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Implications for Africa of E-Gov Challenges for Giants South Africa and Nigeria

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African Media and the Digital Public Sphere

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Abstract

If the key goals of e-government and e-governance (e-gov is hereafter used to refer to both terms) are to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency, as well as aid citizen inclusion and participation in a democracy, then the giants South Africa (SA) and Nigeria are best-placed to lead the way not only in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) but also the entire continent. This is because of their populous nature, vast economies, expansive geographical dimensions and the complexity of their political and administrative systems. While a recent UN report based on a global survey singled out SA as an e-gov exemplar in SSA, Nigeria only managed a second-best place in the worst ranked West Africa region. Hinged on the notion that the provision of government services and information through electronic or online means is a crucial way of popularizing information and communication technologies (ICTs) among populations, this chapter examines not only the challenges of e-governance initiatives but also probes the extent to which they could aid or hinder efficacious democracy.

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Authors
  1. Okoth Fred Mudhai
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Coventry University, UK

    Okoth Fred Mudhai (Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Global Media/Communication) (Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Global Media/Communication)

  2. University of Calgary, Canada

    Wisdom J. Tettey (Professor in the Faculty of Communication and Culture) (Professor in the Faculty of Communication and Culture)

  3. School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa

    Fackson Banda (South African Breweries (SAB) LTD-UNESCO Chair of Media and Democracy) (South African Breweries (SAB) LTD-UNESCO Chair of Media and Democracy)

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© 2009 Okoth Fred Mudhai, Wisdom J. Tettey, and Fackson Banda

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Mudhai, O.F. (2009). Implications for Africa of E-Gov Challenges for Giants South Africa and Nigeria. In: Mudhai, O.F., Tettey, W.J., Banda, F. (eds) African Media and the Digital Public Sphere. Palgrave Macmillan Series in International Political Communication. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230621756_2

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