Computing and Internet Diffusion
|
1999 COMPUTING
AND INTERNET STATISTICS |
|
|
Number of
Internet Hosts |
58a |
|
Internet
Service Providers |
12 |
|
Internet
Subscribers |
3,000 |
|
Internet
Subscribers per 10,000 inhab. |
0.25 |
|
Internet users |
100,000 |
|
Internet users
per 10,000 inhab. |
9.18 |
|
Internet
Bandwidth (kbps) |
1,152 |
|
Web users as %
of Population |
1000 |
|
PC’s per 1,000
people |
5.7b |
|
PC’s per 1,000
businesses |
|
Source: UNECA[1]
a In 2002 there were 81 Internet hosts sites[2]
b 1998 statistic taken from EIU
Computing and
Internet diffusion in Nigeria is growing despite the telecommunication
challenges facing the country. She is one of 11 African nations to have more
than 20,000 Internet subscribers. South Africa has the highest number of
subscribers with Algeria, Egypt, and Kenya also included the group.[3]
There are approximately 1.3 million dial-up subscribers in Africa. The
distribution of Internet users throughout Africa is as follows:
Source: ITC Focus
Due to high costs
coupled with the limited number of land-lines and poor land-line connections,
many Africans share computers for Internet access. A significant number of
Internet cafes are spurring up to address this very issue, particularly in
Nigeria. There are over 100,000 Internet users in Nigeria. It is estimated that
there are four million Internet users throughout Africa. This figure equates to
approximately one Internet user per 200 people in comparison to the world
average of one user per every 30 people.[4]
In Nigeria, the
average monthly cost for 20 hours of Internet access is approximately US$40.
This may not seem like a lot of money but when you consider that the average
per capita income in Nigeria in only US$ 300, the cost is extremely high. The
average annual cost for Internet access is a little over 55% GDP per capita.
The government is committed to providing an environment for cost-efficient
service and is engaged in activities to enable an IT-centric environment.
Currently, there
are 38 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nigeria but most sources state that
less than half are currently active. Some ISPs are responsible for direct
connection to the Internet and are not supported by NITEL because they could
not provide reliable Internet gateway service.[5] Many operate their own Very Small Aperture
Terminal (VSAT) links directly to the U.S. backbone. Others are connected
through the NITEL infrastructure. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
assisted the government with a US$ 1 million program to help NITEL develop their
Internet backbone. NITEL has established five points of presence (POPs) in
Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Bauchi. Four more are planned in
Ibadan, Warri, Kano, and Enugu.
Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and a few other African nations have set up national
exchanges to improve the quality of service and eliminate data transmissions
that travel through Europe and North America to get back to Africa.[6] It is felt that the increased number of POPs
within Nigeria will make Internet service more affordable to the people by
making accessibility possible on local dialing versus dialing trunk line for
Internet access.[7]
Given that
Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa, many see Nigeria as a catalyst
to increase computing and Internet diffusion throughout Africa. There are
several challenges that face Nigeria in her attempt to diffuse the Internet. I
believe the following four obstacles must be overcome before there can be real
diffusion:
Virtually
no Internet access in the rural areas of the country
Internet
access costs are not affordable for the average Nigerian
There
is a low computer literacy rate
There
is a high illiteracy rate, only 57.1% of population can read and write
Broadband
wireless links are available and should aide in reaching rural communities. The
government is establishing community tele-centers and mobile Internet units to
reach these areas as well . The increased number of POPs should help to lower
costs and many Nigerians are going to cyber cafes and other telecom centers for
access and training. One ISP, LogOn, has cut its access fees in half and has
started to offer pay-as-you-use dial-up Internet access card to help people
manage the costs of Internet access. The government has a literacy campaign and
is making gradual steps toward a higher national literacy rate. Although the
challenges facing this nation are huge, they are not insurmountable.
In addition to
the public Internet use, it is primarily used by the government, in business,
in academia, and for research. While all sectors see benefit in Internet use,
the banking sector has experienced a significant number of changes including
e-banking and ATM access. Banking has been a major driver of Computing and
Internet diffusion.
