conference proceedings

159 Pages·2011·4.12 MB·English

by  Pearl Richards

AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT INFORMATICS AND POLICY

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
editors: Richard Boateng, PhD and Longe Olumide, PhD
Africa Digital Week 2011 – Conference Proceedings

AFRICA DIGITAL WEEK 2011
This book of proceedings features a mix of conceptual and empirical research papers which set the agenda for
discussion on key themes in e-governance, e-business, social media and development in Africa.

Published 2011 in Ghana by African Institute of Development Informatics and Policy (AIDIP)

Copyright © 2011 AIDIP. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 978-9988-1-4764-8

All rights reserved.

Richard Boateng, PhD
P. O. Box 3101, Accra Ghana
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

Published by African Institute of Development Informatics and Policy (AIDIP)
P. O. Box 3101, Accra Ghana
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

Printed in Ghana by
AIDIP in collaboration with
Craft Concepts Limited
P. O. Box NB 649, Nii Boiman, Accra, Ghana
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

Copyright©2011

Internet Version (30 July 2011)
The Internet version of this document can be accessed at:
 www.africadigitalweek.com

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Contents
Conference Welcome................................................................................................................................................................. 2
E-governance Workshop................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Promoting Good Governance through ICT in Resource-poor Contexts ............................................................................ 5
ICT and Bridging the Digital Divide in Ghana: A Culture, Policy & Technology Approach ...........................................26
E-Voting for good governance and a Green World.............................................................................................................55
The Collaborative Relationship between Old and New ICTs inUnderpinning Ghana’s Democratic Development.63
“Clicking the Next Leader” ......................................................................................................................................................67

Online ICT and Governance Policy Dialogue ...........................................................................................................................74
Concept Note for ICT and Governance Online Policy Dialogue ........................................................................................75
Can A Government Be Open and Not Be Public?................................................................................................................78
Online Dialogue Comments from Facebook ........................................................................................................................80
Online Dialogue Comments Captured on Dialogue Website ............................................................................................84

ECOWAS Youth and Graduates Conference ............................................................................................................................89
An Evaluation of the Level of Addiction of Nigerian Undergraduate Students to Social Media Sites.......................90
Social Media and Indigenous Business Patronage in Nigeria – A Factor Evaluation Study .........................................98
A Review of Ghanaian Academic Journals and contribution to learning within Tertiary Institutions.....................108
KAN CMS: A Free and Open Source Content Management System Developed By Africans in Africa.....................109
A Quick Checklist for a Research Paper ..............................................................................................................................110
Online Purchasing Habits of African Consumers: Ghanaian Perspectives....................................................................115
Adoption of Mobile Payments Systems in Ghana.............................................................................................................116

Africa Digital Business Workshop ............................................................................................................................................117
Mobile Phones in Health care in Sub-Saharan Africa – The Case of AppLab Uganda ................................................118
Micro-insurance: Insurance cover for the poor ................................................................................................................128
Cyber Crime and Criminality in Ghana: Its Forms and Implications ..............................................................................131
Doing Business on the Internet ............................................................................................................................................140
Developing E-commerce Capabilities in an Online Used Car Retailer...........................................................................145

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Africa Digital Week 2011 – Conference Proceedings

Conference Welcome
Welcome to the premier Africa Digital Week in Accra, Ghana. Africa Digital Week 2011 is themed - "My Dream for A
Digital Africa". The objective of Africa Digital Week is to explore how new and emerging technologies can contribute to
socio-economic development and good governance in Africa. It will be a place for discourse and debate on novel
approaches to building a better Africa through new and emerging technologies.

The conference is under the auspices of the Ministry of Communication, Ghana and is being organized by
African Institute of Development Informatics and Policy (AIDIP), Ghana; PearlRichards Foundation, Ghana, United
Nations Development Programme, Ghana (UNDP, Ghana); Africa e-governance Academy (AfegA) (an OSIWA and UNDP
Initiative), Ghana and RLG Communications, Ghana. The week will have one conference, two workshops and a three-
day exhibition. The Africa Digital Week is the first of its kind to be organised on the continent of Africa. The week-long
event seeks to explore how modern technologies are being or could be harnessed for development in resource-poor
contexts especially in Africa. Africa Digital Week 2011 is being hosted in Alisa Hotel, Accra, Ghana.

