Title: Electronic Payment Systems Development in a Developing Country: The Role of Institutional Arrangements
Authors: Austin Briggs, Laurence Brooks
Pages: 16 pp.
ISSN: 1681-4835
Source: The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, (2011) 49, 3, 1-16
Publisher: City University of Hong Kong
Date (published): 24/09/2011
Date (accessed): 20/11/2011
Type of information: peer reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"This paper examines the institutional arrangements in the development of Nigeria’s electronic payment system (EPS) using a new institutional economics (NIE) perspective. A case study of Nigeria’s EPS was carried out using semi structured interviews to collect data from 18 participating stakeholders; a thematic method was used for the data analysis. The study suggests that a well-functioning set of arrangements, which is lacking in the institutional setup in Nigeria may be required to build necessary institutional capacity suitable for development of safe and efficient electronic payment systems. Although the technological payment infrastructure in Nigeria is modern and of comparable standard, the failure to put in place reliable and relevant market and collaborative agreements has not enabled full exploitation of the available infrastructure. Current governance structures show elements of power struggle and distrust between stakeholders (players and regulators), hampering the creation of an environment that would sustain free market economic activities and effective development of payment systems."

Title: Getting the next 50 million Nigerians on broadband
Author: Nmachi Jidenma
Source: The Next Web's Africa
Date (published): 08/08/2011
Date (accessed): 09/08/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"With a population of over 150 million people, Nigeria has the potential to be Africa’s leading broadband powerhouse. However, according to Main One Cable, a private undersea cable infrastructure provider in West Africa, broadband penetration in the country is currently less than 3%. As such, there is tremendous opportunity in the broadband space in Nigeria especially in the mobile broadband space where the country is estimated to have about 90 million subscribers.

At the recent Broadband Investment Summit held in July in Lagos, Nigeria, industry operators, stakeholders and service providers ranging from Google Nigeria to Phase 3 Telecoms were present among others, and industry papers were presented on broadband access in Nigeria. Titled Broadband as an Enabler to Connecting the Next 50 Million Telecoms Users in Nigeria, the summit emphasized the power of broadband as a tool for wealth creation in the country."

Title: Nigerian tech incubators set to mentor and train entrepreneurs
Author: Nmachi Jidenma
Source: TNW Africa
Date (published): 24/07/2011
Date (accessed): 26/07/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Two tech incubators in Nigeria, Co-creation Hub and the Institute for Venture Design are set to train Nigerian tech entrepreneurs in venture formation and entrepreneurship.

Co-creation Hub Nigeria, a non profit social enterprise founded by Bosun Tijani and Femi Longe aims to provide a shared work space for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech companies and investors to collaborate on innovative tech ideas and solutions for the country. Located in Yaba, Nigeria, the hub is strategically located in the vicinity of prominent Nigerian universities such as the University of Lagos. This would hopefully help strengthen the hub’s collaborations with academia and give it the benefit of having student and faculty research in technology influence the hub’s ideas.
...
Another incubator set to train and mentor Nigerian tech entrepreneurs is The Institute for Venture Design. In partnership with the Center for Design Research at Stanford University, the Institute is poised to incubate a community of people with shared culture to create wealth in Nigeria."

Title: Power cuts hamper Nigerian broadband
Author: Bimbo Omitooki
Source: IT News Africa
Date (published): 21/07/2011
Date (accessed): 22/07/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Most Nigerian telecommunications operators have again recounted their ordeals in the lack of regular power supply for their operations in the country.
The operators said that unless the Nigerian government take adequate steps to address the situation, the progress recorded by the industry in the last few years may not be consolidated.
Specifically, some of the telecoms and mobiles noted that as Nigeria is making moves to play big in the broadband market in the next decade of the telecom revolution in the country, inadequate power supply was the main challenge to the deployment of broadband in the country."

Title: Futures of Technology in Africa
Author:Jasper Grosskurth
Pages: 83 pp.
ISBN:978-90-809613-7-1
Publisher:STT, The Hague, the Netherlands
Date (published):22/10/2010
Date (accessed):05/11/2010
Type of information:research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
„Technology holds many promises as a driver of positive changes, as a tool to address the problems and as an enabler to fulfil the potential. Economic development requires modern technology and technology plays an important role in most strate- gies for alleviating hunger and poverty. Technology can reduce transaction costs, save lives, facilitate education, strengthen entrepreneurship, provide access to markets and help to deliver basic ser- vices, ranging from water and sanitation to public administration. However, the same technology can also be destructive and a cause of problems. Some technological developments can be facilitated or managed, others happen and require an adequate response.
It is this manifold interrelation of technology with its environment that makes exploring the future of technology so interesting and valuable. There is a need to explore how technology in Africa will or might evolve; to discuss the drivers and the obsta- cles, the issues technology might resolve and the problems it might cause; to identify how technology changes society and how African societies might change global technology. These are big and com- plex questions and the STT foresight project, which ends with this publication, is a contribution to this discussion that is still in its infancy with respect to Africa.”
via http://twitter.com/#!/marcozennaro

Title: Nokia Taking a Rural Road to Growth
Author:Kevin J. O'Brien
Source:NYTimes.com
Publisher:The New York Times Company
Date (published):01/11/2010
Date (accessed):04/11/2010
Type of information:article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"On Saturday at dawn, hundreds of farmers near Jhansi, an agricultural center in central India, received a succinct but potent text message on their cellphones: the current average wholesale price for 100 kilograms of tomatoes was 600 rupees ($13.26).

