed far reaching changes
in the Nigerian telecommunications sector. Changes that were unprecedented since
1886 when telecommunications was first introduced in Nigeria.
These changes accompanied the leaps of technological developments and changes in
regulatory regimes of almost all countries in the world. In Nigeria these reforms
include the formation of NITEL in 1985, the commercialisation of the company in
1992, the promulgation of the decree and subsequent establishment of the NCC in
1993.
In effect NITEL (PLC) has dedicated more resources into modernisation and
expansion of the following facilities in the national network:-
In the past, the role of communication in society was seen essentially as to inform and
influence people. It is now being proposed that communication should be understood
as a process of social intercourse through a balanced exchange of information and
experience... This shift in perception implies the predominance of dialogue over
monologues. This aim is to achieve a system of horizontal communication based upon
equitable distribution of resources and facilities enabling all persons to send as well as
to receive messages.
This new perspective of the role of communication in society was indeed
acknowledged and applauded by the participants at the Intergovernmental Conference
on Communication Policies in Africa when they asserted that the people of the rural
communities should no longer be regarded as mere listeners but rather as actual
'animators', creators of news and participants both in the process of producing
information and in programmes for their society. In other words, the time is past when
the masses of the people should only be communicated at. It is time to start thinking
of communicating with them.
However, in spite of the above, the communication system of most Third World
countries is heavily biased in favour of the urban elite. The urban elite monopolises
the available information, which makes the information flow vertical, skewed, and not
calculated to ensure participation of the majority of the population. There is, in other
words, differential access to information which has resulted in apathy and the
alienation of a very large proportion of the citizens of these countries. For authentic
national development to take place, there is therefore the need to alter the pattern in
favour of a system which stresses lateral, two-way communication.
7.0 TELECOMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NEEDS AND
PRIORITIES IN NIGERIA
7.1 An Analysis of the Problems of Telecommunication Development
Telegraph service was opened in Lagos on September 2nd, 1886. In spite of what
appeared to be an early start, the development of telecommunication service in the
country has been slow. Up until the 50's for example, government and large business
concerns were the primary users of telephone services, they were probably the only
users who could afford the service as the per capital gross national product was then
rather low.
With the advent of the oil boom in the 70's, however, the economic situation changed
and this was followed by a dramatic increase in demand for telephone service. As the
installed telecommunication infrastructure could not cope with the rising demand, the
quality of service began to deteriorate. To arrest the worsening situation, the Federal
government took significant measures in the 3rd and 4th national development plans
(1975-1985) by allocating a total of about 5.5 billion for the modernisation and
expansion of public telecommunication service. These measures were designed to
increase the number of installed telephone lines by more than ten-fold in the ten year
period. However, as the world we live in is a world of innovations in different facets
of life, the technological giant leaps of this last decade of the twentieth century call for
new and innovative approaches to modern management methods in the
telecommunication industry. There is no way the traditional monopolistic system of
the telecommunication industry can survive the 21st century in view of the rapidly
changing telecommunication environment. The way out is for all countries to accept
that changes must of necessity come and therefore find ways of addressing pertinent
issues at a convenient and reasonable pace, relative to each nation's condition, so that
when it eventually comes, no nation will be caught unawares. The I.T.U's Telecom '95
Exhibitions with the Technology and Strategic Summits of the associated Forum
series, clearly testified to this statement. At this forum, Information Technology which
utilizes computers, telecommunications, video, reprographic and many micrographic
equipment were put on display to offer diverse solutions to developing countries. This
integration of data, voice and image, together with flexible communications networks,
means that a variety of technology applications are now available.
It is essential, nonetheless, that Information Technology should be adequately
managed. Nations are becoming aware of the need to manage information in the
planned way that they manage other key resources. Information Technology must be
well integrated into the overall management structure of a nation and we haven't
achieved this yet in Nigeria. This will soon be achieved through the National
Telecommunications Policy now being finalised.
In terms of computers and computer applications, the evolution of information
Technology is very rapid. Hardware costs are falling (even here in Nigeria) and its
power is increasing. User-friendly interfaces and new software are also bringing
technology closer to end-users, significantly modifying the technical specialist role.
For telecommunications, the application of wireless technology has also brought into
focus faster and cheaper extension of service to the end user.
7.2 The Information and Communications Environment (Infrastructure and
Infostructure).
That the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria attaches great importance to
telecommunications industry in the country because of its potential in promoting the
commercial, industrial, socio-economic as well as political development and unity of
Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. In addition, the government fully supports the
need to meet the customers and business demands for good quality
emotions and judgements they express about their collective identity and collective
aspirations, their vision of the future and their commitment to its realisation, as well as
the fundamental human values that characterise their psychosocial behaviourial
patterns, are usually embedded in, and articulated by the structure of their institutional
arrangements and roles, designed to meet the needs of their community. In short, the
values which are inherent in the structure of a society's institution-order, generally
constitute the primary force for the ordering of symbols that facilitate communication
among its various groups, as well as the underlying processes that characterise the
dynamic aspects of their social interaction and productive activities. Concern for the
fundamental values that underpin a society's institutional arrangement and roles, with
fundamental values that underpin a society's institutional arrangement and roles, with
particular sensitivity to their adequacy or otherwise to satisfy the basic human
aspirations and needs of the people, at any point in their corporate development, is
therefore an imperative consideration in the formulation of a proper national
communication policy for the governance of modern states.
7.4 A FRAMEWORK FOR NATIONAL COMMUNICATION POLICY
There is no doubt that a standard national communication and information policy
could produce a homogenisation of thought and serve as veritable instruments for the
wholesome integration and participation of all segments of a plural society in the life
of a nation, for the equitable distribution of the resources available for exchange of
ideas and information among various groups and sectors of the society, for a balanced
flow of messages within all points in the land and among its citizens, as well as for the
deliberate deployment of collective resources in the service of all. What therefore is of
crucial importance in the formulation of a national communication policy, is a clear
conception of the kind of society a nation wants for itself.
