Achievement of sustainable development in Nigeria: the role of information and communication technology (ICT)

Abstract

This research looked at the achievement of sustainable development in Nigeria with focus on the role of ICT. The specific objectives are to: show the relevance of ICT towards realizing sustainable development in Nigeria; identify the challenges of utilizing ICT for sustainable development in Nigeria and proffer solutions on how to improve ICT for sustainable development in Nigeria. The theory of technological determinism was utilized as framework for analysis. The documentary method using secondary sources were adopted to gather or collect data, while the qualitative method was used to for analysis. This study revealed that effective utilization of ICT will facilitate sustainable development in Nigeria. This is because ICT has proved to be a catalyst for promotion of good governance, national security, productivity of public sector, educational development, employment opportunities, food security, democracy and facilitation of health services. In addition, it was observed that high cost of ICT services, inadequate infrastructure, issue of power supply, poor ICT literacy and cybersecurity issues are factors that posed challenge to ICT utilization in Nigeria. Therefore, the study suggested for provision of infrastructure, adequate resources or fund, need for adequate spread of ICT and development of adequate security technology etc.