Opportunities for Universal Telecommunication Access in Rural Communities: A Case Study of 15 Rural Villages in Nigeria’s Kwara State
Date
2016-01-01
Authors
Bello, Olayiwola Wasiu
Opadiji, Jayeola Femi
Faruk, Nasir
Adediran, Yinusa Ademola
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
LINK Centre, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg
Abstract
The goal of universal telecommunication access is to make telecommunication infrastructure available to everyone irrespective of their geographical location, income level, age, gender or other discriminatory parameters. Despite substantial efforts to close the digital divide, developing countries still encounter daunting challenges in making access
truly universal. In this article, the authors report on an exploratory field survey of 15 rural
communities in Nigeria’s Kwara State to document their perception of the effects of rural
telecoms access on their livelihoods. Results revealed mostly positive effects in respect of
economic growth, poverty alleviation, health education, primary healthcare delivery, and
reporting of epidemic outbreaks such as the recent Ebola crisis. However, little impact on
quality of government service was recorded, as awareness of participation in governance
and socio-political issues was found to be very low. The article discusses some areas in
which universal telecommunications access can be expected, going forward, to address
the needs of communities in rural and remote communities.
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Citation
Bello, O. W., Opadiji, J. F., Faruk, N., & Adediran, Y. A. (2016). Opportunities for universal telecommunication access in rural communities: A case study of 15 rural villages in Nigeria’s Kwara State. The African Journal of Information and Communication (AJIC), 17, 139-163. https://doi.org/10.23962/10539/21625