Application of information technology in business management prospects and challenges a case study o

TITLE PAGE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES A CASE STUDY OF NASARAWA STATE

SAMUEL ONAWO BENJAMIN NOU110401780

“A Project Submitted to the School of Science and Technology, National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of Post Graduate Diploma in Information Technology”.

MARCH, 2014

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DECLARATION “I SAMUEL, BENJAMIN ONAWO humbly declare that this work entitled APPLICATION

OF

INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY

IN

BUSINESS

MANAGEMENT, PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES A CASE STUDY OF NASARAWA STATE is as a result of my research effort carried out in the School of Science and Technology, National Open University of Nigeria under the supervision of Mr. Ogwuche Innocent. I further wish to declare that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of any University or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text. _____________________________ Signature SAMUEL, BENJAMIN ONAWO /MARCH/2014

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CERTIFICATION This is to certify that this research project entitled APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES A CASE STUDY OF NASARAWA STATE was carried out by SAMUEL, BENJAMIN ONAWO in the School of Science and Technology, National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos, for the award of Post Graduate Diploma in Information Technology. ______________________ Supervisor’s Signature Date

_________________________ Programme Leader’s Signature Date

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my sublime appreciation and thanks to GOD Almighty for bringing me this far, I could never have done it without YOU. Special thanks and appreciation to my supervisor Mr. Ogwuche Innocent, thank you for encouraging my research work, guiding me along the line and allowing me grow as a researcher. Your help, assistance, time and wisdom have been priceless. I would like to also appreciate the committee members who made my research defense a knowledge increasing and enjoyable moment. Thank you for your comments and suggestions/contributions.

I would like to immensely appreciate all the Staff (both Technical and Academic) of the National Open University, especially Nancy who never gave up on me but always assisted me where necessary, thank you very much.

My friends, colleagues and

acquaintances who did all they could to see me successfully complete this study, thanks to all of you (Ayuba, Abdullahi A.K.A “Mai Kudi”, Sam, Ben A.K.A “high man”, Raphael A.K.A “Engineer”, Kaka, Barry (CBN), Barry (PARTEC), Barry A.K.A “Barrone” and the host of you all. All the institutions and organizations that were a part of making this research successful, I also extend my appreciation to you all. Thanks to all my people at NSCSDA; especially Mr. Tanko A. Lawal; (my able Professor, who I see as “almighty formula”, Mr. Mathew Ayaka, and Mr. Dan Vintzye. I also would like to appreciate GOOGLE and all those whose articles and journals and books I used.

Finally, I would like to show profound appreciation to my Uncle, Mr. Joseph Agbo who has always made me understand how important it is to develop myself. Thanks to the memories of my late Dad and Mum (it always kept me in the spirit of pushing forward,

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knowing they’ve always wanted us to read and study). To my sisters Patient, Lily, Queen and Onesh; thanks and to all my brothers especially Okugya, thanks also. Lily, thanks again for the help… you know what I mean. To Mrs. Heidi Rosendall, thank you for your prayers and encouraging words. Jared and Awas, especially Jared who had a sleepless night helping with the questionnaire and how the questions should be the right questions to ask; thanks. And to the “cream de la cream”, Aisha Ismail my sweetie; who wouldn’t give-up asking how my study’s going, who would have done everything in her power to ensure that I finish this study successfully, well here we are, all finished. BIG thanks to you.

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ABSTRACT The objective of the research work is to understand the reasons why there is a lack of utilization in the use of ICT by business enterprises, to asses its advantages/disadvantages and develop a new approach to ICT within Nasarawa State. An instrument in the form of a question was designed for the purpose of gaining statistical information. A sample population of 50 people was selected from particular industries/sectors, of which 13 where female, 33 male and 4 unknown. The highest percentage of respondents where between ages 33 to 39. With the aid of a system, the answers to the distributed questionnaires were input and organized using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Repetitive comparison of data and analysis by way of simple percentages were made to help in obtaining the answers to the research questions. There were 21 civil servants, 9 corporate organization workers, and 16 self employed respondents. 39% of the respondents were found to apply information technology to business, while 61% were not applying information technology to their businesses. 79.2% confirmed that there were socio-economic factors affecting/crippling access to information technology in the Stat, while 19.6% declined responding to that question. 27.15% never conduct sensitization or trainings for consumers as well as staff, against 19.55%; which showed technology upgrade management to be poor. It was deduced that a large proportion of the populace in Nasarawa State are not applying information technology specifically for the management of businesses. To meet up with the growing trends of computer technology, sensitizations and trainings need to be often conducted. The findings to a large extent establish the difficulties and challenges often faced by African countries in aspects of hooking into the globalized economy.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page………………………………………………………………….. i Declaration………………………………………………………………… ii Certification……………………………………………………………….. iii Acknowledgment………………………………………………………….. iv Abstract……………………………………………………………………. vi Table of Contents………………………………………………………….. vii Chapter One……………………………………………………………….. 1 1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………. 1 1.1 Background of the Study……………………………………… 2 1.2 History of Information Technology…………………………… 4 1.2.1 Pre-Mechanical……………………………………… 4 1.2.2 Petro-Glyph…………………………………………. 5 1.2.3 Mechanical………………………………………….. 5 1.2.4 Difference Engine…………………………………… 6 1.2.5 Electromechanical…………………………………… 6 1.2.6 Electronic……………………………………………. 6 1.3 The Concept of Business Management………………………... 9 1.4 Statement of Problem………………………………………….. 12 Research Questions……………………………………………. 13 Aim and Objectives……………………………………………. 13 Chapter Two (Review of Related Literature) …………………………....... 15 2.0 Introduction……………………………………………………. 15

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2.1 The Concept of Information Technology……………………… 15 2.2 Information Technology Experts………………………………. 17 2.3 Impact of IT (Information Technology) on Businesses………... 18 2.4 Other areas in which Information Technology has impacted Businesses…………………………………………………….. 23 2.4.1 E-Commerce…………………………………………. 23 2.4.2 GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication)…. 27 2.4.3 Television……………………………………………. 27 2.5 Nasarawa State and the trend so far…………………………… 27 Chapter Three (Materials and Method/Methodology)…………………….. 32 3.0 Introduction……………………………………………………. 32 3.1 Research……………………………………………………….. 33 3.2 Data Collection………………………………………………… 35 3.3 Data Analysis………………………………………………….. 36 Chapter Four (Results, Analysis and Findings)…………………………… 38 4.0 Introduction……………………………………………………. 38 4.1 Summary, Description of the Sample…………………………. 38 4.2 Analysis and Answers to Research Questions………………… 40 4.2.1 What Proportion of Business Enterprises in Nasarawa State is applying Information Technology?.40 4.2.2 What are the Socio-Economic problems that are Crippling access to Information Technology?............. 50 4.2.3 What are the limitations/challenges to the effective

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Application of ICT to business enterprises in the State?............................................................................ 56 4.2.4 How is rapidly advancing technology managed?......... 58 4.2.5 What is the level of Information Technology, Technical Assistance obtained within the State?......... 61 4.3 Findings……………………………………………………...... 65 Chapter Five (Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations)…………… 67 5.0 Introduction…………………………………………………… 67 5.1 Summary……………………………………………………… 67 5.2 Implication of the findings…………………………………… 69 5.3 Limitations and Recommendations…………………………... 71 5.4 Conclusion……………………………………………………. 71 References………………………………………………………………… 72 Appendix A………………………………………………………………. 77 Appendix B………………………………………………………………. 82 List of Tables............................................................................................... 83

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CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION Information technology has brought about a radical change to so many businesses cut across the globe. It has helped businesses advertise over regional and international borders, it has enhanced customer service delivery, information dissemination and a host of other factors that cannot be overemphasized.

Information technology also known as ICT (Information Communication Technology) as defined by the WordWeb 6.8 Dictionary; “is the branch of engineering that deals with the use of computers and telecommunications to retrieve and store and transmit information”.

Information Technology (IT) is a term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange and use information in its various forms (business data, voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations, and other forms, including those not yet conceived). It is a convenient term for including both telephony and computer technology in the same word. It is the technology that is driving what is often called

the information revolution (DAM 462:

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY,

National Open University of Nigeria).

In a business environment people, computing equipment/other resources and the tasks they perform must be coordinated in such a way as to help to do more in less time and not just that, but also to enhance productivity.

Information Technology which deals mostly with “processing and distribution of data using computer hardware and software, telecommunications, and digital electronics” (Microsoft Encarta Premium 2009), offers new and improved ways of handling information and managing businesses.

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With the rising number of business enterprises in Nasarawa State, at large, medium and small scale ratings; applying information technology will go a long way in improving efficiency, enhancing productivity and telling the world in detail of investment opportunities and good customer service within the state.

Small-scale enterprises now use the Internet and networking technology to conduct more of their work electronically, reliable linking factories, offices and sales forces around the globe (Dave, 2000). This communication evolution is governed by applied infrastructures with converged services and integrated application (Lucas and Jack, 1994). The convergence of information technology is an important trend influencing both current and future markets, industry and technology (James, 2004).

Without a doubt, some of the business enterprises in Nasarawa State are unaware of the many advantages there are in the application of information technology to the management of businesses. However, there must be a few who know these advantages and seek to apply or are applying this great resource to the management of their businesses.

This research work examines the prospects and challenges of the application of information technology in business management in Nasarawa State. This is to determine the view and hope, and the challenges of those businesses that plan on adopting information technology and that of those who are already applying information technology to their businesses.

This will go a long way in establishing the right kind of information cut across the globe to ensure maximum utilization of the marketable resources and enterprises in Nasarawa State.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY There are many definitions to the term “Information Technology�. The Encarta Dictionaries defines Information Technology as “the use of technologies from computing, electronics, and telecommunications to process and distribute information in digital and other forms.

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Also referred to as “IT” by many, information technology often in the context of a business or other enterprise as described by the Wikipedia Encyclopedia can be seen as “the application of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data”.

The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers and computer networks, but it also encompasses other information distribution technologies such as television and telephones.

Several industries are associated with information technology, such as computer hardware, software, electronics, semiconductors, internet, telecom equipment, e-commerce and computer services (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology).

Information Technology in very simple terms is anything that is related to computing and its technology as we have it today. The Internet and networks, software, hardware and peopleware (that which has to do with the role of people in the development or use of computer software and hardware systems), who make use of these technologies in various ways.

Examples of Information Technology include: PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), Personal Computers, televisions, radios, telephones (mobile and land lines), and the Internet.

In a business context, the Information Technology Association of America has defined information technology as "the study, design, development, application, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems”. The responsibilities of those working in the field include network administration, software development and installation, and the planning and management of an organization’s technology life cycle, by which hardware and software is maintained, upgraded, and replaced.

Humans have been storing, retrieving, manipulating and communicating information since the Sumerians in Mesopotamia developed

writing in

about

3000 BC, but

the

term

"information technology" in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article published in the 3

Harvard Business Review; authors Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas L. Whisler commented that "the new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology (IT)."Based on the storage and processing technologies employed, it is possible to distinguish four distinct phases of IT development: pre-mechanical (3000 BC – 1450 AD), mechanical (1450–1840), electromechanical (1840–1940) and electronic (1940–present) which

this

research

work

will

focus

on

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology).

1.2 HISTORY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Information technology has been around for a long, long time. Basically as long as people have been around, information technology has been around because there were always ways of communicating through technology available at that point in time. There are four (4) main ages that divide up the history of information technology. Only the latest age (electronic) and some of the electromechanical age really affects us today, but it is important to learn about how we got to the point we are at with technology today. Hence the following ages in accordance to succession describe the early stages to the point we are at with technology in the present day.

1.2.1 Pre-mechanical The pre-mechanical age is the earliest age of information technology. It can be defined as the time between 3000B.C. and 1450A.D. We are talking about a long time ago. When humans first started communicating, they would try to use language or simple picture drawings known as petro-glyphs which were usually carved in rock. Early alphabets were developed such as the Phoenician alphabet.

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1.2.2 Petro-glyph As alphabets became more popular and more people were writing information down, pens and paper began to be developed. It started off as just marks in wet clay, but later paper was created out of papyrus plant. The most popular kind of paper made was probably by the Chinese who made paper from rags.

Now that people were writing a lot of information down they needed ways to keep it all in permanent storage. This is where the first books and libraries are developed. You‘ve probably heard of Egyptian scrolls which were popular ways of writing down information to save. Some groups of people were actually binding paper together into a book-like form.