In Nigeria, for example, an enlightened national communication policy must therefore
dovetail to the fundamental objectives and directive principles of the state, as
enshrined in Chapter II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979.
This section provides, inter alia:
1. For the establishment of a state and government based on the principles of
democracy and justice and the composition of organs of the state in a manner as to
reflect the federal character of the nation -- i.e. recognising the diversity of the peoples
of the Nigerian nation and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty
among all the people through appointments and distribution of resources for active
participation in the life of the nation,
which, when fully operational, will accelerate the development of Domestic Operators
and User Networks in Nigeria. VSAT is fully deregulated in Australia, Japan and the
US, and is also been gradually deregulated here in Nigeria.
When deciding policies on technical development of telecommunications, one must
take into consideration such parameters as Population, Economy of the Nation and
National Target.
The present aspiration of the Nigerian Telecommunications authority is to attain the
telephone density of 1 to 100 as defined in the Lagos Plan of Action, Declaration of
Lome and Arusha Declaration, of which Nigeria is a signatory. Consequently, the
Ministry of Communications is found to be pursuing the following objectives on the
development of telecommunications services, in future, in order to achieve self
reliance by the year 2000.
(a) Support for the government's programme of rural infrastructure development by
extending telephone service to the rural areas in an economic and judicious manner.
(b) Campaign for the recognition, by the government, of telecommunications as a
support component for other development sectors such as agriculture, tourism, health
and education so as to ensure that the funding necessary for the telecommunication
facilities required is included in the development plans for these sectors.
(c) Adoption of an operation and maintenance strategy that will ensure maximum
utilisation of the existing facilities and provision of good quality service in order to
generate adequate funds for further development of the network.
(d) Standardisation,a pre-requisite for local manufacture, being embarked upon,
covering equipment and materials operations and architecture as applicable.
(e) Local manufacture of materials, components and systems in partnership with good
intentioned industrial entrepreneurs, to enhance maintenance of existing systems, to
establish a technological base necessary for achievement of self reliance in
telecommunications technology.
(f) Tapping available resources for the financing of the implementation of well
designed and economical viable projects for rehabilitation, maintenance and new
installations.
(g) Establishing a suitable management structure for the implementation of the
development programmes.
(h) Operating a tariff structure which will ensure enhanced revenue generation from
urban facilities without discouraging the use of rural facilities.
(i) Establishment of Research and Development facilities where special investigations,
pilot projects will be carried out.
(j) Intensive local or in-plant training and re-training of executive technical
manpower.
(k) Co-operation with other Administrations and the CCIT on frequency spectrum
management.
(l) Adoption of suitable planning and forecasting approach to determine the exact
requirements for a project to ensure that it will be correctly implemented and
successfully put into service.
(m) Increase the available telephone lines in the country to above one million to
achieve the target density of 1 percent for a population of 100 million.
(n) To ensure that all citizens of the country are within easy reach of telephone service
by the year 2000 and other services which telecommunications can provide, thereafter.
It has to be explained how complex it is to run a telecommunication network. One has
to consider technology, finance, planning, maintenance, procurement, personnel,
training, to mention a few. Presently, about 70 per cent of the Nigerian population
have no access to telephone services. Despite the massive expansion of the
telecommunications network during the last decade, the national coverage remains
small, concentrated and congested.
8.1 Government Policy and Strategies on Technology Development
The technology policies and strategies recently enunciated by government are geared
to ensure the continuous and sustained upliftment of general quality of life and
national security, through self-reliance, in the shortest possible time, compatible with
the optimal utilisation of the nation's resources and cultural life patterns. The policies
are:
i) In all aspects of the day-to-day activities of the nation, advantage must be taken of
technological development.
ii) Major government projects involving imported technology shall be procured in an
"unpackaged" form.
iii) Strategic capital goods industry shall as far as possible be controlled by Nigerians.
iv) Organisations that maintain locally based research and development activities shall
receive special incentives.
v) Important national development projects shall not be based on unproven foreign
technologies.
Some of the strategies for implementing the stated policy objectives are:
i) Fostering, promoting and sustaining technology development programmes to
rehabilitate, refurbish and replace existing industries, plants and components by local
and other efforts;
ii) Intensifying programmes in technology development in both public and private
industrial, educational and service establishments;
iii) Controlling the mode of foreign investments in industries with a view to ensure
technology acquisition within a specific time frame;
iv) Ensuring that technology-based private and public enterprises maintain functional
research and development units in the country.
v) Run the electronic industries for the fabrication and manufacture of equipment and
spare-parts.
8.2 MODERNISATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN NIGERIA
As a result of advances in technology rapid changes are taking place in
telecommunications. These changes have had a profound effect on
telecommunications particularly in the areas of computerisation, digitalization and
regulatory policy.
Advances in technology are also responsible for the rapid decline in the price of
electronic computers consequently they are now in such a widespread use that
computer terminals constitute a significant proportion of the connections to the
telecommunication network. The combination of electronic computers and
telecommunications has ushered in the information age. An age where information has
become an essential commodity for the running of business and our daily life. In
several countries there is a rush to modernise telecommunications to cope with the
demands of the information age. The need for modernisation is not only to satisfy
anticipated demand, it also includes the desire to use the innovations brought about by
new technologies to provide employment opportunities and to create prosperity.
In Nigeria work started recently, on telecommunications project which would
introduce at least 130,000 digital telephone lines in Lagos. This project involves
construction of new exchanges and expansion of some existing ones. It is being
financed with a World Bank Loan.
