New Technologies and the Socioeconomic Development of Africa

Abstract

There is a growing belief that new information and communication technologies (ICTs) play an important role in the economic growth of nations. However, the extent to which new technologies accelerate the socioeconomic development of developing countries has been debated vigorously in the development literature. While some scholars see a direct relationship between the uptake of new technologies and enhancement of economic development, other scholars express doubts. This has prompted the question: do new technologies trigger economic development? Do countries that fail to introduce and adopt new technologies lag behind the rest of the world?