Also, during this period were the first numbering systems. Around 100A.D was the first 1-9 system was created by people from India. However, it wasn‘t until 875A.D. (775 years later) that the number 0 was invented; and yes now that numbers were created, people wanted stuff to do with them so they created calculators. A calculator was the very first sign of an information processor. The popular model of that time was the abacus.

1.2.3 Mechanical The mechanical age is when we first start to see connections between our current technology and its ancestors. The mechanical age can be defined as the time between 1450 and 1840. A lot of new technologies are developed in this era as there is a large explosion in interest with this area. Technologies like the slide rule (an analog computer used for multiplying and dividing) were invented. Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline which was a very popular mechanical computer. Charles Babbage developed the difference engine which tabulated polynomial equations using the method of finite differences.

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1.2.4 Difference Engine There were lots of different machines created during this era and while we have not yet gotten to a machine that can do more than one type of calculation in one, like our modernday calculators, we are still learning about how all of our all-in-one machines started. Also, if you look at the size of the machines invented in this time compared to the power behind them it seems absolutely ridiculous to understand why anybody would want to use them, but to the people living in this time, ALL of those inventions were HUGE. 1.2.5 Electromechanical Now we are finally getting close to some technologies that resemble our modern-day technology. The electromechanical age can be defined as the time between 1840 and 1940.

These are the beginning of telecommunication. The telegraph was created in the early 1800s.

Morse code was created by Samuel Morse in 1835. The telephone (one of the most popular forms of communication ever) was created by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. The first radio developed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1894. All of these were extremely crucial emerging technologies that led to big advances in the information technology field.

The first large-scale automatic digital computer in the United States was the Mark 1 created

by Harvard University around 1940. This computer was 8ft high, 50ft long, 2ft wide, and weighed 5 tons – HUGE. It was programmed using punch cards. How does your pc match up to this hunk of metal? It was from huge machines like this that people began to look at downsizing all the parts to first make them usable by businesses and eventually in your own home.

1.2.6 Electronic The electronic age is what we currently live in. It can be defined as the time between 1940 and right now. The ENIAC was the first high-speed, digital computer capable of being 6

reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing problems. This computer was designed to be used by the US Army for artillery firing tables. This machine was even bigger than the Mark 1 taking u 680 square feet and weighing 30 tons. It mainly used vacuum tubes to do its calculations.

There are 4 main sections of digital computing. The first era of vacuum tubes and punch cards like the ENIAC and Mark 1. Rotating magnetic drums were used for internal storage.

The second generation replaced vacuum tubes with transistors, punch cards were replaced with magnetic tape, and rotating magnetic drums were replaced by magnetic cores for internal storage. Also, during this time, high level programming languages were created such as FORTRAN and COBOL. The third generation replaced transistors with integrated circuits, magnetic core turned into metal oxide semiconductors. An actual operating system sowed up around this time along with the advance programming language BASIC. The fourth and latest generation brought in CPUs (central processing units) which contained memory, logic, and control circuits all on a single chip (DAM 462: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, National Open University Of Nigeria).

The discipline of information theory came into focus with Claude E. Shannon’s classical paper, “A mathematical theory of communication” in 1948. This theory deals with the amount of information and does not handle the meaning of information. Similarly, the theory failed to provide necessary help in the design of an information system. As a result, the initial interest on information theory declined. However, the discipline starts to gain widespread acceptance only in the last few years. This is attributed to the fact that information technology now provides the support necessary to build an information system that serves best for some specific and application (David, 1992).

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The ICT industry according to Nworgu (2007) appears to be making significant in road into the Nigeria society. Prior to 1999, ICT resources and facilities were grossly limited in the country. Only very few wealthy Nigerians had access to these facilities and services.

Internet facilities and services were rare to come by and the facsimile (i.e. Fax) remained for a long time, the only means available to Nigerians for transmitting and receiving data or documents to other parts of the world. Public awareness of ICT and its application was low.

But now, the picture is entirely different. Huge investments have been made by both the public and private sectors in the ICT business in the country. Within the last three (3) years, the country has witnessed tremendous expansion in ICT resources and facilities.

About 20 million Nigerians now have access to GSM. With the liberalization policy of the Federal Government, more GSM operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been licensed and are now operating in the country. Millions of Nigerians now have access to these facilities and services even in the rural communities (Nwabueze et al, 2013) A significant milestone in the development of the ICT industry in the country is the formulation of a National Information Technology Policy (NITP), which was approved in March, 2001 by the Federal Executive Council. With the enactment of this policy came the establishment

of

an

implementing

agency-the

National

Information

Technology

Development Agency (NITDA) in April 2001. This agency is charged with the responsibility of implementing Nigeria’s IT policy “as well as promotes the healthy growth and development of the IT industry in Nigeria (Isoun, 2003).

In Nasarawa State, a baby State created in 1996 the stride is also good; even as the National Technology Development Agency has commissioned its Rural Information Technology Centre (RITC) in the State. This took place on the 13th of February, 2008 and the project

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which is described as the first of its kind in the State is geared towards bridging the digital divide between the rural and urban areas of the State and the Country at large.

The present governor of the State His Excellency, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura in his inaugural speech in 2011, made it clear what steps he intended to take towards a good Information technology base in the State. “We will restore education, particularly science, to its rightful place, and transform our institutions of learning to meet the standards of the time.

In particular, we will ensure that the benefits of Information Technology penetrate the State inside and outside our places of learning� (Text of the Inaugural Address by His Excellency, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Executive Governor, Nasarawa State, Lafia: Sunday, 29th May, 2011).

Today, the terms information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term is more recognizable than ever before. The end objective is to make the effective and efficient use of information to resolve uncertainty and enhance productivity at each level; individual, society and government (Charlse, 2001).

1.3 The Concept of Business Management To clearly understand the concept of business management, one must attempt to see and define the phrase as two different units, which include business and how it is managed.

Wikipedia defines Management as an act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal (Wikipedia, 2013).

Business, also known as enterprise or firm as seen by the Wikipedia – is an organization involved in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers.

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Business Management as defined by the Business Dictionary include activities associated with running a company, such as controlling, leading, monitoring, organizing, and planning.

Based on these definitions, one can agree that Business Management is a process through which the trade of goods and services are coordinated towards a desired goal or end.

The etymology of “business” relates to the state of being busy either as an individual or society, as a whole, doing commercially viable and profitable work. The term “business” has at least three usages, depending on the scope – the singular usage to mean a particular organization; the generalized usage to refer to a particular market sector, “the music business” and compound forms such as agribusiness; and the broadest meaning, which encompasses all activity by the community of suppliers of goods and services (Wikipedia, 2013).

The efficient and effective operation of a business, and study of this subject, is called management. In recent decades, assets and enterprises that were run by various states have been modeled after business enterprises. Business process management (BPM) is a holistic management approach focused on aligning all aspects of an organization with wants and needs of clients. It promotes business effectiveness and efficiency while striving for innovation, flexibility, and integration with technology. BPM attempts to improve processes continuously. It can therefore be described as “process optimization process.” It is argued that BPM enables organizations to be more efficient, more effective and more capable of change than functionally focused, traditional hierarchical management approach (Wikipedia, 2013).

It is worthy of note that many productive businesses in past times are businesses that have had good record keeping ethics, vibrant and far reaching communication procedures and a robust form of information gathering as a practical practice; small wonder that businesses of 10

today that are doing exceedingly well are businesses that have employed the simplifying and far reaching capacity of technology.

The business value of Information Technology is to automate business processes, provide information for decision making, connect businesses with their customers, and provide productivity tools to increase efficiency (Wikipedia Encyclopedia).

The traditional ways of doing business have gradually been phased out by the ever encompassing nature of Information Technology. This has proved to a very large extent to be true from the many advocates who attribute to the advantages of technology.

Linda Richard (2013) in her online article “Information Technology and its uses in Business Management� expressed Information Technology as an essential partner in the management of one’s business, regardless of the kind of enterprise one operates. She further expressed that regardless of the need, whether for computer storage, transfer, retrieval or transmission of information; a business can be managed with greater accuracy and efficiency with assistance of information technology and computer applications.

Inventory, sales, receivables and payables stored in excel, open office or a similar program keeps these figures at your finger tips. Accounting software stores your payroll information, tax records and specialized data for your business (Linda Richard, 2013).

She observed that much of physical storage at the office can be eliminated by using information technology by way of scanning and storing old personnel and payroll files, tax files or client files.

Marketing, the presentation of goods, products and services to consumers or clients in such a way that they will find it desirable enough to purchase without doubt stands out as a critical aspect of business. Linda Richard (2013) in her article explains that large and small businesses are on a level playing field on the internet. With Web Presence, she states that 11

both categories of businesses and anyone else can take orders, buy merchandise, sell excess or even operate some businesses entirely online. She illustrated the QR (Quick Response) code that looks like a bar code as marketing tool that when scanned advertises a businesses’ web address, including any text of choice that promotes the product or business.

Other strategies that information technology uses to improve management of a business enterprise are by ways of current trend updates such as techniques, software, human resources and as she explains an assurance of knowledge that helps keep the business on the cutting edge. Communication by e-mail is faster and costs less and in the use of e-mails a business can be transformed into the 21st Century.

1.4 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM It is without doubt that efforts geared towards providing access to information and communication technologies over the years for third world countries has gotten better. The issue remains how they have attempted to put such a valuable resource to use, so as to benefit from the multitude of advantages that there is to be gained.

The Federal Executive Council of the Federal Republic of Nigeria approved a national Information Technology (IT) policy in March 2001 with the establishment of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), charged with the implementation responsibility (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2001). An Objective of the National Information Technology Policy among others is to: ensure that information technology resources are readily available to promote efficient national development, guarantee that the country benefits maximally, and contributes meaningfully by providing the global solutions to the challenges of an information age etc.

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It is sad however to observe that many states in the country are critically on a backwards scale with relevance to this policy. Factors such as fear, human influence and infrastructural development in the country as agreed by many have been contributive to this said turnover.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS This study intends to answer the following research questions: 1. What proportion of business enterprises in Nasarawa State is applying Information Technology?

2. What are the socio-economic problems that are crippling access to Information Technology?

3. How is rapidly advancing technology managed?

4. What is the level of Information Technology Technical Assistance obtained within the State?

5. What are the limitations/challenges to the effective application of ICT to business enterprises in the state?

AIM AND OBJECTIVES The following are the aim and objectives of the research study: AIM To assess the level of awareness/access of ICT, identify some or all of the challenges bringing about limitations to its effective use, establish the benefits derived/derivable from its use and hopes of more utilization by business enterprises; and to identify the level of active ICT skills in the State.

OBJECTIVES i. To understand the reasons why there is a lack of utilization in the use of ICT by business enterprises in the State.

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ii. To develop a new approach to ICT within the State. iii. To asses the advantages/disadvantages consumers are facing using ICT in the State.

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CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.0 INTRODUCTION A literature review is the identification, reading, summarization, and evaluation of previously published articles, books, reports, or Internet entries on a particular topic. Sometimes the review may also encompass unpublished documents such as dissertations, manuals, or personal correspondence. A field’s literature is the record of earlier work in that field (Barzun & Graff, 1977), which forms the foundation on which all future work in the field is, based (Borg & Gall, 1979) (Anne F. Marrelli, 2005).

The following review has been performed based on the above explanation, with a view to present fully the issue at hand.

2.1 THE CONCEPT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Information Technology today has proved itself to be the most cutting edge technology of the 21st Century. This is evident in the way businesses cut across the globe operate. With the advent of the Android phones and many other internet compliant smart gadgets, marketing strategies such as advertising, promotions, selling and buying have greatly improved over the years.

A typical example is the all impressive social network called FaceBook. In very simple terms, FaceBook offers the smallest businesses an extremely farfetched opportunity and possibility of making their trade, production or commerce known globally to the World; hence the saying “The World has turned into a global village with the coming of Information Technology”.

It is obvious therefore the advantages that the use of Information Technology has brought about to business organizations: large scale, medium scale or small scale enterprises, 15

government and corporate establishments and the likes of them. Among these advantages to mention but a few: i.

Information Tech has revolutionized the phase of business around the world.

Local businesses have become international due to a simple website. I.T. has helped businesses in advertising (wiki.answers.com, 2013).

ii.

