ABSTRACT
The paper critically analyses Information
and communication technology as a tool for creating job opportunities in
Nigeria a case study of Lagos
State University in South-West Nigeria. According to a Nigerian Communications Commission,
one million "indirect jobs" have been created by the mobile telephony
sector in the past five years (Ramey, 2008). "This figure indicates that
mobile telephony could boost job creation and poverty alleviation if the
conditions that would stimulate its spin-offs are introduced and nurtured in a
consistent manner." The major objectives of the paper are as
follows: To determine if Information communication and
technology (ICT) can be used as a tool for creating job opportunities in
Nigeria, To identify various types of jobs that can be created with the use of
Information communication and technology (ICT), and to identify the detrimental
effect of Information communication and technology (ICT) use on Nigerian
youths.
Considering methodology, both secondary and
primary sources of data was used for the study. A descriptive research design was used with a sample size
of 15 from the computer science lectures of university of Lagos state Nigeria.
Data was analyzed using chi-square statistical tool. Key findings from the
study showed that with a significance level of 0.05,
ICT can be used as a tool for job
creation in Nigeria. The
ICT sector is a massive job creator. ICT has a detrimental effect on Nigerian
youths. Nigeria has been better off since the advent of ICT. Recommendations for the study include;
The
Nigerian government, organizations, entrepreneurs’ should take advantage of
this golden opportunity to create jobs for our teeming youths while
diversifying our economy from natural resource based to a knowledge-based
economy driven by IT.
This will for sure boost the economy, create more jobs and reduce the crime
rate in the country.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Title Page - - - - - - - - - i
Approval Page - - - - - - - - ii
Declaration - - - - - - - - iii
Dedication - - - - - - - - - iv
Acknowledgement - - - - - - - v
Abstract - - - - - - - - - vi
Table of Contents - - - - - - - vii
CHAPTER
ONE – INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study - - - - -
1.2 Statement of General Problem - - - -
1.3 Objective of the Study - - - - - -
1.4 Research Questions - - - - - -
1.5 Hypothesis
- - -
- - -
- - -
1.6 Significance of the Study - - - - -
1.7 Scope of the Study - - - - - -
1.8 Definition of Terms - - - - - -
CHAPTER
TWO – REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - -
2.1
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK- - - - - - -
2.2. THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF ICT- - -
2.3. FACTORS THAT ENHANCE
EFFECTIVE USE OF ICT IN NIGERI- - - - - - - - - - - -
2.4. ROLE OF ICT IN NIGERIA- - - - - - - -
2.5. REVIEW OF ICT AS RELATED TO JOB CREATION IN
NIGERIA
- - - - - - - - -
- - - -
2.6. BRIEF HISTORY OF
ICT IN NIGERIA- - - - - -
CHAPTER
THREE – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - -
3.2 Research Design - - - - - - - -
3.3 Area of the Study - - - - - - - -
3.4 Population of Study - - - - - - - -
3.5 Sample size and Sampling Techniques - - - - -
3.6 Instrument for Data Collection - - - - - -
3.7 Validity of the Instrument - - - - - - -
3.8 Reliability of the Instrument - - - - - -
3.9 Method of Data Collection - - - - - - -
3.10 Method of Data Analysis - - - - - - -
CHAPTER
FOUR – DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.0 Introduction - - - - - - - - -
4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis - - - - - -
4.2 Characteristics of the Respondents - - - - -
4.3 Data
Analysis - - - - - - - - -
4.4 Testing Hypothesis - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER
FIVE – SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.0 Introduction - - - - - - - - -
5.1 Summary - - - - - - - - - -
5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - -
5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - -
References
- - - - - - - - - -
Appendix - - - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) has become a major tool for gaining competitive
advantage in the corporate world and as such has been integrated into the
operations of most high performing organizations in every economy. A recent
policy note released by the World Bank says that information and communication
technologies (ICTs) are transforming the world of work, creating new job
opportunities and making labour markets more innovative, inclusive, and global.
ICTs are influencing employment both as an industry that creates jobs and as a
tool that empowers workers to access new forms of work, in new and more
flexible ways (Samuelson, 2008). The emerging ICT-enabled employment
opportunities matter because countries around the world are looking to create
more good jobs, which have positive economic and social implications for
workers and for society. ICT is critical to Nigeria’s quest to becoming one of
the leading economies in the next five years, as spelt out in the Vision 20:2020
agenda. The world is increasingly becoming technology-driven, and ICTs remain a
key driver of any economy, as it has the potential to address the rising
unemployment trend in the country.
In a recent report
published by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, it
revealed that the ICT sector had boosted the Federal Government’s job creation
efforts by creating over 12 million jobs in the past two years. It described
this current contribution as an improvement on the job opportunities created by
the sector between 2002 and 2012. The ICT sector in Nigeria is currently
boosting the federal government’s effort in job creation with the creation on
an average of about 12 million jobs from 2012 to date, that is, a significant
improvement on the 2.5 million jobs the sector created between 2002 and 2012.
This is in addition to contributing about nine percent to the growth of
Nigeria’s GDP.