In a country where just 7 percent of the population has access to the Internet, such real-time market data is so valuable that the farmers are willing to pay $1.35 a month for the information.

What is unusual about the service is the company selling it: Nokia, the Finnish cellphone maker, which unlike its rivals — Samsung, LG, Apple, Research In Motion and Sony Ericsson — is focusing on some of the world’s poorest consumers.

Since 2009, 6.3 million people have signed up to pay Nokia for commodity data in India, China and Indonesia. On Tuesday, Nokia plans to announce that it is expanding the program, called Life Tools, part of its Ovi mobile services business, to Nigeria."

Title: “Either you make films or make excuses” – ICT and the Nigerian film industry
Author: Ethan Zuckerman
Source: My Heart's In Accra (blog)
Date (published): 27/07/2010
Date (accessed): 03/08/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
In discussing this workshop with our Nigerian partner, we’d proposed a round-table conversation between three ICT and development scholars and a dozen participants from the Nigerian film industry. Our goal was to learn more about how Nollywood (and Kanowood – turns out that “Nollywood” has become a political term in Nigeria, more associated with the South than the North) works, what the challenges the industry faces are and think about how we as academic researchers could take on questions that might help the sector move forwards. Basically, it was intended to be the first step in a process that might later lead to giving some presentations about what we’d learned.

Title: E-Readiness Assessment of Enugu State, Nigeria
Authors: C. Okoronkwo Matthew and N. Agu Monica
Pages: 10 pp.
ISSN: 1819-334x
Source: Asian Journal of Information Management, Volume 4(1), 2010
Publisher: Science Alert
Date (published): 17/03/2010
Date (accessed): 28/04/2010
Type of information: peer-reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML and pdf)
Abstract:
This study looks at the e-readiness of Enugu State (ES), Nigeria as the government is making efforts to digitalize government administration processes to provide the citizens access to governance information through the establishment of portal which test run was just completed. The study provides assessment guide; a mirror which governments, should use to determine the direction and milestones. It provides the e-readiness measuring instruments and showcases the outcome of application of the assessment methodology through a study carried out in the State. The main objective was to raise the awareness of stakeholders on the key issues in e-governance implementation to ensure rich content, sustainable service management and efficient use of ICT in support of current efforts in institutional, economic and administrative reform programmes.

Title: Nigeria: Etisalat to Spend $2 Billion on Infrastructure
Author: Mohammed Aminu
Source: This Day
Publisher: AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
Date published: 02/07/2009
Date accessed: 03/07/2009
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
...Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Steven Evans, said the company will invest two billion dollars to build network infrastructure in Nigeria over the next three years.
...
He stated that the firm currently has the capacity to accommodate four million subscribers and had already ordered for equipment that will be able to accommodate 12 million subscribers which will be available by September this year.

Title: Stakeholders' Perceptions of the Impact of the GSM Communications on Nigeria Rural Economy: Implications for an Emerging Communications Industry
Author: Tella Adeyinka, Josiah O. Ajiboye, Adu Olusola Emmanuel, James Idowu Wojuade
ISBN: 1712-4441
Journal: The Journal of Community Informatics,Home Vol 3, No 4 (2007)
Date published: 02/04/2008
Date accessed: 15/06/2009
Type of information: research article, peer-reviewed
Language: English
On-line access: yes, HTML
Abstract:
Purpose – The major purpose of the study was to examine the impact of GSM on the economies of the rural dwellers in Nigeria, specifically, on job creation, time management, reduction in crime rate and their general income flow. *Methodology/ Approach- The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, and data was collected using a questionnaire administered to one thousand respondents randomly selected from ten rural communities in a part of Nigeria. *Research Limitations/ Implications- The sample was taken from a state of the federation out of the 36 states in Nigeria, however, the rural communities represent typical rural villages in the country, hence, the findings could be generalized for the whole country. *Practical Implications- The GSM is an emerging communication industry in Africa, with Nigeria rated as one of the fastest growing market in this field of communication. However, the impact of the communication system is largely felt in the urban cities, the impact on the rural dwellers is still marginally poor. Hence, focus should be shifted to the utilization of the GSM for the development of rural economies in Africa, Nigeria inclusive. *The Originality/ Value of the Paper- The paper is a product of a recent survey carried out by the authors; hence the findings reported here are original and reflect the current views and practices in the rural communities in Nigeria with regards to the impact of the communication mode. Apart from some ‘market’ researches in this area, this perhaps represents one of the few academic thorough researches in the field in Nigeria.