The accessibility of information -- the availability, quality, and speed of information are all combining to transform our work and personal lives. Whether you are "Googling" to find a local pizzeria or researching a service provider, information access has never been easier. The threat is that many traditional information-based business models will be replaced by online digital business models, while the opportunities include the ability to work faster and deliver a higher quality product, often independent of employer location (New Venture Lab, 2006).

Information Technology, or IT, describes any technology that powers or enables the storage, processing and information flow within an organization. Anything involved with computers, software, networks, intranets, Web sites, servers, databases and telecommunications falls under the IT umbrella (Dave Roos, 2012).

Dave Roos further explains that most modern businesses depend heavily on information systems, from employee e-mail to database management to e-commerce Web sites. He further states that “Even a small, home-based cookie business needs an order-tracking system�. An order tracking system generally should be able to tell you who is ordering what and should be able to collect numerical data about customers and aggregate the data into significant reports.

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In his bid to show the importance Information Technology has on present and future global activities Dave Roos reported that “Four of the ten most in-demand jobs right now in the United States are IT jobs”. He also reported that “IT is every where”. And explained that “For that reason, IT professionals are high in demand”, which lead him to estimate that “From 2004 to 2014, it’s estimated that there will be 1.3 million job openings in the IT sector”.

2.2 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS Even as there is a driver behind the wheel of a car, so are there people who are behind the driving wheel of Information Technology as a tool. These people are referred to as experts or professionals in the field of Information Technology. They are responsible for the overall running of Internet Applications, Web sites, and many of the smart phones/computer appliances that make up information technology; whether in the general or in the specific.

Some of these experts include the following: i.

Administrators: Some IT folks work behind the scenes to make sure that all the information systems we take for granted run smoothly. These are database, network and systems administrators (Dave Roos, 2012).

ii.

Analysts: Others help design these information systems according to an organization’s needs. These are database, network and systems analysts (Dave Roos, 2012).

iii.

Engineers: Others help develop hardware and software to make these systems more robust, reliable and secure. These are hardware and software engineers (Dave Roos, 2012).

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iv.

Web Developers and Designers: Still others make sure that this information is presented to the user in a clear, useful, dynamic way. These are Web Developers and designers (Dave Roos, 2012).

2.3 IMPACT OF IT (INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY) ON BUSINESS Information Technology has a wide range of components. Looking at the history of Information Technology as discussed in chapter one, we can see that the present age ICT emphasizes on mobile phones, television, Radio and more emphatically on computers and the internet. To remove ambiguity from the context of this literature, we will base Information Technology on mobile phones, Computers and the internet. This is so that the essence of this study, which capitalizes on the use of the internet, is not completely lost.

We could start from the Social Media FaceBook; the web based social network that needs the internet to work, which in my opinion has given a big boom to cost effective advertising and eased the usual buy and sell ways of transactions.

Social Media refers to the means of interaction among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Andreas Kaplan and Micheal Haenlein define social media as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Furthermore, social media depends on mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content. It introduces substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organizations, communities and individuals. Social media differentiates from traditional/industrial media in many aspects such as quality, reach, frequency, usability, immediacy and permanence (Wikipedia, 2013).

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The ubiquity of the Web has made these networks of trade even quicker to form and more complex. Anyone, no matter his or her interests, can surf the Internet for goods and services and make quick transactions (JohnFuller, 2013).

Over the past 30 years information technology has had an increasing presence in the operational side of most businesses (John Pickett et al, 2012).

According to (Toby Merill et al, 2011), “In less than a decade, social media in many ways, seems to have “taken over the world.” This statement is not hyperbole. As one of the largest social networking sites in the social media universe, Facebook boasted more than 750 million people actively using its service”.

Even so, the vast majority of companies did not immediately join the social media revolution.

Instead, they spent varying amounts of time observing from the sidelines. But when the first wave of companies did join, it was because they anticipated the significant business benefits of this “brave new world” – where the personal, the professional, and the commercial combine seamlessly, and in the blink of an eye (Toby Merill et al, 2011).

Given these, one of the possible reasons why in Nigeria and to narrow things down further; in Nasarawa State there is lag in the full exploitation of Information Technology Business Strategies is because there is a practical deficiency of knowledge on how these scientific tools can be of benefit.

(Toby Merill et al, 2011) distinguished that “Many others, however, remained unconvinced often because of a lack of information and an unclear understanding of how social media could be beneficial”.

They went further to explain the difference between traditional and social media and how the social media (Internet and mobile technologies for interactive social networking), a large element of Information Technology has brought about change to World Business practices.

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According to them, “Unlike traditional Media, which offers a one-way experience (in which media outlets broadcast information for public consumption), social media offers a two-way interactive experience. Consumers of social media, unlike consumers of traditional media, can interact instantly and directly with either the originators or the authors of the proffered information. They can interact with each other, too. The interaction and cross-communication that social media makes possible is precisely what makes social media so world-changing”.

Many examples of these social media include Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Silp, Fan Box etc.

In a bid to relate marketing and social media (John Pickett et al, 2012) “describes the transformation that social media has brought to the business world”. They described 3 media stages. “In the pre media age consumer influence could be through face to face discussions or through talking to a seller. In the mass media age, people could talk face to face, through phone calls; they could talk with a shop worker, consult professionals, write letters to the media or phone in to TV and radio”.

However, this two media ages described have limitations when compared to the social media age. The chart above shows vividly how the level of activity increases from one age to the other. This increase in the level of activity defines a significant change for a particular media age. The more the change, the more the impact that media age had or has on people and how they go about their daily business transactions.

(John Pickett, 2012) analyses the third media age as such, “In the social media age, the range of opportunities for influence by the individual consumer is extensive and is listed in the chart. This has created a radically different environment than has existed in the past and companies are considering how they should deal with this”.

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So far, we can see that Information Technology has brought about a radical change by improving on the level of interaction between people, (here, people may refer to buyers and sellers). Using the description above within the social media segment, a simple analogy can be drawn by connecting elements like Phone calls Site

Chat rooms

Comments on websites

Social Network Page

Price Comparison sites

Photo Sharing Social Shopping

Sites. The analogy should look like the diagram below.

DIAGRAM SHOWING INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BUYERS AND SELLERS USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Buyers

Phone Calls

Sellers

Social Network Page Photo Sharing Site Chart Rooms

Comments on Websites Price Comparison Sites Social Shopping Sites

The Diagram tries to show as much as possible how very easy a business transaction can be carried out either within local or across international borders with as much ease and comfort as possible. Looking at the communication at phone level and the communication at social network page, we can clearly see that the social network page offers more communication elements compared to what the phone communication offers. However, when these two communication tools are put together; we have an even more powerful communication tool that brought about a radical change to the way business dealings can be carried out.

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The Social Media Marketing Report reports on the views of social media marketers and has been conducted annually for the past four years. Its 2012 report highlights the following: i.

83 % of marketers indicate that social media is important to their business

ii.

40 % want to know how to measure the return on social media

iii.

76 % plan to use more video and YouTube

iv.

40 % use Google +, 70 % want to know more about it and 67 % plan to use it more

v.

Top three benefits of social media marketing: business exposure, increased traffic, marketplace insight

vi.

Top five tools used (in order) Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs, YouTube

vii.

Most marketers use social media 6 or more hours per week – third more than 11 hours

viii.

Only 30 % outsource some part of their social media marketing

Growth is also taking place in mobile technology, with increasingly advanced devices and more and more apps available. Tablets are growing in the market and there is increasing use of mobile broadband, enabled by unlimited data usage plans (John Pickett, 2012).

Mobile Network Companies such as MTN, GLO, AIRTEL, ETISALAT and a host of others understand the stratagem that lies in promoting mobile broadband. They offer very attractive data usage plans that are large at very low costs. These enables mobile people stay online, in touch with business and everyday work activities almost every second of the day as necessary. The advantages here are not limited to businesses staying online as described above; these Mobile Network Companies understand the value that has been placed in online business activities. As they promote mobile broadband, they promote and add value to their own businesses. Some of these Network Companies go further than broadband to help other enterprises advertise their businesses on the internet. A typical example is the MTN Mobile Network Company. Recently, there has been a text message that they have been 22

circulating asking if one is an SME (Small/Medium Enterprise), and if one is reaching all potential customers? They go further to say “Get your business listed for free today on www.mtnbusiness.com.ng/directory and expand your reach. From this, we can see that there is of course a great advantage that lies in the utilization of the dividends of Information Technology especially in the context of business. A business directory that offers speedy access to business enterprises at the touch of a button suffices over the traditional paper based business directory often referred to as yellow pages. This remains the goal and advantage of Information Technology – Access Speed.

2.4 OTHER AREAS IN WHICH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HAS IMPACTED BUSINESSES It will not be complete to talk about Social Media as an impact of information technology to businesses today, without talking about e-commerce, the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and the television – even though the impact of the television and GSM may be less compared to the aforementioned, it still operates within the sphere of networks.

2.4.1 E-COMMERCE As expressed by the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, “the business value of Information Technology is to automate business processes, provide information for decision making, connect businesses with their customers, and provide productivity tools to increase efficiency. So is the tendency associated with electronic commerce, often shortened to ecommerce.

According to (Microsoft Encarta, 2009), Electronic Commerce or e-commerce, is the exchange of goods and services by means of the Internet or other computer networks. Ecommerce follows the same basic principles as traditional commerce—that is, buyers and sellers come together to exchange goods for money. But rather than conducting business in the traditional way—in stores and other “brick and mortar” buildings or through mail order 23

catalogs and telephone operators—in e-commerce buyers and sellers transact business over networked computers. E-commerce offers buyers convenience. They can visit the World Wide Web sites of multiple vendors 24 hours a day and seven days a week to compare prices and make purchases, without having to leave their homes or offices. In some cases, consumers can immediately obtain a product or service, such as an electronic book, a music file, or computer software, by downloading it over the Internet (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

For sellers, e-commerce offers a way to cut costs and expand their markets. They do not need to build, staff, or maintain a store or print and distribute mail order catalogs. Automated order tracking and billing systems cut additional labor costs, and if the product or service can be downloaded, e-commerce firms have no distribution costs. Because they sell over the global Internet, sellers have the potential to market their products or services globally and are not limited by the physical location of a store. Internet technologies also permit sellers to track the interests and preferences of their customers with the customer’s permission and then use this information to build an ongoing relationship with the customer by customizing products and services to meet the customer’s needs (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

There are different ways in e-commerce operates, the following are some of them: i.

Product Transactions: Retail Web sites typically include electronic catalogs that describe and display products for sale. Consumers can search for individual items or randomly browse electronic catalogs, some much larger than their mail order print counterparts. An Internet book retailer, for example, can offer millions of different book titles for sale on its Web site, far more titles than could fit into a store or that could be included cost-effectively in a print catalog (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

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ii.

Service Transactions: Other e-commerce businesses offer services. Financial services represent a large segment of e-commerce. For a small fee, online investment brokerages trade stocks on behalf of their clients. Online stock brokerages typically charge customers lower fees than traditional stock brokerages (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

iii.

Auctions: Some e-commerce sites specialize in bringing buyers and sellers together, rather than selling products from their own inventories. Online auctioneers provide sellers a way to list and display items for sale and take bids from interested buyers. An online auctioneer may bring together millions of users and feature more than 700,000 items at any given time (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

iv.

Business-to-Business Transactions: Business-to-business commerce represents one of the fastest growing segments of e-commerce. Businesses order supplies and coordinate complicated projects electronically. For example, construction companies use e-commerce to order construction materials and coordinate the work of subcontractors. Before e-commerce, this work was conducted via telephone, facsimile, and regular mail. Subcontractors often lost time waiting for necessary parts to arrive or for another part of the project to be completed. With ecommerce, however, software can automatically track the inventories of manufacturers and suppliers so that both have adequate supplies on hand and no longer need to have excess inventories. Reducing inventories enables both manufacturers and suppliers to lower costs. The labor-intensive method of printing and then faxing or mailing purchase orders can also be avoided because

25

software can create purchase orders and send them electronically (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

The advantages derivable from this technological tool cannot be over emphasized. Today, people are able to work from home; people are able to interact with clients across international boundaries with little or no barriers at all. This goes a large extent in promoting the businesses of those who might have had no hope in selling their business to a broader and wider audience at extraordinarily low costs.