The Ministry of Labour and Productivity in Nigeria
says the Federal Government is set to declare total war on unemployment and
joblessness in the country with the use of ICT systems and operations which is
aimed at training unemployed Nigerians. Fakiyesi (2010), opine that despite the
exploitation of negative aspect of Information and Communication Technologies
(ICT) by a few Nigerian youths, ICT has raised the economy of the nation, especially the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) to 1.62 per cent (Oluleye, 2006).
Although he lamented that apart from the
improvement on the economy, ICT has also enhanced falsehood, dissemination of
harmful information as well as fraudulent activities in the transaction of
businesses.
Being without a job is indeed an enforced idleness
of wage earners who are able and enthusiastic to work but cannot find jobs. In
societies in which most people can earn a living only by working for others,
being unable to find a job is a serious problem. Because of its human costs in deprivation and a
feeling of rejection and personal failure, the extent of unemployment is widely
used as a measure of workers' welfare. The proportion of workers unemployed also shows how well a
nation's human resources are used and serves as an index of economic movement
(positive or negative) (Ramey, 2008).
Unemployment has call for a greater concern in the
Nigeria economy. It has continued to be the major macroeconomic objectives of
the government. Unemployment constitutes a series of serious developmental
problems and is increasingly more serious all over Nigeria. The major policy of
the government and the international agencies is targeted at reducing the rate
of unemployment.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
According to a Nigerian Communications Commission,
one million "indirect jobs" have been created by the mobile telephony
sector in the past five years (Ramey, 2008). "This figure indicates that
mobile telephony could boost job creation and poverty alleviation if the
conditions that would stimulate its spin-offs are introduced and nurtured in a
consistent manner." About 10,000 "direct jobs," or people
employed by the mobile phone operators in Nigeria, have been created by the
industry. ICT has also created employment in the area of mass media and
entertainment, blogging, graphic design and word processing etc. however, this
study is examining ICT use as a tool for creating job opportunities in Nigeria.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
following are the objectives for this study:
1. To
determine if Information communication and technology (ICT) can be used as a
tool for creating job opportunities in Nigeria.
2. To
identify various types of jobs that can be created with the use of Information
communication and technology (ICT).
3. To
identify the detrimental effect of Information communication and technology
(ICT) use on Nigerian youths.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Can
Information communication and technology (ICT) be used as a tool for creating
job opportunities in Nigeria?
2. What
are the various types of jobs that can be created with the use of Information
communication and technology (ICT) in Nigeria.
3. What
are the detrimental effects of Information communication and technology (ICT)
use on Nigerian youths?
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
following are the significance of this study:
1. Outcome
of this study will be a useful guide for the general public especially Nigerian
teaming unemployed youths on how they can tap into the advent of Information
communication and technology (ICT) for the purpose of creating self employment.
2. This research will also serve as a
resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out
further research in this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to
provide new explanation to the topic
1.7 SCOPE/LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This
study on the Information communication and technology (ICT) as a tool for
creating job opportunities in Nigeria will cover various sub sections of ICT
that youths can take advantage of to be self employed.
LIMITATION OF STUDY
Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the
researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information
and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this
study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted
for the research work.
1.8. DEFINITION OF TERMS
Information: this is defined as a processed data.
Communication:
the imparting or exchanging of
information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.
Technology: the application of scientific
knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.
Information
communication technology (ICT): information and communications technology - or
technologies is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or
application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and
network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the
various services and applications associated with them, such as
videoconferencing and distance learning.
Internet: a global computer network providing a variety of information
and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using
standardized communication protocols.
Unemployment: a state of being unemployed. Or a state of being
without a job.
Audio conferencing
involves the real-time (live) exchange of voice messages over a telephone
network.
Video conferencing does
not just allow voice and graphics but also allows exchanges of moving images.
This does not use telephone lines but either a satellite link or television
network.
Web-based conferencing
involves the transmission of text and graphic audio and visual media through
the internet. It requires the use of computers and browsers.
Teleconferencing can be
used both on formal and informal learning contexts.
REFERENCES
Fakiyesi,
T. (2010) ICT raise Nigerian GDP, IT Realms Links, Monday, May, 2010
Oluleye,
F.A. (2006) Unemployment and inflation: An empirical investigation of validity
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(2008), Nigeria is Mobile: A book Review,
<http://www.mobileactive.org/book-review-nigeria-goes-mobile> [accessed
12 May, 2011]
Samuelson,
P. (2008)Thoughts about the Phillips Curve, Chatham, Massachusetts
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Testing Service (2003), ETS Collaborates with CSU to Assess 21st Century Skills,
available at: www.calstate.edu/pa/news/2003/ETS.shtml.
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Testing Service (2003a), Succeeding in the 21st Century:
What Higher
Education must do to address the Gap in Information and Communication
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student learning”, The Journal
of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 28
Association of
College and Research Libraries (2000), Information
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Educational Testing Service (2002), Digital Transformation: A Framework for ICT
Literacy, available at: www.ets.org/research/ictliteracy/ictreport.pdf.
International Society For Technology in
Education (1998), National educational
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