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Research on ICT Development in Africa Countries Focusing on Benefits, Trends, Challenges, and Solutions

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Computing in Research and Development in Africa

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Abstract

The ability to enhance socio-economic development through information communication technology (ICT) is a subject of an ongoing debate. Developed and some developing nations have made remarkable progress in their use of ICT to facilitate socio-economic development but Africa still lags behind in its ICT-based development agenda. The returns on Africa’s efforts at using ICT to leapfrog its development are not as promising as those of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This chapter reviews Africa’s research development on ICT focusing on benefits, trends, challenges, and solutions in an increasingly information age and knowledge-based global economy. It outlines the roles of knowledge and IT in addressing, benefits, trends, challenges, and solutions in IT development in Africa. It addresses polices that Africa must adopt to enhance the process of reducing the marginalization gap in the emerging global information world. The paper concludes that policies and strategies that seek to realize ICT opportunities for development should among other requirements; focus on generating clear ICT visions, be action-oriented, and have measurable and achievable targets.

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  1. Kenya electricity generating company limited, 79439, 00200, Nairobi, Kenya

    Agnes Owuato Odongo

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  1. Agnes Owuato Odongo
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Correspondence to Agnes Owuato Odongo .

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  1. Laboratory of Informatics, Robotics and Microelectronics of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

    Abdoulaye Gamatié

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Odongo, A.O. (2015). Research on ICT Development in Africa Countries Focusing on Benefits, Trends, Challenges, and Solutions. In: Gamatié, A. (eds) Computing in Research and Development in Africa. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08239-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08239-4_8

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