E-commerce helps trucking and shipping companies match shipments with shippers. Before e-commerce, it was not uncommon for trucks or ships to drop off a shipment and then return to their base of operations empty. This practice was inefficient and cost the trucking or shipping company money. Specialized e-commerce software, along with the Global Positioning System (GPS), enables trucking firms to track the whereabouts of their trucks at all times and make better decisions as to how their trucks are routed so they can respond efficiently and cost-effectively to companies that need their services, dramatically reducing the number of trucks returning empty (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

The saying goes, that whatever has an advantage must have a disadvantage. This is also true of e-commerce, as there are associated disadvantages with this venture; although in situations where the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, the advantages become more significant than the disadvantages.

Consumers are reluctant to buy some products online. Online furniture businesses, for example, have failed for the most part because customers want to test the comfort of an expensive item such as a sofa before they purchase it. Many people also consider shopping a 26

social experience. For instance, they may enjoy going to a store or a shopping mall with friends or family, an experience that they cannot duplicate online. Consumers also need to be reassured that credit card transactions are secure and that their privacy is respected (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

2.4.2 GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications): Some companies also use telephone marketing, called telemarketing, a technique used in selling to businesses as well as to consumers. Most consumer products, however, move from the manufacturer through agents to wholesalers and then to retailers, ultimately reaching the consumer (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

2.4.3 TELEVISION: Television is a potent tool in direct marketing because it facilitates the demonstration of products in use. Direct sale of all kinds of goods to the public via homeshopping clubs broadcasting on cable television channels is gaining in popularity (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).

2.5 NASARAWA STATE AND THE TREND SO FAR According to the Official Website of Nasarawa State, the State came into existence on the 1st of October, 1996. The state occupies a total land area of 27,137.8 square kilometers and has an estimated population of One Million five hundred and one thousand, three hundred and eighty seven (1, 501, 387). Nasarawa State has many mineral resources and has a lot of untapped energy resources. Like the neighboring Benue State, Agriculture is the main economic activity of the State.

In his aspiration to boost and improve socio-economic development in the State, His Excellency Umaru Tanko Almakura, Governor of Nasarawa State delivered a speech on the occasion of the commissioning of Lafia Modern Market on February 9th 2012. He expressed 27

how impressed he was with the huge turnout of market men and women of the business community, the prominent sons and daughters of Nasarawa State and how that underscored the significance of the project to the socio-economic development of the State.

The Governor pointed out Lafia to be the commercial nerve center in the North central geopolitical zone given the enormous agricultural endowments, other natural resources as well as the enterprising population in the area. He also pointed Lafia as a strategic city that attracts business activities from all parts of the country. He further pointed out that since the creation of Nasarawa State in 1996, the influx of people into Lafia and the attendant growth and expansion of business activities have overstretched the available facilities in the old Lafia market. He however expressed happiness in the commissioning of the commercial complex as it was a fulfillment of the long aspiration of the people for a state-of-the-art market, believing that it will mark the beginning of more robust commercial activities in Lafia essential for the promotion of socio-economic development in the State, and indeed, the North Central zone.

It is important to note the attendant growth and expansion of business activities within Lafia as disclosed. This shows to a large extent that the level and degree to which business transactions are run is at a high percentage. The percentage is high to the extent that available market facilities are overstretched.

Yet, Nasarawa State with a high percentage of business activities still falls under the category of States with a high percentage of impoverished people. This is literally so, because the possibility for people to market their businesses especially for the poor is low and inefficient.

What access do they have to Information Technology tools that really go a long way in giving them access to the wider world? And with access to such tools, do they know how to go about using them.

28

(Prof.Cleopas O.Angaye, 2010) at the Nigeria Computer Society Discussion Forum on Friday December 10,2010 at the Events Center,Ikeja ,Lagos. Pointed out that “…the federal Government may have set the tone with many commendable IT initiatives, but many state Governments (except a few) and local Governments have lacked the will to follow the examples. So the benefits of IT have not sufficiently trickled down the grassroots. That is partly why NITDA introduced the rural information Technology Centers (RITC) at the State and Local Government levels. The aim is to help bridge the internal digital divide in the country”.

He also pointed out that IT development in African nations (not Nigeria in particular) was being hampered by lack of “adequate political will…to fully support and embrace new technologies”.

Nigerians may not have forgotten the era of ‘tally numbers’ and long queues in banks.

Today, banking transactions can be done in the comfort of living rooms and offices (Prof.Cleopas O.Angaye, 2010).

Apart from the banks, many businesses have migrated to the online environment. Airline tickets are now available at the press of a few computer buttons. Hotels and hospitality industry, to name just two, have improved service delivery through online presence and the application of information Technology. What makes one glad is that Nigerians are at the heart of some of those efforts. (Prof.Cleopas O.Angaye, 2010).

The licensing of several hardware manufacturing companies has also given Nigeria an identity in global information Technology practices (Prof.Cleopas O.Angaye, 2010).

They have been the mainstay of NITDA’S computer-in every-home campaign (Prof.Cleopas O.Angaye, 2010).

29

Prof.Cleopas O. Angaye wrapped up the forum saying “...Information Technology as a crosscutting sector has been responsible (directly or indirectly) for any recorded growth and development in the economy. Its impact spans all sectors‌â€?

The rapid expansion of social computing which has seen the development of social media sites such as Facebook, Bebo and Twitter, to name but a few, will continue to be a major factor influencing how the IT sector develops. There is also an increasing desire for people to have more work-life balance and flexible work patterns in their lives. IT has an important part to play in this as we will see more demand for wireless internet access and more technologically advanced communication systems which will enable more people to work from home in virtual work places. (Gillian Coyle, 2010).

Technology provides a wide range of tools entrepreneurs can use to guide their new companies through the startup and growth stages. Small-business accounting, Marketing and communication have been revolutionized by advances in computer, network and communications technology, and businesses in a range of industries continually adapt to take full advantage of technological developments (David Ingram, 2013).

The Internet has all but leveled the playing field for small-business marketers competing against established businesses. With advanced video and graphics editing software, smallbusiness owners can create professional marketing materials that reach thousands or millions of viewers online. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of cost-efficient web marketing tools such as Google AdWords to spread targeted marketing messages to a broad audience or a select niche. Several small businesses can share expensive advertising space online through banner- and traffic-swaps (David Ingram, 2013).

Time management is crucial for any small-business owner. Freeing up time from administrative minutiae can allow you to focus on more productive activities, such as 30

drumming up new business and making vital contacts with suppliers and potential strategic partners. Advances in computer and cellular telephone technology allow business

owners

unprecedented access to in-depth scheduling and customer relationship management software, enabling busy entrepreneurs to hold "face to face" meetings online, from anywhere in the world (David Ingram, 2013).

Despite the numerous advantages granted by modern technology, there are still drawbacks to technology' s inseparable relationship with the business world. One such drawback is the increase in startup expenses for new businesses. Almost every new business requires computer workstations, multiple telephone lines and network infrastructure before it can begin operations. Bootstrap entrepreneurs can often get away with using their own PCs and cell phones during the startup phase, but serious new ventures undertaken by experienced entrepreneurs usually involve large infrastructure projects to accommodate rapid growth (David Ingram, 2013).

It goes on and on, and the benefits of Information Technology and its potent quality towards promoting and expanding socio-economic development and growth of a State, Nation, or Federation cannot be over emphasized.

It is incumbent therefore for the leadership of a State especially one with the aspiration and belief of more robust commercial activities, which is essential for the promotion of socioeconomic development to, ensure the availability and the technical know how of such tools that are required to ensure success. This can be done by providing adequate power supply, affordable and widespread internet accessibility, awareness on the importance and usefulness of Information Technology to the socio-economic growth of individuals and the State at large.

31

CHAPTER THREE MATERIALS AND METHOD/ METHODOLOGY 3.0 INTRODUCTION This chapter describes the research that was carried out for the purpose of this thesis. It is carried out to investigate the possibility of future success and the discord resulting from a clash of ideas or opinions in relation to the use of information technology in business management. It has therefore followed formal procedures and etiquettes as used in investigative researches. These means that the research has particular research questions that needs to be answered. These research questions will be used to generate data that will be tested in an empirical way. The study desires to show the level of application of information technology, the prospects of future growth and the challenges that are peculiar to its use particularly in Nasarawa State environs, with a view into how businesses are utilizing such encompassing technology in the State. This is due to the fact that present day information technology presents better business routes, robust communication and advancement in the technological sphere of business activities. This is expected to lead to inductive conclusions.

An inductive argument attempts to support the truth of its conclusion with probability. A statement is probable if there is a greater than 50% chance that it is true – i.e., it is more likely than not that it is true (home.southernct.edu/~gillilandr1/Tutorial/3.htm, 2013).

Here, the research design and data collection procedures will be discussed, elucidated and put in plain words. Data analyses will thereafter be presented. The questions asked where mostly closed-ended questions and where analyzed using SPSS Descriptive Statistics in the form of frequencies.

32

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN An instrument in the form of a questionnaire was designed for the purpose of gaining statistical information (see APPENDIX A). The questionnaire allowed for the development of an index, which is necessary for the measure of complex concepts. Control variables were included in the questionnaire, to ascertain if the control variables as well have substantial influence, and to verify if the sample distribution was spread over diverse sectors and substantially represents the population it intends to represent, with a great accuracy of outcome.

The method used was formal research. Formal research refers to a writing format that is more objective and non personal. It has a standard format that researchers are bound to adhere to.

Formal research typically starts from the broad perspective, from general to specific and then back to the general (http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-a-formal-research, 2013).

It was used in answering the research questions to assess the level of awareness/access of ICT, identify some or all of the challenges bringing about limitations to its effective use, and establish the benefits derived/derivable from its use and hopes of more utilization by business enterprises; and to identify the level of active ICT skills in the State.

A survey was used for this. To ensure that the respondents selected were the ideal respondents for the research work. And also to ascertain their level of insight with regard to providing accurate answers for the research work, so as to adjust if need be and to ensure that a good distribution and a good quality of the sample is maintained.

The purpose of the study is to try and explain casually relationships between variables in the instance that if for example there are a high number of literate people in ICT, then there are better chances of ICT utilization. And in a second instance; if there is availability of infrastructure then there is a high prospect of ICT utilization.

33

The questionnaire was the exclusive means through which data was gathered. The most common means of collecting data are the interview and self- or group-administered questionnaire. In the past, the interview has been the most popular data-collecting instrument.

Recently, the questionnaire has surpassed the interview in popularity, especially in the military (http://faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/question.htm, 2013).

The advantages of administering a questionnaire instead of conducting an interview are: lower costs, better samples, standardization and respondent privacy (anonymity) (http://faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/question.htm, 2013). These advantages are the particular reason for the use of the questionnaire in data collection.

The research method involved a survey of business/corporate organizations and agencies: their level of awareness and application of ICT (Information Communication Technology).

46 respondents from diverse business/corporate organizations and agencies were selected for the sole purpose of gaining perception to the ICT structure of the business/corporate organizations and agencies in relation to their business activities/operations. Before starting the survey, a classification of such business/corporate organizations and agencies were predefined in which the questionnaires were to be distributed.

The researcher had no interference in the filling of the questionnaire, as a respectable distance was given for ease of the respondent. However, the researcher was available to give explanations and clarifications of questions that were not clearly understood. As such, the researcher had low influence on the variables of the research. Respondent privacy was also maintained to allow for the respondents to feel free in giving socially involved answers.

This research presented respondents with a questionnaire that needed a 15 minute time frame to fill. It was distributed in the month of December and didn’t need to make comparisons between different points in time. The answers were in no way influenced by the researcher 34

because the respondents were given respectable distance to anonymously fill the questionnaire in their convenience and at ease.

3.2 DATA COLLECTION Before the distribution of the questionnaire, the instrument was tested on a few respondents (precisely 4 respondents) to ascertain the clarity of the questions and the level of understanding of the respondents. It turned out that a higher percentage of the respondents understood the questions clearly and did not need assistance to fill in the questionnaire.

The questionnaire was structured in 3 component question types. The first component contained close ended questions that directly tried to establish quantities as associated to the respondent’s mode of conducting day-by-day business operations/activities. Close-ended questions are a good source of quantitative information in needs assessments. That’s because responses can more easily be tabulated. In contrast, open-ended questions can be harder to categorize but are particularly useful because they tend to provide qualitative information that describes the nature of a respondent’s feelings and beliefs in more detail (http://idaresources.acf.hhs.gov/pagePDF?pageid=a047000000B7oyO, 2001).

The second component contained a single open ended question that gave the respondent the opportunity to describe generally, situations surrounding ineffective usage of Information Communication Technology as related to the respondent’s environment; so as to establish the essential quality of the respondent’s situation. The third component contained questions that served as control variables i.e. gender, job designation, date of birth, industry and the age of the establishment.