Delegates for this conference are expected from Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Liberia. Africa Digital Week will seek
to:
 Discuss the experiences of African governments, private and non-governmental institutions in using new and
emerging digital technologies (social media, mobiles and internet-enabled technologies) to interact and
provide services to the consumers and citizens;
 Promote the strategic understanding of the role of digital technologies in achieving the millennium
development goals and good governance in Africa and other developing countries; and
 Educate participants on how to harness these new technologies (especially social media and mobiles) to
achieve organisational or institutional objectives.

DIGITAL WEEK EVENTS

1) A VIVA World Exhibition and Corporate Product Launch – An exhibition event to launch and showcase new and
innovative technologies, services and products from entrepreneurs and African companies. This is an opportunity
to launch and exhibit new products and services. A special feature will be The Launch of VIVA Africa Multimedia –
An Internet Television for the Internet Generation of Africa (www.vivaafrica.tv).
2) ECOWAS Youth and Graduates Conference
Theme: Social Media, The Youth and Development. The conference will examine ways in which capabilities and
competencies of the youth and graduates can support business, development and good governance in Africa.
3) AfegA E-Governance Workshop
Theme: New Technologies and Governance - “Can A Government Be Open without being Public?” The workshop
will review case studies and policies of e-democracy and e-government across Africa. This workshop is being co-
organized by the Africa e-governance Academy (AfegA).
4) Africa Digital Business Workshop
Theme: New Technologies, Business and Development. The workshop will critically explore the use of social media
for business and non-profit institutions and the contribution of African Telecoms and NGOs to development in
Africa.
5) Policy Dialogue on ICT and Governance
Theme: New Technologies and Governance – Examining Africa’s Policy Readiness
A policy dialogue for policymakers, academics and civic society to explore electronic governance policies in Africa,
especially in the advent of social media and mobile technologies. It will begin with an online policy engagement
from 1-15th July (at www.africadigitalweek.com) and conclude with a panel discussion during the conference.
6) Launch of a book for the African Child - Book Title: The African Woman, A Role Model for the Girl Child.
This event will launch and donate a handbook of profiles of African women for the African Girl Child in junior and
senior high schools. The objective is to inspire and empower girls into positions of leadership and achievement.

Africa Digital Week 2011 will encourage open minds, critical thinking, self-examination, creativity, and sharing ideas. We
invite you to join us, and look forward to welcoming you. We believe your invaluable experience and insight will add to
what is an invaluable discourse for Africa and other developing regions. We have no doubt it will be challenging and
thought-provoking, as well as an entertaining experience.

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AFRICA DIGITAL WEEK 2011

This book of proceedings features selected papers to be presented at the Africa Digital Week. It covers a mix of
conceptual and empirical research papers which set the agenda for discussion on key themes in e-governance, e-
business, social media and development. The authors of the papers include researchers and practitioners from AIDIP
research network across Africa and other academics from universities in Nigeria, South Africa and USA. Beyond the
conference, a live version of the proceedings, capturing all other presentations, arguments and comments at the
conference, will be featured on the Africa Digital Week website (www.africadigitalweek.com). We encourage you to
become an active participant at the conference, sharing your views and constructively questioning these presentations
to establish a consensus of how Africa can better harness the potential of new and emerging technologies for socio-
economic development and good governance.