The new exchanges which are also being located in the suburbs of Lagos are to have a
total of 5,000 digital lines.
A new transmission facility involving digitalizing about 30 repeater stations to link
Lagos state with Kano is also in the current development plan.
These projects are part of NITEL'S massive network expansion programme aimed at
modernising and extending services to more Nigerians. Other services outside Lagos,
the headquarters of NITEL, include the newly introduced 20,000 digital lines into the
telephone network in Ibadan Oyo State to cover the Western zone of the country. The
project was executed at a cost of N1.33 billion.
Other digital exchanges recently switched into the network in the South West zone are
Abeokuta Exchange with 6,000 lines, Warri Exchange with 5,000 lines and the Benin
(central) Exchange with 10,000 lines. Ilorin which is in the North West Zone was also
switched into the network with 6,000 lines. Similarly, NITEL introduced into its
networks, in 1995, a data transmission system which is known as X.25 packet
switching. The system allows for point to point and point to multi-point data
transmission with and between organisations.
The X.25 packet switching system was introduced because data telecommunications
systems have become a vital and strategic tool required to launch the country into a
new phase of growth and International relations. Plans are on to expand the X.25
system which has one node to a multi-node network to cover the whole country.
The new service was said to be introduced as a value-added network service as
allowed under the deregulation policy of the government. The new service also allows
the investment of human and material resources in the delivery of reliable and cost
effective services.
9.0 Human Resources for Information Development
Although telecommunications is a capital intensive business, proper personnel
planning and procedures are indispensable if it is to be efficiently run.
i) The release of funds must be phased so as to reflect the amount of activity in the
sector, otherwise saturation or starvation could occur both leading to disastrous
consequences;
ii) Information flow must be maintained and all R & D units carefully locked into
training groups to ensure a continuous renewal of talent so as to avoid stagnation;
iii) Overheads such as buildings and other auxiliaries should be strictly controlled so
as to avoid wastage and abuse.
iv) Production facilities should be shared initially with entrepreneurs who may in fact
ultimately take over most of the R & D function for new technologies once such a
culture is entrenched.
Still on human resources development, the UN-NADAF (United Nations New Agenda
for the Development of Africa) in the 1990s requested UNESCO to play leadership
role in the areas of human resources development, capacity building including
scientific research and the transfer of technology for sustainable development,
democratic participation in the development process and the promotion and respect of
human rights. This resulted in the launching in 1989 by UNESCO, the Priority Africa
programme along the lines of emphasis outlined in the Lagos Plan of Action for the
Development of Africa (1980-2000). In pursuance of these aims, UNESCO organised
in February 1995, a conference titled "Audience Africa" designed to identify the
priorities for African development by a cross section of actors in the African scene
from government, non-governmental organisations, politicians, cultural and scientific
communities. This conference has among other achievements produced a series of
recommendations on capacity building in Africa, particularly in the crucial field of
science and technology. Earlier in 1994, UNESCO launched the International Fund
for the Technological Development in Africa with an allocation of One million dollars
as a start-up contribution. The organisation is committed to ensure "an enhanced flow
of resources from the international community to support domestic efforts in Africa."
Capacity building in Science and Technology depends on a sound base of human
resources development. A command of literacy and numeracy is a pre-condition for
successful learning in science and technology and in other fields. The key to
development that is self-reliant and sustainable is education. Given the vast expanse
of African countries and the problems of transportation facing the continent, education
can be more rapidly fostered through the installation of mass and rapid
communication systems. One of the objectives of establishing the Telecommunication
Foundation of Africa (TFA) was to assist in bringing African countries closer to the
global information society. This objective is apparently being pursued here in Nigeria
through active cooperation with networks such as the Regional Informatics Network
(b) 436 terrestrial microwave relay stations, comprising 264 terminal stations and 172
repeater stations and providing the bulk of toll and trunk circuits for the national
network.
(c) a national telex network of total capacity of 12,800 lines.
(d) International telex exchange of 1,500 trunks.
(e) A co-axial cable system (960 voice channels) between Lagos and Kaduna.
(f) A domestic satellite system with three Gateways at Lanlate (Lagos), Kujama
(Kaduna) and Enugu.
(h) A submarine cable system linking Lagos with Abidjan, Dakar and Casablanca and
carrying about 10 per cent of the Lagos Gateway traffic as well as providing an
alternative route for international services when the satellite circuits fail.
One of the other major achievements of NITEL was the expansion of the
telecommunications network from 207,000 line in 1985 to over 500,000 installed lines
in 1995. The staff-to-line ratio of 180 staff to 1000 lines in 1985 progress to 14 staff to
1,000 lines in 1995. Major network expansion and modernisation projects were also
carried out within the period. Such projects have led to the:
1. Digital facilities in each station and ITSC at Enugu.
2. More than 15,000 lines Cellular Mobile Radio.
3. Celluphone for rural communications.
4. Lagos 'bound' 45,000 lines Digital local exchange at Odunlami.
5. Victoria Island earth station.
6. Joint Venture Arrangements with Digital Telecomms resulting in the formation of
Mobile Telecomms Services (MTS).
NITEL also has the following components to focus on:
1. Modernisation of the network to ensure reliability and effective network services
and performance.
2. Network expansion for improved revenue generation.
Computing in developed countries has since given way to the era of computer
networking - where individual computers are interconnected for greater efficiency and
better information management via telecommunication lines.
Currently, only a few countries in Africa have Internet nodes that provide full access
to all Internet services. Other countries including Nigeria are just forming local
networks first, often using Fidonet technology and then connecting into the Internet
through a central service. Figures 3, 4 and 5 show plans being currently promoted by
the National Universities Commission (NUC) to link the Nigerian University
community to the global world of information and communication.