Several data sources came to play during data collection: 1. Discussion: so as to exchange views regarding the level of understanding of the questionnaire.

35

2. Observation: so as to validate the accuracy of the data for a more meaningful result.

As such, it can be asserted that the researcher tried as much as possible to triangulate data collection. Triangulation provides data from multiple perspectives and helps reduce the effects that the limitations of any one particular method may have on your data and conclusions

(http://toolkit.pellinstitute.org/evaluation-guide/collect-data/link-research-

questions-and-collection-methods/, 2013).

The surveys were conducted at different locations and within different business premises.

The respondents were given time to go through the questionnaire and ascertain if they could answer immediately or if they needed to be given more time say a day or two, to respond carefully to the questionnaire. Respondents were however, told to be relaxed and at ease when filling the questionnaire.

1% of the people asked declined to fill the questionnaire. One person in total said that refusing to fill the questionnaire was as a result of being too busy and in a bid of job protection. Another respondent kept stalling to avoid filling the questionnaire. None of the filled in questionnaires was deleted. 80% of the questionnaires were distributed within Lafia, the Nasarawa State Capital the remaining 20% were distributed outside the State Capital.

3.3 DATA ANALYSIS With the aid of a system, the answers to the distributed questionnaire have been input and organized using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences); repetitive comparisons of data and analysis have been made to help in obtaining the answers to the research questions: What proportion of business enterprises in Nasarawa State is applying Information Technology? What are the socio-economic problems that are crippling access to Information 36

Technology? How is rapidly advancing technology managed? And what is the level of Information Technology Technical Assistance obtained within the State? What are the limitations/challenges to the effective application of ICT to business enterprises in the state?

In analyzing the data, I used descriptive statistics particularly the frequencies analysis.

The frequencies procedure is primarily used for discrete data (e.g., nominal and ordinal data), although there are a number of options that are useful for scale level data (http://my.ilstu.edu/~mshesso/SPSS/analyze1.html, 2014). Generally a frequency is used for looking at detailed information on nominal (category) data and describing the results.

Frequencies options include a table showing counts and percentages, statistics including percentile values, central tendency, dispersion and distribution, and charts including bar charts and histograms (http://www.csub.edu/ssric-trd/spss/SPSS11-4/11-4.htm, 2014).

Descriptive statistics provides simple summaries about the sample and about the observations that have been made. Such summaries may be either quantitative, i.e. summary statistics, or visual, i.e. simple-to-understand graphs. These summaries may either form the basis of the initial description of the data as part of a more extensive statistical analysis, or they may be sufficient

in

and

of

themselves

for

a

particular

investigation

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descriptive_statistics, 2014). Therefore, the tables and charts developed from the data obtained where used by the researcher to answer questions as related to this research work.

37

CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS, ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 4.0 INTRODUCTION 50 respondents were given questionnaires to fill for the purpose of the survey, and it was ensured that they get the possibility of assistance in filling the questionnaires when the need arises. A summary description of the sample group is given here; the descriptive and the frequencies of the analysis as performed by SPSS are also provided, including interpretations and conclusions.

4.1 SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE A sample group of 46 respondents accepted and responded to the questionnaire (see APPENDIX A). 13 female and 33 male respondents working in different organizations and business outlets of which a higher percentage of the organizations/business outlets were founded between 2001 and 2010. A higher percentage of the respondents were between the ages of 33 to 39 with a standard deviation of 1.014 (younger people responded to the questionnaire more than the older people).

The respondents were civil servants (21 respondents); corporate organization workers (9 respondents) or self employed (16 respondents) see Table 1. The respondents worked in different industries, see Table 2, which include farming, marketing, sales, purchasing, manufacturing, goods, services, banking, education, health, ICT and others. The respondents were spread properly over the different sectors as far as the survey is concerned and adequately represented the population they were intended to represent.

Appendix B provides the industry and job title/designation of the 46 respondents.

38

Table 1. Nature of work of Respondents.

Cumulative Frequency Valid

Civil Servant

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

21

45.7

45.7

45.7

9

19.6

19.6

65.2

Self Employed

16

34.8

34.8

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

Corporate Organization

In order to have a good idea of the specifics of their work, the respondents were asked to provide the industry peculiar to the nature of their work. This is to examine the level of application of ICT in that particular industry. Table 2 gives the details of the industries of the respondents accordingly.

Table 2. Industry Sectors of Respondents.

Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

9

19.6

19.6

19.6

Farming

1

2.2

2.2

21.7

Marketing

3

6.5

6.5

28.3

Sales

1

2.2

2.2

30.4

Purchasing

1

2.2

2.2

32.6

15

32.6

32.6

65.2

Manufacturing

1

2.2

2.2

67.4

Goods

2

4.3

4.3

71.7

Services

3

6.5

6.5

78.3

Banking

4

8.7

8.7

87.0

Education

2

4.3

4.3

91.3

Health

2

4.3

4.3

95.7

ICT

2

4.3

4.3

100.0

46

100.0

100.0

Others

Total

39

4.2 ANALYSIS AND ANSWERS TO RESEARCH QUESTIONS 4.2.1 What proportion of business enterprises in Nasarawa State is applying Information Technology?

In order to answer this question, the awareness of the respondents to the existence and importance of ICT was verified. The mode through which communication is carried out between the organizations/business enterprises and their clients was also established. Further more, the mode through which clients communicated back with the organizations/business enterprises was established; this is so as to capture the most relevant means of ICT that is being used by the sample population as a mode of communication. That the organization/business enterprises have a website and /or email also proved to a high degree the level of awareness on the existence and importance of ICT. To this end, the research work tried to establish the existence of a website and or e-mail address for the work place of the respondents. Tables 3 to 6 show the frequencies and percentages of the above with a view towards answering the first research question.

Table 3. Awareness on the existence and importance of ICT to Respondent’s area of work.

Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

44

95.7

95.7

95.7

No

2

4.3

4.3

100.0

46

100.0

100.0

Total

The frequency of respondents who said “yes” to being aware of the existence and importance of ICT to their nature of work is 44, as against the 2 who responded “no”. From the valid percentages therefore, 95.7% show that a higher percentage are aware of the existence and importance of ICT to their nature of work.

40

Six different modes through which ICT can be used to communicate clients by organizations/business enterprises were listed by the researcher for the respondents to choose from: Mobile Phones (CDMA, GSM), Internet and Mobile Phones, Personal Computers, Internet and Personal Computers, Television and Automated Teller Machines (ATM). Table 4 to Table 9 shows the choices of the respondents as related to the use of these ICT modes.

Table 4. Use of Mobile Phones by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients.

Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Percent

Valid Percent

Yes

32

69.6

69.6

69.6

No

14

30.4

30.4

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

69.6% of the respondents affirmed to using Mobile Phones to communicate clients as against 14% that did not.

Table 5. Use of Internet and Mobile Phones by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

24

52.2

52.2

52.2

No

22

47.8

47.8

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

52% of the respondents affirmed to using Internet in conjunction with Mobile Phones to communicate clients as against the 47.8% that did not.

41

Table 6. Use of Personal Computers by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

7

15.2

15.2

15.2

No

39

84.8

84.8

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

84.8% negated to the use of Personal Computers to communicate clients as against the 15.2% that affirmed to using Personal Computers.

Table 7. Use of Internet and Personal Computers by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

11

23.9

23.9

23.9

No

35

76.1

76.1

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

76.1% of the respondents negated to the use of Personal Computers in conjunction with the Internet to communicate clients as against the 23.9% that affirmed to using this ICT mode of communication.

Table 8. Use of Television by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

6

13.0

13.0

13.0

No

40

87.0

87.0

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

87.0% negated to using Television as a means of reaching their clients as against 13.0% that affirmed to using this ICT mode of communication.

42

Table 9. Use of ATM by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

9

19.6

19.6

19.6

No

37

80.4

80.4

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

80.4% negated to using ATM as a means of reaching their clients as against 19.6% that affirmed to using this ICT mode of communication.

To show the percentage of total use of these ICT modes of communication, the average percentage of those that affirmed to using them was compared to the average percentage of those that negated to using them.

The average percentage of those that affirmed to using these 6 ICT modes resulted 193.5/6 = 32.25%, while the average percentage of those that negated to using these 6 ICT modes of communication resulted 406.5/6 = 67.75%. This shows to a large extent that there is under utilization of these forms of ICT in the sphere of organizations/business enterprises communicating their clients.

Six different modes through which ICT can be used by clients to communicate feedback to organizations/business enterprises were also listed by the researcher for the respondents to choose from: Mobile Phones (CDMA, GSM), Internet and Mobile Phones, Personal Computers, Internet and Personal Computers, Television and Automated Teller Machines (ATM). Table 10 to Table 16 shows the choices of the respondents as related to the use of these ICT modes.

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Table 10. Use of Mobile Phones to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

30

65.2

65.2

65.2

No

16

34.8

34.8

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

65.2% of the respondents affirmed receiving feedback from clients through Mobile Phones as against the 34.8% that negated.

Table 11. Use of Internet and Mobile Phones to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

25

54.3

54.3

54.3

No

21

45.7

45.7

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

54.3% of the respondents affirmed receiving feedback from clients through Mobile Phones as against the 45.7% that negated.

Table 12. Use of Personal Computers to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

7

15.2

15.2

15.2

No

39

84.8

84.8

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

84.8% negated to using this form of ICT communication to receive feedback from clients as against the 15.2% that affirmed to using it.

44

Table 13. Use of Internet and Personal Computers to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

9

19.6

19.6

19.6

No

37

80.4

80.4

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

80.4% negated to using Internet in conjunction with Personal Computers to receive feedback from clients as against the 19.6% that affirmed to using it.

Table 14. Use of Television to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

4

8.7

8.7

8.7

No

42

91.3

91.3

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

91.3% negated to using this form of ICT to receive feedback from clients as against the 8.7% that affirmed to using it.

Table 15. Use of ATM to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

4

8.7

8.7

8.7

No

42

91.3

91.3

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

91.3% negated to using ATM to receive feedback from clients as against the 8.7% that affirmed to using it.

45

To show the percentage of total use of these forms of ICT used in receiving feedback from clients, the average percentage of those that affirmed to using them was compared to the average percentage of those that negated to using them.

The average percentage of those that affirmed to using these 6 ICT modes resulted 171.7/6 = 28.61%, while the average percentage of those that negated to using these 6 ICT modes of communication resulted 428.3/6 = 71.38%. This shows to a large extent that there is under utilization of these forms of ICT in the sphere of organizations/business enterprises receiving feedback from their clients.

In a bid to confirm the level of availability and utilization of these forms of ICT: Mobile Phones (CDMA, GSM), Internet and Mobile Phones, Personal Computers, Internet and Personal Computers, Television and Automated Teller Machines (ATM), The respondents were asked if they had easy access to these forms of ICT. Table 16 to Table 21shows the choices of the respondents as related to the ease of access of these ICT modes.

Table 16. Easy Access to Mobile Phones Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

28

60.9

60.9

60.9

No

18

39.1

39.1

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

60.9% affirmed to having easy access to Mobiles Phones as against 39.1% that negated to having easy access.

46

Table 17. Easy Access to Internet and Mobile Phones Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

27

58.7

58.7

58.7

No

19

41.3

41.3

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

58.7% affirmed to having easy access to Internet in conjunction with mobile phones as against 41.3% that negated to having easy access.

Table 18. Easy Access to Personal Computers Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

11

23.9

23.9

23.9

No

35

76.1

76.1

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

76.1% negated to having easy access to Personal Computers as against the 23.9% that affirmed to having easy access.

Table 19. Easy Access to Internet and Personal Computers Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

10

21.7

21.7

21.7

No

36

78.3

78.3

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

78.3% negated to having easy access to Internet in conjunction with computers as against 21.7% that affirmed to having easy access.

47

Table 20. Easy Access to Television Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

10

21.7

21.7

21.7

No

36

78.3

78.3

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

78.3% negated to having easy access to Television as a form of ICT as against the 21.7% that affirmed to having easy access.

Table 21. Easy Access to ATM Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

12

26.1

26.1

26.1

No

34

73.9

73.9

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

73.9% negated to having easy access to ATM, as against the 26.1% that affirmed to having easy access.

To show the percentage to which these forms of ICT can easily be accessed, in other words, the availability and utilization, the average percentage of those that affirmed to having easy access compared to the average percentage of those that negated to having easy access to them.