Editors
Dr. Richard Boateng
Executive Director, African Institute of Development Informatics and Policy (AIDIP), Ghana
Lecturer, University of Ghana Business School

Dr. Longe Olumide
Lecturer, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Research Team
Kweku Koranteng, ICT Researcher, AIDIP
Joseph Budu, ICT Researcher, AIDIP
Ahmed Meyaki, E-government Specialist, AIDIP

CONFERENCE PARTNERS

The African Institute of Development Informatics and Policy (AIDIP) focuses on the conduct and dissemination of
research and the advocacy and establishment of projects and policies concerning the adoption and usage of
development informatics. Website: www.aidipinstitute.org

AfegA: The Africa e-governance Academy (AfegA) Secretariat promotes the creation and transfer of knowledge
concerning e-governance with a primary geographical focus on ECOWAS countries. AfegA is a UNDP and OSIWA co-
funded initiative. Website: www.afega-aafge.org

UNDP, Ghana: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development
network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to build a better life.
UNDP has a presence and an unrivalled track-record in supporting national development efforts in more than 160
countries. Its current priority is to help all countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Website: www.undp-gha.org
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Africa Digital Week 2011 – Conference Proceedings

E-governance
Workshop

E-governance Workshop

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E-governance Workshop

Promoting Good Governance through ICT in Resource-poor
Contexts

Richard Bemile Richard Boateng, PhD
University of Ghana Business School University of Ghana Business School
[email protected] [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Good governance is increasingly becoming of great concern to both developed and developing countries. The purpose
of is this study is to examine efforts in promoting governance through information and Communication Technology in
the Upper West Region of Ghana. Primary data was collected by administering structured questionnaire to citizens of
the region. The issues of importance were assessment of the perception of ICT in governance, examination of the
extent of participation of citizens in governance, investigation of the behavioural intention of citizens to access
information on governance online, determination of citizen’s sources of information on government, assessment of the
usage of ICT by citizens and determination of the level to which citizens interact with the government.

The results of the study show that, first, citizens believe strongly that ICT can contribute meaningfully to good
governance when it is made readily accessible. Second, timely access to information is prime; citizens do not participate
in governance as they should have been doing because the newspapers which they will read to be able to make any
inputs arrive late thus inhibiting their participation. Further, there is only one TV station and one radio station that cut
across the whole of the region. Most of the citizens (90%) get information on the government through the radio, TV and
newspapers, only 2.5% obtain information on government through forms of ICTs like the Internet. Amost 66 per cent of
citizens interact with the government through panel discussions, text messages, and interactions with parliamentarians.
It is an indication that citizens are willing to contribute their quota to the development of the country if a better
alternative is given them.The resulting model developed from the study helps in predicting attitude of citizens in
accessing information on governance.

Keywords: governance, ICTs, citizen participation, Ghana

Cite As:
Bemile, R. and Boateng, R. (2011) Promoting Good Governance through Information and Communication Technology in
Resource-poor Contexts, Conference Paper- Proceedings of the Africa Digital Week, July 25-29, Accra, Ghana: African
Institute of Development Informatics and Policy.

INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a potential tool for creating the means of communication and
interaction with the citizens of the country. ICT enables Government-to-Citizen Information flow via the internet and
vice versa. ICT facilitates Citizen-to-Citizen (C2C) interaction by creating a virtual community that exchanges words,
ideas and thoughts through mediation of e-bulletin boards, e-mail networks, e-chatting, skype and recently through
social networks. In this vain, ICT can also facilitate Citizen-to-Member of Parliament communication.

Good Governance (GG) appears alongside such concepts and terms as democracy, civil society, popular participation,
human rights and social and sustainable development (Agere, 2000). Good Governance can also be conceptualised as
part of a development process. There is a general consensus among practitioners that GG should, among other things,
be participatory, transparent, responsive, led by rule of law, effective, efficient, accountable and have strategic vision in
characteristic (UNDP, 1994). It ensures that the voices of the poorest and most vulnerable are heard in the decision-
making processes regarding the allocation of scarce resources.