Similarly, it is estimated that a sum of $378,940.00 will be required by the Nigerian
Internet Group (NIG) to get Nigeria fully connected into the global computer network,
Internet. This amount covers expenses to be incurred on computers and accessories,
staff, offices, equipment and telecommunications.
A breakdown of the amount showed that the highest amount of $264,500 would be
spent on one international telephone connection of a 64KB international leased line
for a period of two years. Computers, accessories on one hand, and staff, offices and
equipment on another hand, will gulp $76,849 and $37,600 respectively.
10.2 THE CABECA AND OTHER INITIATIVES
After the not too successful approach of connecting the University of Ibadan to the
Electronic Communications world with the assistance of the Capacity Building for
Electronic Communications in Africa (CABECA) of the Pan African Development
Information Systems (PADIS) of the ECA, Addis Ababa, several suggestions have
been offered as to linking up the university to the rest of the world-wide academic
community through the E-mail and through other communication facilities.
Initially there were three options open to the university. These are:
1. Accepting the offer of CABECA to link up to the Green-Net in London for which
PADIS accepted to write off all expenses incurred by the university for 6 months.
2. Utilizing the services of the Commercial Vendors (similar to utilizing the services
of the DHL. IMNL, UPS, RED STAR, IAS etc in normal postal system). In electronic
Communications there are now quite a number of these vendors. The biggest of them
all with wide coverage is the COMPUSERVE which has outlets in London, the USA
and South Africa.
Consideration of the Above Options
1. The PADIS offer was tried three times and failed. The failure of this approach was
attributed to:
i. resultant breakdown of the supplied modems due to power surge.
ii. non availability of a user manual to back up operation of the system which had in
most cases made error corrections difficult.
iii.lack of a dedicated system operator to assist users process outbound messages and
forward incoming messages to owners.
2. The second option of utilizing the services of any of the available commercial
vendors is the fastest and most reliable though it costs some money depending on
usage. In addition, the university has to be responsible for the NITEL charges for the
period it stays on line. This may not be more than 30 minutes a day of NITEL bill for
the first 3 to 6 months of usage and higher prices thereafter.
Having abandoned the above options because of operational problems, the University
of Ibadan is now linked to the internet from a computer at the Kenneth Dike Library
of the University through a link with a computer system at Rhodes University, South
Africa, which serves as the gateway to the Internet.
This linkage is a significant milestone of an on-going project to establish a campus email grid of faculties, departments and units of the University which will then hook up
to the outside world through the link.
So far, as of February 16 1995, a total of 174 calls were made within 3 months to
Rhodes University by the UI-AAUnet mail server computer.
Also, the Latunde Odeku Library, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, is
presently offering effective and readily accessible e-mail services within the university
system. The e-mail system was established in May 1995 by a UCH alumni group
based in the USA. The group donated the microcomputer, modem and software, and
pays for telephone and gateway connect charges at the USA end.
A project similar to the Odeku Library e-mail facility has also been proposed by the
Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA). The Association hopes
to make UI and up to four other institutions coordinating nodes of a network to link
medical colleges in Nigeria with a gateway in the USA. The Association plans to
provide and install equipment, train operational personnel, pay for connectivity link to
the internet.
The equipment for the INMARSAT link is currently estimated at about $80,000. In
addition, IITA pays $10-20 per minute to use the line, which is between 6-8 times the
NITEL rates.
iv. THE NATIONAL OIL COMPANY
The National Oil Company based in Lagos, currently uses leased lines to carry out its
data communication operations. However, because of problems currently being
encountered it is proposing switching over to VSAT which it claims, will enable it
carry out its numerous data communication activities such as:
1. Exchange of files
2. E-mail services
3. Bulletin Board Services (BBS)
4. Sharing of software
5. Centralized database system with different access levels.
The VSAT application is expected to facilitate its exchange of data across its offices
located in Kaduna, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Jos, Warri, Kano, Benin and Lagos.
The Company also realised that while optics fibre connection can be one of the most
reliable means of data communication, more so that it can last for up to 25 years and
not affected by corrosion, however the cost of laying this facility is highly prohibitive
and is only recommended for building to building connectivity only as opposed to
Wide area connectivity.
v. INFO COMMUNICATIONS, LAGOS
One other private e-mail operator, the Info communications which apart from forging
ahead in international electronic linkages with the installation of Sprint International
first node in Africa with the introduction of SprintNet X.25 services in Lagos, is
proposing to provide services to link some zones in Nigeria, namely Kaduna, Kano,
Abuja, Warri, Aba, Lagos, and Port Harcourt via the X.25 Network.
As for its international connectivity activities, it is now handling the data
communications of a number of organisations such as the Nigerian Breweries PLC,
Esso oil, Arthur Anderson Management Consultants while institutions like the
International Tropical Agriculture (IITA) at Ibadan, Coca-Cola Bottling Company,
University of Nigeria Nsukka and the University of Ibadan are initiating moves to
utilize its services. Its prposed countrywide connectivity is contained in Figure 6.
vi. CGNET
CGNET, though not based in Nigeria provides easy-to-use, worldwide electronic mail
links for Research and Non Governmental Organizations with internal (LAN-based)
electronic mail systems. This CGNET facility helps to improve and increase
communications among institutions, facilitating global collaboration. The Company
presently offers its services to a number of Organisations in Nigeria, notably the IITA.
vii. SITA
SITA owns and operates the world's largest international data network. It provides an
extensive range of telecommunications and information processing services.
It offers a complete spectrum of standard telecommunications products available on
the market. These include: managed data network services using frame relay, X.25,
SNA or airline communication protocols; X.40-based messaging; and EDI. Mobile
air-ground communications and airport services are also part of SITA's portfolio.