The average percentage of those that affirmed to having easy access to these 6 ICT modes resulted 213/6 = 35.5%, while the average percentage of those that negated to having easy access to these 6 ICT modes of communication resulted 387/6 = 64.5%. This shows to a large extent that there is difficulty in terms of access, availability and the utilization of these forms of ICT especially by clients.

48

Due to the fact that the Internet has become a backbone to Information Communication Technology in this age, and it is of significance to this research to find out whether organizations/business enterprises are hooked to the information superhighway, questions concerning internet usage were asked including whether or not the organization or business enterprises have websites or e-mail addresses.

The following Table (Table 22) shows the frequencies and percentages of the respondents’ responses to this.

Table 22. Agency/business organization website or e-mail address Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

5

10.9

10.9

10.9

19

41.3

41.3

52.2

Yes, only website

1

2.2

2.2

54.3

Yes, only e-mail

7

15.2

15.2

69.6

None

14

30.4

30.4

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

Yes, both

41.3% affirmed to having a website and an e-mail address, 2.2% affirmed to having only a website, 15.2% affirmed to having only an e-mail address, 30.4% negated to having any and 10.9% declined responding to that question.

Putting together the percentages of those who at least go online through their website, or email or both, we have 58.7% and 41.3% for those who do neither. This shows that there is just a fraction difference between people who use the Internet and people who do not.

To fully answer the question: What proportion of business enterprises in Nasarawa State is applying Information Technology? I can comfortably say 39% is the proportion applying Information Technology to their businesses. This is so because all the percentages of the four tests mentioned that responded positively above have been averaged to come up 49

with 39%. The proportion not applying Information Technology is 61%. This is so because all the percentages of the four tests mentioned above that responded negatively have been averaged to come up with 61%.

4.2.2 What are the socio-economic problems that are crippling access to Information Technology?

Socio-economic can be defined as something “relating to, or involving a combination of social

and

economic

factors”

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socio

economic, 2014). The ease of access of the respondents to the main forms of ICT mentioned in this research showed percentages of those who had easy access and those who didn’t have easy access. In order to answer the second research question, the respondents were asked the reasons why they experienced difficulty in accessing this forms of ICT. The respondents were asked questions in terms of availability, cost, distance, awareness, usability and advancement in technology. The following Tables show the responses of the respondents.

Table 23. Difficulty of Access in Availability Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

12

26.1

26.1

26.1

No

34

73.9

73.9

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

73.9% of the respondents negated to having difficulty of access in availability, as against 26.1% who affirmed to having difficulty of access in availability.

50

Table 24. Difficulty of Access in Cost Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

14

30.4

30.4

30.4

No

32

69.6

69.6

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

69.6% of the respondents negated to having difficulty of access in cost, as against 30.4% who affirmed to having difficulty of access in cost.

Table 25. Difficulty of Access in Distance Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

3

6.5

6.5

6.5

No

43

93.5

93.5

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

93.5% of the respondents negated to having difficulty of access in distance, as against 6.5% who affirmed to having difficulty of access in distance.

Table 26. Difficulty of Access in Awareness Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

3

6.5

6.5

6.5

No

43

93.5

93.5

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

93.5% of the respondents negated to having difficulty of access in awareness, as against 6.5% who affirmed to having difficulty of access in awareness.

51

Table 27. Difficulty of Access in Usability Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

6

13.0

13.0

13.0

No

40

87.0

87.0

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

87.0% of the respondents negated to having difficulty of access in usability, as against 13.0% who affirmed to having difficulty of access in usability.

Table 28. Difficulty of Access in Advancement in technology Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

2

4.3

4.3

4.3

No

44

95.7

95.7

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

95.7% of the respondents negated to having difficulty of access in advancement in technology, as against the 4.3% who affirmed to having difficulty of access in advancement in technology.

The average percentage of respondents who had difficulty of access in terms of availability, cost, distance, awareness, usability and advancement in technology resulted 86.8%/6 = 14.5%. The average percentage of respondents who had no difficulty of access under the same factors resulted 513.2%/6 = 85.5%. This showed controversial results in earlier tests.

To further test this, I used the question that asked the respondents to in their own words; state their limitations/challenges to the effective application of ICT in the State. Table 29 confirms that indeed there are socio-economic factors crippling access to information technology in the State.

52

Table 29. Respondents’ description of limitations/challenges to the effective application of ICT in the State.

Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

9

19.6

19.6

19.6

1

2.2

2.2

21.7

1

2.2

2.2

23.9

1

2.2

2.2

26.1

1

2.2

2.2

28.3

1

2.2

2.2

30.4

distance

1

2.2

2.2

32.6

How to use it

1

2.2

2.2

34.8

i don't have limitations

1

2.2

2.2

37.0

1

2.2

2.2

39.1

1

2.2

2.2

41.3

1

2.2

2.2

43.5

1

2.2

2.2

45.7

Affordability and Costs Awareness, distance, usability Cost and unavailability at the work environment Cost of acquiring and of internet connection Cost of the Service, illetracy and creation of awareness programmes

In some essence i normally have services problems to reach or my customer to reach me.

Information Communication technology is left behind, especially in our public schools, ICT Centers are not circulated round the state Lack of electricity to enable me perform work, the inability to access ICT facilities that are presently not adequate in the State Lots of rural settings cannot be connected to good ICT, more security conscious software should be installed too avoid constant scamming

53

Most part of the localities in the state do not have access to network, which make it

1

2.2

2.2

47.8

1

2.2

2.2

50.0

1

2.2

2.2

52.2

1

2.2

2.2

54.3

1

2.2

2.2

56.5

1

2.2

2.2

58.7

1

2.2

2.2

60.9

1

2.2

2.2

63.0

1

2.2

2.2

65.2

1

2.2

2.2

67.4

1

2.2

2.2

69.6

1

2.2

2.2

71.7

very difficult to operate ICT effectively Mostly Network challenges by the services provider Network failures One of the challenges we face in Nasarawa State for the effective application of ICT is lack of electric power One of the reasons why i don't use it is for the rate of the tariff of the ICT Services and the cost of the electronics as well, which is quite expensive People are not willing to learn more about information communication technology Power Supply Programming areas e.g. writing programs and difficulty in accessing writers software Proximity is a challenge, the level of awareness is very low Proximity to the ICT centers, Cost effectiveness of ICT, Availability of the ICT operational capability Quite a good number of people in the state are not computer literate The challenges are the network problem

54

The challenges being faced within the locality was lack of ICT facility center within the

1

2.2

2.2

73.9

1

2.2

2.2

76.1

1

2.2

2.2

78.3

1

2.2

2.2

80.4

1

2.2

2.2

82.6

1

2.2

2.2

84.8

1

2.2

2.2

87.0

1

2.2

2.2

89.1

State The challenges to the effective is the cost The cost of computers to most people which affect the application of ICT in the State The level of illiteracy is high, hence the technical know how is quite low. ICT awareness is also very poor.

The limitation or challenges of effective of ICT in the State is lack of awareness to the people and agencies The limitations of ICT in my State is the high cost of emerging (New) technologies that sets some of the rural area back from the advanced world The state is just waking up from slumber, they are backward and refuse to embrace modernism. well what i do to develop myself is not allowing the state to set me back The use of ICT require stable electricity supply, the level or fluctuation of power in Nasarawa State is affecting effectiveness of technology in terms of output

55

There are no infrastructures such as constant power supply and the cost of

1

2.2

2.2

91.3

1

2.2

2.2

93.5

1

2.2

2.2

95.7

1

2.2

2.2

97.8

1

2.2

2.2

100.0

46

100.0

100.0

hooking or acquiring ICT facilities is high There is no government will They are not available and the awareness is limited To be more active in meeting customers' demand. That is to say more grease to your elbow Usability, advancement in technology Total

79.2% confirmed that there are socio-economic factors affecting/crippling access to information technology in the State. The respondents described these factors as usability, advancement in technology, awareness, government will, cost, and power supply etc. 19.6% declined responding to that question.

4.2.3 What are the limitations/challenges to the effective application of ICT to business enterprises in the state?

Table 29 just as much answers research question 5, in the sense that it elicits the actual perception of the respondents to the basic limitations and challenges faced, in relation to the effective application of ICT in the state.

One of the respondents expressed a limitation/challenge as quoted: “The use of ICT require stable electricity supply, the level or fluctuation of power in Nasarawa State is affecting effectiveness of technology in terms of output�.

56

It is therefore evident here, that effectiveness of technology specifically information technology in terms of output is in correlation to stability of power supply. No effort was made to understand the level to which generators served as an improvisation.

Another respondent expressed a limitation/challenge as quoted: “There are no infrastructures such as constant power supply and the cost of hooking or acquiring ICT facilities is high”.

One other limitation/challenge as expressed by a respondent is that; “The limitations of ICT in my State is the high cost of emerging (New) technologies that sets some of the rural area back from the advanced world”.

Other limitations as expressed by respondents include: Government/individual will, availability, cost, awareness, proximity and a host of others.

The literacy level of the respondents was also verified, to know the extent at which computer literacy could be a challenge or limitation to the effective application of ICT. Table 30 and Table 31 show the responses of the respondents in terms of computer literacy and the rating of the same.

Table 30. Computer literacy status Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Yes

35

76.1

76.1

76.1

No

11

23.9

23.9

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

76.1% affirmed to being computer literate, as against 23.9% who negated to being computer literate.

57

Table 31. Computer literacy rating.

Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

1

2.2

2.2

2.2

6

13.0

13.0

15.2

Good

19

41.3

41.3

56.5

Fair

16

34.8

34.8

91.3

Poor

4

8.7

8.7

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

Excellent

2.2% declined responding to that question, 41.3% confirmed their literacy level to be good, 34.8% confirmed their literacy level to be fair, 8.7% were poor and 13.0% were excellent.

From this test, I could see that computer literacy did not pose as a challenge/limitation to the effective application of ICT in the state, but at the same time it is clear that the percentage that is not computer literate, the percentage whose rating is excellent, shows how much more there is work to be done, considering the fact that we are in the Computer Age and that an acceleration towards computer oriented technology is with out doubt inevitable.

4.2.4 How is rapidly advancing technology managed?

One crucial factor that may remain a very big challenge/limitation to the effective application of information technology is the rapid acceleration of technologies from the old to the new. It is as a matter of fact obvious that not too many; are capable of keeping up with the pace at which newer technologies emerge despite its importance to global business trends etc.

It is as such that the researcher attempted to verify the level at which advancing technology in the state is managed in order to ascertain the level to which advancing technology maybe of negative effect to ICT application in the state. Table 32, Table 33, Table 34 and Table 35 depict the statistics obtained.

58

Table 32. Technology upgrade by organizations Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

Often

19

41.3

41.3

41.3

Not Often

10

21.7

21.7

63.0

Once in a while

14

30.4

30.4

93.5

Never

3

6.5

6.5

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

41.3% of the organizations affirmed to upgrading technology often, 21.7% said “not often”, 30.4% said “once in a while”, and 6.5% said “never”.

Table 33. Technology upgrade by individual Cumulative Frequency Valid

Often

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

21

45.7

45.7

45.7

8

17.4

17.4

63.0

12

26.1

26.1

89.1

Never

5

10.9

10.9

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

Not Often Once in a while

45.7% affirmed to upgrading technology often, 26.1% upgraded technology once in a while, 17.4% did not upgrade often and 10.9% never upgraded.

The average percentage of those who upgrade technology often resulted 43.5%. The fact that the average percentage is below 50%, means that the level at which technology upgrade is managed is poor, if it were to meet up with standards. The average percentage of people who never upgrade technology resulted 8.7%. If that percentage were to upgrade either once in a while, or not often, or often; then there would be a much significant level of upgrade in technology for the benefit of the state at large.

59

To further test technology upgrade management and how seriously it is regarded, I attempted to establish the level to which sensitization and training/workshops are conducted. This will not only show the level to which upgrade in technology is highly regarded as essential; it will also prove beyond doubt that there is a significant level of awareness.

Table 34. Sensitization workshops conducted for consumers Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

3

6.5

6.5

6.5

Often

11

23.9

23.9

30.4

Not Often

10

21.7

21.7

52.2

Once in a while

12

26.1

26.1

78.3

Never

10

21.7

21.7

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

26.1% conducted sensitization workshops for their consumers once in a while. 23.9% did that often, 21.7% never did as well did but not often. And 6.5% did not respond to the question.