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Africa Digital Week 2011 – Conference Proceedings

Unfortunately, in the case of the Upper West Region (UWR), the main source of information on government activities is
the newspapers and usually, the newspapers for a particular day reach them at least a day after they have been
circulated. The newspapers are transported to the region via the Intercity State Transport Company (STC) bus from
Accra (capital city of Ghana). Newspapers for Monday are received on Tuesday, newspapers for Tuesday and
Wednesday are received on Thursday and newspapers for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are received on Sunday. This
schedule of delivery depends on the safe arrival of Intercity STC bus on the designated day. The other sources of
information: radio and television, are inadequate in number and coverage to most parts of the region leaves much to
be desired. There is only one radio station (Radio Upper West) and one TV station (Ghana Television (GTV)) which cover
the whole of the region. The remaining three radio stations are segmented throughout the region and some were not
functional at the time of this research. Metropolitan Television (Metro TV) is also functional only in Wa. This does not
bring about satisfactory access to information as a way of promoting GG throughout the region. It does not allow the
citizens of region to participate actively in the decision making process in the country. Their voices need to be heard
also, though Parliamentarians play this role to an extent, there is the need for an all-inclusive participatory effort by the
citizens themselves.

This research assesses how ICT could be used to provide adequate government information in the public domain for
access by citizens who would in turn contribute to such information as a way of promoting good governance. It seeks to
take advantage of the evolution of ICT to involve the citizens of the UWR in the governance of this country to ensure
that their opinions are factored in the economic and social developments of the country.

THE CONCEPT OF GOOD GOVERNANCE
Good Governance may be defined as comprising the processes and structures that guide political and socio-economic
relationships, with particular reference to "commitment to democratic values, trusted services and just and honest
business", when there are fewer troubles in a country and the country seems to be peaceful (Agere, 2000). Under this
definition, the various communities in that country are socially just. The World Leaders at the 2005 World Summit
concluded that good governance is integral to economic growth, the eradication of poverty and hunger, and sustainable
development. They went on that the views of all oppressed groups, including women, youth and the poor, must be
heard and considered by governing bodies because they will be the people most affected if good governance is not
achieved. Also, the country is ecologically sustainable, economically productive and the country is generating sufficient
income as well as being culturally vibrant. Good governance also includes the relationship listed below (Table 1).

Which Purpose for Good Governance?
John Rawls Social justice as fairness
Amartya Sen Development in freedom
Atlantic Charter World free from fear and want
UNDP Human development
John Paul II Freedom of a person to live out his/her creative potential
George Soros Global open society
Mahathir Mohamed Global civilised society
COMMONWEALTH Commitment to the democratic process and institutions, the rule of law and the
independence of the judiciary, just and honest government, and fundamental human
rights
Rogers W'O Okot-Uma Commitment to democratic, values, norms & practices, trusted services and just &
honest business.
Table 1: Good Governance relationship (Okot-Uma, 2000)

The World Bank has recognised a number of aspects of good governance which has assumed importance for the
developed and the developing countries. These factors deal with political and administrative aspects, which are as
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E-governance Workshop

follows (Srivastava, 2009): Political accountability, Freedom of association and participation by various groups, legal
framework, Freedom of information, Efficiency and effectiveness and Cooperation between the government and civil
society organisations.

Good governance has eight major characteristics including participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent,
responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law.

Figure 1: Characteristics of Good Governance (Srivastava, 2009)

From the above, it should be clear that good governance is an ideal situation difficult to achieve in its totality. Very few
countries have come close to achieving good governance. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions
must be taken by all countries to work towards it with the aim of making it a reality.

The interconnection between good governance, human rights and sustainable development has been made directly or
indirectly by the international community in a number of declarations and other global conference documents. For
instance, the Declaration on the Right to Development proclaims that every human being and all people “are entitled to
participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development” (article 1). Article 21 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises the importance of a participatory government. Under the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, states are obliged to take steps with a view to achieving
progressively the full realisation of the rights recognised in the Covenant by all appropriate means (Srivastava, 2009).

THE PROMISE OF ICT
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to
communicate, and to create, disseminate, store, and manage information (Tinio, 2009). In recent years there has been
an upsurge of interest in how computers and the Internet can best be harnessed to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of governance at all levels and in both formal and non-formal settings especially in the developed
countries. But ICT is more than just these technologies; older technologies such as the telephone, radio and television,
have a longer and richer history as governance tools. For instance, in the last election in Ghana (2008 elections), people
in Accra (capital of Ghana), were able to hear the election results of the farthest parts of Ghana immediately the results
were declared and it was through the telephone, radio and television. This has been the trend for the past decades
although newspapers remain the cheapest, most accessible and therefore most dominant delivery mechanism in both
developed and developing countries. The use of computers and the Internet is still in its formative years in developing
countries if these are used at all, due to limited infrastructure and the attendant high costs of access.