Users' application systems, personal computers, fax terminals, intelligent workstations
and synchronous/asynchronous terminals access SITA's network via leased lines,
public switched telephone networks (PSTN), public data networks (PDN) and Telex
networks are also adequately entered for over 200,000 display terminals, messaging
terminals and associated printers installed in 44,000 customer offices all over the
world including Nigeria for the airline information system. For organisations that
require high speeds for network access and data transport, SITA offers frame relay
advanced packet switching technology.
In addition, its X.28 Dial Access Service provides low cost access to SITA's managed
data network services for occasional users via standard telephone lines.
SITAMAIL messaging services allow users of different electronic mailing systems to
communicate with one another. Based on the X.40 standard for universal
communications, SITAMAIL provides gateways on SITA's global network which
perform all translations between the various messaging formats, quickly and
transparently. Access to SITAMAIL is gained from X.40 or proprietary electronic mail
systems working on laptops, PCs, LANs or mainframe computers.
In addition, the SITAMAIL Telex delivery service transmits E-mail messages to any
Telex user worldwide, while the SITAMAIL Fax service delivers E-mail messages to
any fax machine. The service features multi-addressing capabilities, and automatically
returns a delivery notification message to the originator.
The SITATEX messaging software package allows users to exchange files and
messages between PCs, laptops and LANs. User-friendly features make it easy to edit,
file quote and print messages, while transmission costs and times are significantly
reduced by powerful compression techniques.
12.0 THE INFRASTRUCTURE: EXISTING LOCALLY AND ACCESSIBLE
FROM ABROAD
Most of the operators listed above are institutional non commercial operators. Among
those companies which offer a range of high calibre telecommunication services such
as access to INMARSAT for full coverage of operations on marine, commercial
broadcasting, weather, fax and high AM frequencies is EXPOMA whose product,
Extrad Communication Controller (Data via Radio) is a combination of an Extrad
Modem, HF Radio Telephone SG 2000 and a micro computer system. This Facility
enables any organisation to communicate at any distance from computer to computer,
using standard HF radio communication equipment allowing fast and error-free text
and data transmission. The text and binary files that are easily transmitted include:
messages
reports
memos
inventories
worksheets
programs
powerful text editor
The system also has a software facility to automatically compress text for a faster
throughput to increase communication by as much as 80%. Because of the simplicity
of the equipment, receiving a message or file does not require an operator. Texts are
automatically stored in computer memory and outputs generated later. It comes with a
software designed for easy, routine operation even by untrained personnel. It also has
provision for confirmation of receipt of messages to be automatically sent back to
originating station.
The cost of this facilities estimated at 900,000 - 1,000,000 per site (Excluding the
micro-computer but with software and installation). It is totally independent of NITEL
but requires obtaining license to operate the radio frequency system.
13.0 STRENGTHENING THE INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
INFRASTRUCTURE
In Nigeria, there is presently a seeming anti-intellectual climate symbolised in the fear
of dissent and of those who seek to probe beyond the surface of things. One outward
manifestation of this intellectual backwardness is that the market for books is still
small and the literacy ratio low, while the most cost-effective channels for the
distribution of information material, including books, through which we can reach the
various segments of the population are yet to be created, and even the Federal and
State governments do not seem to have outlets for their publications. Yet, we need
books of all kinds and in all places to sustain the new literate who are only too easily
susceptible to relapse into functional illiteracy.
Despite the phenomenal growth in the education budget in the last three or four
decades, there is still an abysmal intellectual apathy even among the educated elite in
Nigeria, today. There is still a deplorable lack of infrastructural facilities - modern
printing and efficient postal and telecommunication machinery, in spite of several
suggestions that have been made to the Government in recent years as to how the
book and film industry can be developed, e.g., the reduction or total abolition of
import duties on books, printing and cinematographic materials, provision of state
loans and subsidies to encourage the establishment of bookshops and publishing
houses, seminars, book clubs, libraries and training facilities for those engaged in the
book and film industries - writers, publishers, producers and film stars, booksellers,
libraries, readers and viewers. So far, little has been done along these lines, but the
need is urgent if we are to raise our society out of its intellectual stupor and moral
disarray. In addition to the old battle against imperialism, for equitable terms of trade
and equal freedom of action in the international arena - which is by no means over we are today engaged in an equally vital battle for the minds of our people in the
realm of knowledge, morals and technology. This cannot be ignored, if we are to
justify our existence and claim to equality with the rest of the world.
14.0 DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION PLANNING
14.1 Introduction
In development communication, planning is a deliberate, systematic and continuous
effect to organise human activity for the efficient use of communication resources and
for the realisation of communication policies, in the context of a particular country's
development goals, means and priorities and subject to its prevailing forms of social,
economic and political organisation. Development communication planning,
therefore, must take into account the development environment and goals of the
country in which the planning takes place. In addition, the country's political ideology,
social issues, communication facilities and systems, as well as available resources
must all be properly studied before planning the communication strategy that would
suit the environment.
Unfortunately, communication is usually brought into the planning of development
programmes only as an after-thought. Emphasis in most developing countries is
always on publicity. for the authorities in such countries there is no difference
between information (provision of facts and figures) and communication (exchange of
ideas). No serious thought is usually given to the importance of communication mass, interpersonal, traditional and folk - in development. Provisions are usually made
for publicising development plans and objectives, but very little is done for feedback
and for discussions. Hence a common complaint of communication researchers and
practitioners is that communication policies and plans are too often in the hands of
those who do not know enough about communication to set up or contribute to the
communication systems that best serve the development needs of their countries.