Table 35. Training workshops conducted for staff

Frequency Percent Valid

Valid

Cumulative

Percent

Percent

1

2.2

2.2

2.2

Often

7

15.2

15.2

17.4

Not often

9

19.6

19.6

37.0

Once in a while

14

30.4

30.4

67.4

Never

15

32.6

32.6

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

60

32.6% affirmed to not conducting trainings for their staff. 30.4% conducted trainings for their staff once in a while. 19.6% did that not often. 15.2% did that often and 2.2% declined responding to the question.

Average percentage of sensitization and trainings often conducted resulted 19.55% which is grossly inadequate if staff performance and utilization is expected to be positively high.

Average percentage of never conducting sensitization and/or trainings resulted 27.15%. To never conduct sensitization or trainings for consumer as well as staff shows that technology upgrade management is significantly low from both ends.

4.2.5 What is the level of Information Technology Technical Assistance obtained within the State?

To ascertain the level of technical assistance available for information technology within the state, I attempted to establish the number of customer care centers for the organizations, agencies and or business enterprises. The number of customers that frequent the care centers, the need for technical assistance, and the ease of access to technical assistance by a customer and also the nature of the technical assistance provided. Table 36 to Table 41, shows the responses of the respondents.

Table 36. Customer care centers available Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

2

4.3

4.3

4.3

Yes

21

45.7

45.7

50.0

No

23

50.0

50.0

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

61

50.7% of the respondents negated to having customer care centers. 45.7% affirmed to having customer care centers and 4.3% declined responding to the question.

Table 37. Number of customer care centers Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

1 to 5

9

19.6

32.1

32.1

6 to 10

1

2.2

3.6

35.7

11 to 15

1

2.2

3.6

39.3

16 and above

2

4.3

7.1

46.4

None

15

32.6

53.6

100.0

Total

28

60.9

100.0

Missing

18

39.1

Total

46

100.0

32.6% respondents confirmed to having no customer care centers anywhere at all. 4.3% had 16 and above customer care centers spread across the state, 2.2% had 11 to 15 customer care centers, another 2.2% had 6 to 10 customer care centers. 19.6% had 1 to 5 customer care centers.

Table 38. Number of customers that visit care centers per day Cumulative Frequency Valid

1 to 50

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

24

52.2

80.0

80.0

51 to 100

1

2.2

3.3

83.3

Above 100

2

4.3

6.7

90.0

None

3

6.5

10.0

100.0

Total

30

65.2

100.0

Missing

16

34.8

Total

46

100.0

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52.2% had 1 to 5 customers visiting per day. 2.2% had 51 to 100 customers visiting per day.

4.3% had above 100 customers visiting per day. 6.5% had no customers visiting at all.

Table 39. Need for technical assistance Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

3

6.5

6.5

6.5

16

34.8

34.8

41.3

7

15.2

15.2

56.5

Once in a while

20

43.5

43.5

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

Often Not Often

43.5% respondents said “once in a while”, 34.8% of the respondents need technical assistance often, 15.2% of the respondents said “not often”. 6.5% of the respondents did not respond.

Table 40. Ease of access to technical assistance Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

5

10.9

10.9

10.9

Very easy

10

21.7

21.7

32.6

Easy

20

43.5

43.5

76.1

Hard

6

13.0

13.0

89.1

Very hard

5

10.9

10.9

100.0

46

100.0

100.0

Total

43.5% respondents had easy access to technical assistance, 21.7% had very easy access, and 13.0% respondents showed that their ease of access to technical assistance is hard. 10.9% said “very hard”. Another 10.9% declined to respond to that question.

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Table 41. Rating of technical assistance provided Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

3

6.5

6.5

6.5

6

13.0

13.0

19.6

26

56.5

56.5

76.1

Fair

9

19.6

19.6

95.7

Poor

2

4.3

4.3

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

Excellent Good

56.5% respondents rated the technical assistance as good. 19.6% respondents rated the technical assistance as fair. 13.0% respondents rated the technical assistance as excellent.

4.3% rated the technical assistance as poor and 6.5% respondents declined responding to the question.

Examining these tables above, tables 36 through 41; it is obvious that more customer care centers are required in the state. More than half of the respondents negated to having customer care centers, which means the more the customers needing technical assistance; the less can be attended to. Table 37 confirms to this, in the sense that 32.6% of the respondents established that they had no customer care centers cut across the state.

The number of customers that visit the care centers at the moment seems to be on a moderate scale. This can be seen from the fact that 52.2% of the respondents witness 1 to 5 customers visiting per day. There is every possibility that the number of users of information technology will grow with the growing population; and as such, there will be a necessity for more customer care centers to cater for future needs of technical assistance.

The need for technical assistance and the ease of access to technical assistance seem very satisfactory. Suffice to say 56.5% of the respondents indicate that the technical assistance provided is good. Even though I believe that there can be more than 13.0% who should attest 64

to the technical assistance being excellent. This simply shows that there is need and room for improvement.

4.3 FINDINGS This is a summary of all the findings from the analysis above.

It was deduced that a large proportion of the populace in Nasarawa State are not utilizing information technology, specifically for the management of businesses.

In this light, some of the challenges/limitations to the application of information technology to business management in Nasarawa State in include: i.

Instability in power supply

ii.

Unavailability of standard infrastructure

iii.

Cost of acquiring ICT facilities

iv.

Cost of New emerging technologies especially for the rural populace.

v.

Government/individual will

vi.

Availability

vii.

Awareness; and

viii.

Proximity

It was also established that there is more work that needs to be done in order to improve the level of literacy of the entire populace, because of the growing trends of computer technology.

To meet up with the growing trends of computer technology, sensitizations and trainings need to be often conducted. The case is not so, showing that there is also a need for improvement in this aspect.

Technical assistance, another important aspect of ICT from the analysis is seen to need improvement also where the sate is concerned. There is need to further improve the provision 65

of technical assistance to cover for future needs that may stem from a growth of populations applying ICT to business practices.

66

CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.0 INTRODUCTION It is possible to present numerous conclusions from the results above. Here, further discussions are made on the findings; the implication of the findings, the limitations and numerous possibilities toward further research are also discussed.

5.1 SUMMARY The aim of this research work is to assess the level of awareness/access of ICT, identify some or all of the challenges bringing about limitations to its effective use, and establish the benefits derived/derivable from its use and hopes of more utilization by business enterprises; and to identify the level of active ICT skills in Nasarawa State. Based on the types of organizations/business enterprises, and the industries in which they operate in tables 1 and 2, a probability research was carried out and this was examined on 46 respondents in Nasarawa State.

Numerous conclusions come into view.

The recent advances in information technology are becoming central to the process of socioeconomic development. Information technology offers new ways of exchanging information, and transacting business, changes the nature of the financial and other service sectors and provides efficient means of using the human and institutional capabilities of countries in both the public and private sectors. The world is rapidly moving towards knowledge-based economic structures and information societies, which comprise networks of individuals, firms and countries that are linked electronically and in interdependent relationships.

(T.W. Oshikoya and M. Nureldin Hussain, 2008).

67

My first research question was: What proportion of business enterprises in Nasarawa State is applying Information Technology? The answer is in my analysis of the proportion of people using information technology in the State, I found out that a large proportion of the populace are aware of the existence of Information Technology and it’s importance to their businesses or work nature. However, the analysis further showed that a large proportion of the populace, did not apply information technology to their business practices. This to a large extent defines a slow rate growth economy as related to the ways business activities are carried out in the present information age.

My second research question was: What are the socio-economic problems that are crippling access to Information Technology? The answer is in table 29, where availability of infrastructure, cost, proximity and distance were mentioned as part of the socio-economic factors crippling access to information technology.

My third research question was: How is rapidly advancing technology managed? From my analysis, the answer to this question is very clear. Rapidly advancing technology is poorly managed in the State.

Development can be seen as an increase of knowledge and skills and creative potentials that can be applied to improve the quality of life. Research shows that low levels of knowledge and inadequate innovative skills at lower, middle and higher levels have contributed to the continuous failures in African countries in all spheres (United Nations Population Information Network (Popin), 1996).

The frequency at which trainings and sensitization workshops are conducted is extremely low to measure up with rapidly advancing technology.

68

My fourth research question was: What is the level of Information Technology Technical Assistance obtained within the State? The answer: there is a satisfactory level for technical assistance in the state. However, there is a need to make arrangements for a future growth in population.

My fifth research question was: What are the limitations/challenges to the effective application of ICT to business enterprises in the state? The answer to this question is table 29, which shows the exact limitations/challenges (in the words of the respondents) of applying ICT to businesses in the State.

African governments face two challenges in the information and communication field, namely: provision of access for enhanced participation in economic life and coping with the challenges of rapidly advancing technology (United Nations Population Information Network (Popin), 1996).

5.2 IMPLICATION OF THE FINDINGS The findings to a large extent establish the difficulties and challenges often faced by African countries in aspects of hooking into the globalized economy. Many of these challenges stem from such things as Government will, poverty, rapidly advancing technology, lack of awareness and a host of others.

The crucial role of information and communication technologies in stimulating development is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows countries to leapfrog stages of economic growth by being able to modernize their production systems and increase their competitiveness faster than in the past (Manuel Castells, 1999).

There are certainly more advantages of using information technology as compared to the disadvantages. And if Nasarawa State is to be a beneficiary, then all the deficiency that this 69

research work has established must be looked into, with a view to fighting out all of the deficiency.

There is something new in the information age. It can be empirically argued that at the source of productivity and competitiveness (that jointly determine the generation of wealth and its differential appropriation by economic units); there is the capacity to generate new knowledge and to process relevant information efficiently. To be sure, information and knowledge have always been essential factors in power and production. Yet it is only when new information and communication technologies empower humankind with the ability incessantly to feed knowledge back into knowledge, experience into experience, that there is, at the same time, unprecedented productivity potential, and an especially close link between the activity of the mind, on the one hand, and material production, be it of goods or services, on the other (Manuel Castells, 1999).

The implication of all these, is that Nasarawa State with all of its rich cultural heritage and diverse sectors for investment; can take great advantage of this tool (information technology) to evolve as one of the leading states in Nigeria in terms of economic growth and development by a proper utilization of the said tool.

This research work contributes to the already existing fact that says “The recent advances in information technology are becoming central to the process of socio-economic development.

Information technology offers new ways of exchanging information, and transacting business, changes the nature of the financial and other service sectors and provides efficient means of using the human and institutional capabilities of countries in both the public and private sectors. The world is rapidly moving towards knowledge-based economic structures and information societies, which comprise networks of individuals, firms and countries that 70

are linked electronically and in interdependent relationships� (T.W. Oshikoya and M. Nureldin Hussain, 2008).

5.3 LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This research has its limitations. Closed-ended questions were mostly used in the research, and this enforces limits to the respondents’ in-terms of the set of options being offered. The use of casual percentages implies that the research conclusions are probabilistic and can therefore not be established with absolute certainty.

The use of 46 respondents to represent a wide coverage of industrial sectors has it limitations of not giving complete affirmations for a single industrial sector. A larger sample population will resolve this limitation. This thesis is obviously performed in Nasarawa State and may not necessarily be applicable to other States.

There were respondents who collected the questionnaires and never returned them. This actually reduced the sample population from 50 to 46 respondents.

This research will be more powerful if a better set of sample group is taken into consideration, like in every rural and urban settlement cut across the 13 Local Government Areas of the State. This larger sample group can also lead to more business specific answers.

Future research work can also explore beyond the scope that has been examined in this research work and those parts that were left out.

5.4 CONCLUSION This research work establishes the level of application of information technology to business activities in Nasarawa State. It investigates the challenges/limitations and the prospects there are in applying information technology to business both present and future in the state.

71

This thesis states that the future in-terms of socio-economic growth and development of Nasarawa State to a globalized extent is dependent upon the proper utilization of information technology.

This research has been conducted in Nasarawa State and shows that only 46 respondents filled in the proportion of businesses/organizations utilizing ICT, the challenges/limitations faced, the socio-economic factors crippling access, and the level at which new technology is managed in Nasarawa State of Nigeria.

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REFERENCES 1. Dave C. etal, (2000): Internet Marketing Strategy and Practice, Pearson Education Limited, England.

2. Lucas H. C and Jack B, (1994): “The role of information technology in organization design�. Journal of Management information systems 10. No. 4. pp 56-89.

3. James, A.O.B, (2004): Management Information Systems: Managing Information Technology in Business Enterprises, 6th Edition, McGraw Hill Companies Inc, New York, USA. Chapter 5 & 6.