According to the European Commission, the importance of ICT lies less in the technology itself than in its ability to
create greater access to information and communication in underserved populations. Many countries around the world
have established organisations for the promotion of ICT, because it is feared that unless less technologically advanced
areas have a chance to catch up, the increasing technological advances in developed nations will only serve to worsen
the already-existing economic gap between technological "have" and "have not" areas. Internationally, the United
ADWEEK 2011 Proceedings, July 25-29th Accra, Ghana 7
Africa Digital Week 2011 – Conference Proceedings

Nations actively promotes ICT for Development as a means of bridging the digital divide. A sound grasp of ICT is a basic
requirement to engagement in modern society (www.qcda.gov.uk).

ICT is a potentially powerful tool for extending government issues, in both urban and rural settings, to previously
underserved constituencies. One defining feature of ICT is its ability to transcend time and space. ICT makes possible
asynchronous governance. Online government information, for instance, may be accessed 24/7 by citizens. Older ICT-
based governance (e.g., news of government broadcast over radio or television or through newspapers) also dispenses
with the need for citizens to be in one physical location e.g. office, home, transport station, etc. Additionally, certain
types of ICTs, such as teleconferencing technology, enables information to be received simultaneously by multiple,
geographically dispersed people (i.e., synchronous governance).

People no longer have to rely solely on printed media (newspapers) in physical media housed in libraries, offices for
their information needs. With the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), a wealth of information on government
in every ministry and in a variety of media can now be accessed from anywhere at anytime of the day and by an
unlimited number of people. This is particularly significant for the citizens in Upper West who have limited radio and
television stations and also experience delays in the receipt of newspapers.

Access to information is both a consequence, and a driver of the digital revolution. Governments can respond to the
need to be more open by adopting a number of principles of information management, using a mix of technologies.

Pertinent Definition
Principle
Access Making information widely available to citizens, consumers of services, voluntary and
private-sector organisations, staff and elected members and to diverse communities of
interest, practice, expertise, conviction and interdependence.
Process Providing information about how to gain access to Government information Systems (GiS),
and participatory access to the political process of good governance.
Awareness Providing information about the political process, about services and about choices
available, the time horizons for the decision-making process and about the exponents of the
decision-making process.
Communication Developing means for exchanging learning experiences, views, information and knowledge
of mutual interest.
Involvement Facilitating opportunities for involvement in the discursive development of information and
knowledge for good governance.

Table 2: Information Management Principles for Open Government Adoption ( Okot-Uma, 2000)

Besides the above, for developing countries, ICT is considered to be a lever for development, and such countries need
to focus on the 6Cs that is, Computer density, Communication, Connectivity, Cyber laws, Cost and Commonsense to
emerge as effective and well governed countries in the twenty first century (Al-Shalabi, 2005).

ICT AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
Good Governance can be promoted through ICT by the use of eGovernance. eGovernance can be defined as the
optimal utilisation of ICT within the framework of good governance to ensure effective interaction between the various
arms of government and its environment (citizens, civil society, private sector...) (UNESC, 2003). eGovernance offers an
opportunity for governments to re-invent themselves, get closer to the citizenry and forge closer alliances and
partnerships with diverse communities of interest, practice, expertise, conviction and inter-dependence within the
context of national development agendas (Okot-Uma, 2000). It is at its early stages in most African countries and
initiated either by governments or driven by external institutions and IT experts and vendors (UNESC, 2003). As a
concept, eGovernance can be perceived to be contextually inclusive of the following:

Electronic Democracy: The emergence of eDemocracy is characterised by the transition from passive information
access through to active citizen participation. This includes informing, representing, consulting, involving the citizen and
encouraging the citizen to vote.

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