In development communication planning, therefore, communication should not be
seen only as a tool, a supporting mechanism or an independent variable in
development. It should be viewed as an integral part of development plans, one of
whose major objectives is to create communication systems or modes that would
provide opportunity for people to have access to means of communication, and to
make use of these means in improving the quality of their lives. Therefore, in seeking
solutions to the problems of communication in development, it is imperative to first
look at the larger development process, and then at the role or roles of communication
within the larger system.
A general objective of any serious organisation would be to effectively and efficiently
provide service to its customers as and when required;and simultaneously run a viable
and profitable business to the satisfaction of both management and staff.
The present developmental status of Telecommunications (a public utility service)
cannot be assessed in isolation of the general economic trends of the country. Setting
realistic objectives depend on many factors including the Nigerian Internal and
External policies, Existing infrastructure for Telecommunication services (Internal and
External), Government Telecommunications Policy, manpower development,
Industrialisation programme and Fiscal policies.
The following points are pertinent to the Nigerian situation as of now:
This service objective is further addressed under the four main sections of the
Telecommunication chain.
14.3 Tariffs
The essence of encouraging liberalisation, competition, deregulation and ultimate
privatization is the envisaged end result of continuously improving efficiency and
quality of service to be enjoyed by customers for lower prices. Telecommunication is
known to be capital intensive. It is also an accepted normal business practice that
some level of profitability must be achieved else, the business would collapse.
However, in a competitive environment, market forces naturally dictate that prices
charged must be near cost of provision for survival and sustenance. The issue of tariffs
get more and more difficult by the day because the old traditions are changing, giving
way to new ones. The I.T.U. approved agreements between administrations (nations)
on International traffic settlements, which was aimed at encouraging expansion of
networks in developing nations, may no longer apply with the upsurge in International
service providers who are not committed to the traditional monopolistic arrangement.
Tariffs for all kinds of services with the associated billing administration are key
issues for management in a deregulated Telecom environment.
14.4 Spectrum management
The radio frequency spectrum like the Geostationary Satellite orbit is vital and limited
national resources in the world of telecommunications. Despite this, their accessibility
is not restricted by geographical or political frontiers neither is it depleted by use.
There is therefore need for some measure of control to avoid harmful interference to
users and ensure equitable access. Some 130 years ago in 1865 to be precise, the
International Telegraph Union was formed in Paris to address issues of Regulations in
the field of Telecommunications which was then predominantly Telegraphy as the
name implied. In later years after the discovery of Radio, the issues became more
complex and therefore required a more orderly and articulate approval at the World
Administrative Radio Conferences organised by the Radio communication sector of
the re-christened and re-structured International Telecommunication Union which,
after the second world War, became an agency of the United Nations Organisation.
The Radio regulations contain entries of allocation of giving frequency bands for the
three I.T.U. classified Regions of the world of which Africa belongs to Region 1.
Assignment of frequencies is made through the licensing process in each
administration (nation). The wide use of frequency for broadcasting, terrestrial point
to point, point to multipoint, Line of Sight Long Distance Radio Networks, VSATs
and other satellite-based systems,such as Remote Control, Search and Rescue, Paging,
Cellular as well as other Mobile Communications in General, amongst other
numerous functions, make this an essential Regulatory issue in a deregulated
records reflect that while there have been marked improvement in the emerging
economies of the Far East, and, the industrialised nations that have attained universal
service making optimum use of opportunities offered by information technology,
many countries in Africa are yet to attain the I.T.U.'s minimum recommended level of
basic telephone density required for any nation.
A number of workshops had been organised recently to draw the attention of the
populace to the importance of Information Technology to development. At one of such
meetings, especially the one on the Draft of the National Policy on Information
Resources and Services held at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON),
Topo, Badagry, Lagos State and was held under the auspices of UNESCO and the
National Library of Nigeria, February 18-20, 1991, the following recommendations
were arrived at:1. All information must be available to all people, in all formats purveyed through all
communication channels and delivered at all levels of comprehension.
2. All types of information resources and services produced in Nigeria constitute a
vital investment in the national development efforts. Such information should be
systematically collected, preserved and effectively managed as basic inputs to national
development efforts at all levels.
3. Endogenous information and indigenous knowledge must be regularly integrated
with externally generated information on Nigeria's development, as well as with
relevant information on the development of other countries.
4. Nigeria's information resources and services must be organized in space and time so
that waste is avoided or minimized. In particular, the acquisition, storage and sharing
of information resources and services must be rationalized to ensure the optimal
utilization of human, material and fiscal resources in national development.
5. Information resources in all forms - oral, book, serial, print, electronic media, etc.
must be harnessed and repackaged, using the most cost effective processing,
communication and transport technologies available to deliver appropriately targeted
information to all categories of Nigerians, and especially the illiterate and rural
population who constitute more than 80% of the population.
15.1 Awareness at the University Level
An information revolution, according to a NUC report, is underway. People all over
the world -from university professors to farmers - are using their computers linked to
the telephone to exchange messages, news, data and information over huge distances
at relatively low costs. Data and information are travelling along global information
highways, which have been carved up into electronic systems, dominated by the giant
internet system. Traffic on these systems is increasing by a phenomenal ten percent
per month. Many countries in the developed and developing areas of the world are
investing heavily in the infrastructure necessary to build, expand, and use these
information highways to accelerate or enhance their development priorities.
But, most of Africa is still struggling to become a part of these systems. Of all the
regions of the world, Africa stands the farthest removed from the emerging
Information Age; and within Africa, Nigeria is among the most remote. Consequently,
Nigerian academics, researchers, planners, administrators, business people and others
face severe obstacles in accessing the new technologies in order to communicate
among themselves and with their counterparts abroad. The negative consequences of
working in isolation are particularly serious in Nigerian universities where research
and publication activities are being judged and must continue to be judged by
universal standards.