4. Wikipedia, The free Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from Wikimedia Foundation Inc website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/information_technology 5. School of Science and Technology, National Open University of Nigeria.

DAM462: Information Technology, Retrieved December 13, 2013, from: http:// www.nou.edu.ng/NOUN_OCL/pdf2/DAM%20462.pdf 6. David M.K, (1992): Management Information Systems, 2nd Edition, Mc Grow Hill Companies Inc, USA. 7. Nworgu, B.G, (2007): The Indispensability of ICT in Educational Research in Information Communication Technology in the Service Education Ed. By D.N. Ezeh and Nkadi Onyegegbu. Enugu: Timex 8. Nwabueze A. U. and Ozioko R.E, (2013): Department of Library and Information Science, Universities of (Nnamdi Azikiwe and Nsukka) Information and Communication Technology for Sustainable Development in Nigeria.

Retrieved December 13, 2013 from web: http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/nwabueze-ozioko.htm

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9. Isoun, T. (2003): Keynote Address in M.A.G. Akale (Ed). Proceedings of 44th Annual Conference of Science Association of Nigeria: pp. 3-8 10. Press Statement from Nasarawa State Government, (2013): Official website of Nasarawa State. Retrieved November 10, 2013: http://www.nasarawastatenigeria.com/blog/2013/09/text-of-the-inauguraladdress/ 11. Charles W.L.H, (2001): Global Business, 2nd Edition; McGraw Hill Companies, New York. Pp 100-132 12. Barzun .J and Graff .HF, (1977): The Modern Researcher, (3rd Ed.) New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

13. Borg. W.R. and Gall, M.D, (1979): Educational Research: An introduction (3rd Ed.) New York: Longman.

14. Answers, (2013): Impact of Information Technology on business? Retrieved November 4, 2013; from wiki.answers.com: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Impact_of_information_technology_on_business?# slide=1 15. New Venture Lab, (2006): Impact of Information Technology on Business.

Retrieved November 4, 2013; from www.newventurelab.com: http://www.newventurelab.com/resources/faqs.php?id=95 16. Dave Roos, (2012): How Information Technology works. Retrieved November 13, 2013 from howstuffworks website: http://money.howstuffworks.com/howinformation-technology-works.htm 17. Toby Merrill et al, (2011): Social Media: The Business Benefits may be Enormous, but can the Risks – Reputational, Legal, Operational – Be Mitigated?

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Retrieved November 12, 2013 from Acegroup website: http://www.acegroup.com/us-en/assets/ace-progress-report-social-media.pdf 18. John Pickett, (2012): Marketting and Social Media, The impact of Technology on Business, University of Waterloo, Canada. Monthly Archives: http://impacttechbusiness.wordpress.com/2012/06 Retrieved October 12, 2013.

19. Microsoft Encarta, (2009): Encarta Premium DVD (2009). Marketing: advantages of the World Wide Web. 20. Cleopas O. Angaye, (2010): Nigeria at 50: The impact of Information Technology.

Retrieved November 10, 2013 from TechTrends website: http://techtrendsng.com/nigeria-at-50-the-impact-of-information-technology/ 21. David Ingram, (2013): The Impact of Information Technology on Small businesses.

Retrieved October 10, 2013 from Chron website: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/impact-information-technology-smallbusiness-5255.html 22. Gillian Coyle, (2010): Industry insight – Information technology and Telecommunications. Retrieved December 13, 2013 from agcas website: http://www.ed.ac.uk/polopoly_fs11.101213!/filemanager/IT_Telecoms_2012. pdf 23. Southern Connecticut State University, (2013): Inductive Arguments. Retrieved October 10, 2013 from: http://home.southernet.edu/~gillilandr1/Tutorial/3.htm 24. Ask, (2013): What is a Formal Research? Retrieved October 12, 2013 from www.ask.com website: http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-a-formalresearch 75

25. Faculty.css.edu, (2013): Chapter 5-The Questionnaire. Retrieved October 10, 2013 from: http://faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/question.htm 26. Assests for Independence Resource Center, (2013): U.S Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families Understanding Clients’ needs Through Assessments Introduction: http://idaresources.acf.hhs.gov/pagePDF?pageid=a047000000B7oyO 27. Manuel Castells, (1999): Information Technology, Globalization and Social Development. Paper prepare for the NNRISD Conference on Information Technologies and Social Development. Retrieved December 21, 2013 from: http://in3.dem.ist.utl.pt/master/03econ/lecture_9.pdf

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APPENDIX A Information Technology Assessment by Benjamin Onawo Samuel (A Post Graduate Diploma Student of Information Technology with National Open University of Nigeria, Lafia Study Center) INDIVIDUAL SURVEY FOR ORGANIZATIONS/BUSINESSES AND AGENCIES This Survey is done by a student of the National Open University of Nigeria for a thesis work so as to ascertain the level of application of information technology by organizations, businesses and agencies in Nasarawa State. You or your organization/business/agency will not be identified or mentioned in any report. The information you give will be analyzed with others on a collective basis.

1. What is the nature of your work? Please tick as appropriate. i.

Civil Servant (Government Federal or State) ii.

Corporate Organization (banks, fast food joints, etc) iii. Self Employed 2. Are you aware of the existence and importance of ICT (Information Communication Technology) to your area of work?

Yes___________

or

No_____________

3. What form of the following ICT Services do you use to reach your clients? Please tick as appropriate, multiple choices allowed.

Mobile Phones (CDMA, GSM) Internet and Mobile Phones Personal Computers Internet and Personal Computers Television Automated Teller Machines (ATM) 4. What form of the following ICT Services do you receive feed back from your clients?

Please tick as appropriate, multiple choices are allowed.

Mobile Phones (CDMA, GSM) Internet and Mobile Phones Personal Computers Internet and Personal Computers Television Automated Teller Machines (ATM) 5. Which of the ICT Services do you have easy access to? Please tick as appropriate, multiple choices are allowed.

77

Mobile Phones (CDMA, GSM) Internet and Mobile Phones Personal Computers Internet and Personal Computers Television Automated Teller Machines (ATM) 6. What is the reason you don’t have easy access to these ICT Services? Please tick as appropriate, multiple choices are allowed.

Availability Cost Distance Awareness Usability Advancement in Technology 7. How often do you or your organization upgrade to newer technology? Please tick as appropriate.

Often Not often Once in a while Never 8. As a consumer of ICT services, how often do you upgrade to newer technology? Please tick as appropriate.

Often Not often Once in a while Never 9. How often do you organize trainings and workshops for your staff? Please tick as appropriate.

Often Not often Once in a while Never

10. How often do you organize sensitization workshops for your consumers? Please tick as appropriate.

78

Often Not often Once in a while Never 11. Do you have customer care centers?

Yes___________

or

No_____________

12. How many customer care centers do you have per Local Government Area? _________________________________________________________________ 13. What number of customer visit your customer care centers per day? Please tick as appropriate.

1 – 50 50 – 100 Above – 100 14. How easy is it for you as a customer to access technical assistance from your service provider? Please tick as appropriate.

Very easy Easy Hard Very Hard 15. As a customer, how often do you need technical assistance? Please tick as appropriate.

Often Not often Once in a while Never 16. How would you rate the technical assistance provided? Please tick as appropriate.

Excellent Good Fair Poor 17. Have you ever attended any Computer literacy institution?

Yes___________

or

No_____________

18. Would you say you are Computer literate?

79

Yes___________

or

No_____________

19. How would you rate your Computer literacy?

Excellent Good Fair Poor 20. In your own words, what would you say generally are your limitations/challenges to the effective application of ICT in this State. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ PEASE FILL IN THE FOLLOWING 1. What is your gender?

Female

Male

2. What is your job title or designation? ______________________________________ 3. What is your date of birth? _______________________________________________ 4. In which industry does your agency/business organization operate? ________________________________________________________________________ 5. In which year was your agency/business organization established? ________________________________________________________________________

6. Does your agency/business organization have a website or e-mail address?

Yes, both (website and e-mail address) Yes, only (website) Yes, only (e-mail) No, none of the above

80

Thank you for the time taken to fill in this questionnaire. The information you have given is going to be of vital importance and it is appreciated. It is going to be treated with as much confidence as possible. If there is any other information you may wish to give or a question you may wish to ask, please do so in the space below. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ If you would like us to get back to you, please supply your most suitable means of contact. ________________________________________________________________________

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APENDIX B Job Title/Designation of Respondents Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Percent

Valid Percent

7

15.2

15.2

15.2

Director

1

2.2

2.2

17.4

Manager

3

6.5

6.5

23.9

CEO

2

4.3

4.3

28.3

Supervisor

4

8.7

8.7

37.0

Consultant

1

2.2

2.2

39.1

Engineer

2

4.3

4.3

43.5

Officer

7

15.2

15.2

58.7

Others

19

41.3

41.3

100.0

Total

46

100.0

100.0

Industry of respondent Cumulative Frequency Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Percent

9

19.6

19.6

19.6

Farming

1

2.2

2.2

21.7

Marketing

3

6.5

6.5

28.3

Sales

1

2.2

2.2

30.4

Purchasing

1

2.2

2.2

32.6

15

32.6

32.6

65.2

Manufacturing

1

2.2

2.2

67.4

Goods

2

4.3

4.3

71.7

Services

3

6.5

6.5

78.3

Banking

4

8.7

8.7

87.0

Education

2

4.3

4.3

91.3

Health

2

4.3

4.3

95.7

ICT

2

4.3

4.3

100.0

46

100.0

100.0

Others

Total

82

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Nature of work of respondents…………………………………………………… 39 Table 2: Industry Sector of respondents…………………………………………………… 39 Table 3: Awareness on the existence and importance of ICT to respondents’ area of work…………………………………………………………………………… 40 Table 4: Use of mobile phones by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients……………………………………………………………... 41 Table 5: Use of internet and mobiles by organizations/business enterprises to Communicate clients……………………………………………………………... 42 Table 6: Use of personal computers by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients……………………………………………………………... 42 Table 7: Use of internet and personal computers by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients…………………………………………………………... 42 Table 8: Use of television by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients…42 Table 9: Use of ATM by organizations/business enterprises to communicate clients…….. 43 Table 10: Use of mobile phones to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises………………………………………………. 44 Table 11: Use of internet and mobile phones to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises………………………………………………. 44 Table 12: Use of personal computers to receive feedback from clients by organizations/ business enterprises……………………………………………………………… 44 Table 13: Use of internet and personal computers to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business enterprises…………………………………………… 45 Table 14: Use of television to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business Enterprises……………………………………………………………………….. 45 Table 15: Use of ATM to receive feedback from clients by organizations/business Enterprises………………………………………………………………………. 45 Table 16: Easy Access to mobile phones….......................................................................... 46 Table 17: Easy Access to internet and mobile phones…………………………………….. 47 Table 18: Easy Access to personal computers…………………………………………….. 47 Table 19: Easy Access to internet and personal computers……………………………….. 47 Table 20: Easy Access to television……………………………………………………….. 48 83

Table 21: Easy Access to ATM…………………………………………………………… 48 Table 22: Agency/Business organization website or email address………………………. 49 Table 23: Difficulty of Access in Availability…………………………………………….. 50 Table 24: Difficulty of Access in cost …………………………………………………….. 51 Table 25: Difficulty of Access in Distance………………………………………………... 51 Table 26: Difficulty of Access in Awareness……................................................................ 51 Table 27: Difficulty of Access in Usability……………………………………………….. 52 Table 28: Difficulty of Access in Advancement in technology…………………………… 52 Table 29: Respondent’s description of limitations/challenges to the effective application of ICT in the State……………………………………………………………….. 53 Table 30: Computer Literacy Status………………………………………………………. 57 Table 31: Computer Literacy Rating……………………………………………………… 58 Table 32: Technology upgrade by organizations………………………………………….. 59 Table 33: Technology upgrade by individual……………………………………………… 59 Table 34: Sensitization workshops conducted for consumers……....................................... 60 Table 35: Training workshops conducted for staff…………………………………………60 Table 36: Customer care centers available…………………………………………………61 Table 37: Number of customer care centers………………………………………………..62 Table 38: Number of customers that visit care centers per day …………………………… 62 Table 39: Need for Technical Assistance………………………………………………….. 63 Table 40: Ease of access to technical assistance……………………………………………63 Table 41: Rating of technical assistance provided………………………………………….64

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