The introduction of an e-mail project into the university system is thus aimed at
sustaining the gains of journal acquisitions achieved through the adjustment credit of
the World Bank by establishing strong, regular links between Nigerian Universities
and the global academic community. This communications are essential for any
university to fulfil its mandate in advance teaching and research. Poor communication
on the other hand not only adds to university management costs and undercuts staff
performance, it also limits quality teaching and research.
As mentioned earlier, a feasibility study, carried out by the NUC in eleven selected
Federal Universities, showed that the level of computer awareness and its utilization
in the selected universities was above average. However, awareness of electronic mail
technology is very low while its utilization is virtually non-existent and limited to
very few individuals and departments that have linkage arrangements with
international research and funding agencies. Intra-and inter-campus communication,
as well as international communication, is heavily dependent upon regular postal and
courier services, largely due to non-existent or unreliable telephone and telefax
services. Bulky textual material is conveyed nationally and internationally almost
entirely by regular mail.
Considerable actual and potential physical and human resources required to instal,
operationalize, and maintain a national e-mail system exist in Nigerian universities as
well as in NITEL (Nigerian Telecommunications Ltd). The Chief Executive of each of
the universities surveyed showed a remarkable level of enthusiasm and willingness to
champion the e-mail sense; academics and senior administrative/professional staff
considered the introduction of e-mail in Nigeria universities long overdue. The
Electronic communication facilities were reportedly available for use at interuniversity and/or international levels for 68.6% of respondents (Figure 12). These
facilities consisted mainly of telephones (42.9% - of which most are analog) or radio
(17.2%). Electronic mail access was reported by only 3.0% of respondents.
15.2 RELEVANT INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES
15.2.1 In another survey concerning respondents' perception regarding adequacy of
infrastructural facilities relevant to electronic communication is very low. The
facilities are viewed as non-available or inadequate for communication within the
campus (99.2%) and outside (97.4%) as shown in Tables 3.1 - 3.4. Similarly, 96% of
respondents expressed the view that available Computer facilities for E-Mail in their
Universities were unacceptably inadequate. Perception regarding ability of
Universities to maintain infrastructural facilities was, rather high (65.4%).
These depressing statistics of perception of Universities are important, but may not
reflect the true situation in the country. Instead, they may have more bearing on low
awareness and access to existing facilities which are mainly restricted to high-ranking
University officers rather than academic units. It is a fact that every Federal
University has at least one fax machine installed by NUC, and some of the
Universities had more than 30 direct telephone lines.
15.2.2 Perceived Benefits of E-mail
Some 95% of all respondents were able to perceive the benefits of E-mail for research
and/or research supervision purposes. Furthermore, 52% of all respondents were
willing to subscribe for use of the facility on an individual basis. Most respondents
(62%), however felt that the NUC, rather than individual Universities, should fund the
E-mail project.
15.3 Awareness at the Federal Level
The Federal Government of Nigeria created, in 1979, the Ministry of Science and
Technology to give leadership and direction to development of socio-economic wellbeing. Specifically, the ministry was mandated to coordinate and undertake scientific
and technological research and development. These activities involve technological
innovation, including integrating foreign technologies into local culture and upgrading
indigenous technology, human resource development for the effective use of
knowledge to create wealth and improve the quality of life, documentation and
dissemination of related information, and promotion of international cooperation in
science and technology. In order to perform directional and coordinational roles, the
ministry formulated the Science and Technology Policy in 1986, which was revised
and launched in 1989. The Science and Technology policy was aimed at:
1. increasing public awareness in science and technology and vital role in national
development and well-being;
2. directing science and technology efforts along identified national goals;
3. promoting the translation of science and technology results into actual goods and
services;
4. creating, increasing and maintaining an indigenous science and technology base
through research and development;
5. motivating creative output in science and technology;
6. increasing and strengthening theoretical and practical scientific base in the society;
and
7. increasing and strengthening the technological base of the Nation.
Towards achieving these policy objectives, the science and technology policy
document identified strategies for implementation of the policy.
These strategies and institutional arrangements are as follows:
(a) Federal Ministry of Science and Technology is to supervise the twenty-six research
institutions.
(b) National Consultative Committee on Industrial Research (NCCIR) is to encourage
exchange of views between the public and private sectors and to facilitate feedbacks
from end-users of science and technology research and Federal Ministry of Science
and Technology. Membership includes representatives of banks and other financial
institutions, chambers of commerce, manufacturers' associations, research institutions,
universities, professional associations and relevant government agencies.
(c) National Office of Industrial Property (NOIP) was established in 1979 to:1. encourage more efficient process for the identification and selection of foreign
technology:
2. develop skills of Nigerians entering into partnership contract with foreigners for
technology transfer;
implementation; progress and problems are noted and, where necessary, addressed
immediately. Below the NCID are strategic consultative groups - one for each
identified priority sub-system.
The Strategic Consultative Group (SCG) is made up of representatives of the various
actors within the defined network of relations. Their main functions according to
NCID (1990) are to:1. analyze the specific problems and constraints of their sub-system;
2. analyze the opportunities that exist in domestic and foreign markets;
3. develop a strategic direction for the sub-system;
4. pin-point the type of supportive programmes needed to implement the adopted
strategy;
5. work out a programme of action.
(g) Co-operative arrangement was established between research institutions,
universities and polytechnics.
(h) Four existing centres of excellence in technology attached to universities, i.e.
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile Ife; University of
Nigeria, Nsukka, and the Uthman Danfodio University, Sokoto were established to
implement R&D activities in various sectors of technological development.
Government on its part has continued to foster the growth of Science and Technology
by removing some of the constraints that hamper technological development in the
country. On July 18th, 1990, the National Committee on Engineering Infrastructure
(NACENI) comprising 150 members drawn from State and Federal Ministries, the
organised private sector, the professional organizations, higher institutions, research
institutes etc, was set up.
16.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Since effective maintenance of any telecommunication outfits dependent on
availability of spare parts, it is recommended that all future information and
telecommunications projects should be aligned to provide for spare-parts production
in the country. In this respect, efforts should be made to build into contract agreements
on imported technologies, the possibility of Nigerians being involved in the assembly
of such technologies abroad. Such involvement will allow Nigerians to gain detailed
insight into the internal arrangements and working of the equipment. The maintenance
schedule of any future project should be clearly assigned to Nigerians.
There is an urgent need for equipment standardisation in the country. This will ease
the manufacture of spare parts and reduce maintenance cost. Also maintenance
personnel should be provided with adequate tools and they should be located
sufficiently close to the facilities they are to maintain. The third important
consideration in the development process is the availability of core industries for the
fabrication and manufacture of equipment and spare parts.
In Nigeria today we have a Federal Ministry of Science and Technology charged with
the responsibility of promoting scientific and technological activities in the country.
For the country to develop technologically we must all agree to use this government
organ effectively. Also the Universities Research Institutes, Industries, Entrepreneurs
and private organisations - all have a role to ensure that the prerequisites for
meaningful technology development are available in the country.
The Recommendations for a powerful and efficient telecommunications in Nigeria
can be summed up as follows:
(1) that Operation and Maintenance Strategy be premised on a structural organisation
that assigns full responsibility to zonal/state administration working directly with the
Central office of the administration.
(2) That the service objective shall be to provide optimum effective and efficient
telecommunications service within the framework of available resources at the lowest
cost.
(3) That a unified operational and maintenance pattern in the zones/states should be
guaranteed by the issuance of guidelines from the Headquarters of the administration
to the zones/states for compliance.
(4) That periodic returns be made at specified times from the zones/states to
Headquarters for analysis and general management of overall information.
(5) The Headquarters set out a list of accepted performance indicators to which would
be related the analysis of returns from the zones/states as a yardstick for measurement
of activities and guide in taking decision on improvement.
(6) That a network of maintenance centres be set up as the main support to operational
routine maintenance which is mainly based on replacement of modules to cut down on
outage periods.
Type approval Tests and standardisation functions and also be financially capable of
hiring high calibre staff to perform these and other licensing functions.
The Nigerian government has a crucial role to play in nurturing rapid technology
progress, as well as rapid application of new technologies in the marketplace. In the
field of Information Technology, the government has to establish a clear set of
national objectives - such as universal services, technological leadership and
broadband capability into all population centres, through a comprehensive and up-todate National Policy for Telecommunications and Information Technology.
Government should also promote private sector investment, continue to improve the
management of radio frequency spectrum, and ensure that information resources are
available to all at affordable prices. Finally, Government needs to give due
consideration to the needs of the rural areas for new information services in order to
reduce the incidence of rural to urban migration.
There is also a need for Standard Organizations in African countries and the rest of the
key actors to liaise and strategically plan and elaborate the technical specifications of
the industry.
In Europe, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), officially
recognized by the European Union (EU) as the standards body for
telecommunications, is a leader in its domain. It is also responsible for standardization
in the overlapping areas in information technology and broadcasting in collaboration
with other concerned organization.
The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), also in its own rights, is empowered
among other things, to prepare standards for products and processes and to ensure
compliance with the Federal Government policies on Standardization and Quality
control for both locally manufactured goods and imported products throughout the
country. It is noteworthy that the decree establishing the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC) specifies as its function, the setting up of technical standards for
the telecommunications industry. However, to ensure coordination and clarity where
required, NCC relates with SON and other agencies in areas of common interest e.g.
safety regulations and environmental hazards. Just as there is no single formula for the
overall structure of a society or its relation to other societies, so there is no single
formula for the internal structure of a national communication policy. It all depends on
a country's established tradition of communication organisation, its stage of
development, and what aspects of the general societal activities and goals are felt
more convenient to be promoted through a deliberately designed communication
policy at any particular point in time.
If there is any one guiding principle it is that national communication policies are
creative activities that must respond at all time to the dynamics of their societies, to
the fundamental objectives and directive principles of their states and to the particular
human values that a nation wishes to project as her identifying characteristics in the
community of nations. It is the lack of such a coherent set of principles and norms to
guide communication systems of most developing nations, including Nigeria, that is
invariably related to the inadequate development of their communicative capacities
and the appropriate utilisation of the resources of modern communication for
development. This is also related to some undesirable behaviour tendencies among
Third World communication practitioners which often earn for them charges of lack of
patriotism from their respective countries' leaders.
The current attempt by Nigeria to brace up to the need to formulate a comprehensive
national communication policy should be seen not only as an effort to come to grips
with the myriad of problems of socio-economic development, structural imbalances
and integration of its multi-religious population into the mainstream of the life of the
nation, but perhaps, equally important it is an effort to exploit its rich but latent
communicative resources to forge a credible and potent foreign relations.
A comprehensive National Policy must address itself to matters relating to the
following communication sub-systems and other media-related matters in order to
arrive at a coordinated, coherent statement that embraces all the constituents of the
system as a whole;
1. The print media - newspapers, magazines, books.
2. The electronic media - radio, television, video, cinema, other audiovisual materials
and information.
3. Telecommunications - the telephone; satellite broadcasting.
4. The traditional media - the drums, the theatre, folk opera, singers, traditional
festivals, the market, etc.
5. Others - libraries, communication training, News Agencies, Regional/International
co-operation, etc.
Policy objectives will have to be determined on the basis of answers supplied to such
issues raised in respect to the different media.
Dr. G.A. Alabi March 1996