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The Internet and the Dilemma of Africa’s Development

Department of Communication, Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06050, USAsonaike5491{at}hotmail.com

Current advances in cyber-technology present technologically challenged countries in Africa with a major dilemma. Before now, the main challenge these countries faced was how to close the North–South technology gap. But now the challenge has shifted to a precarious level: how not to become irrelevant in the New World. Even in America, former US President Bill Clinton spent a significant part of his second term urging his people to bridge ‘the digital divide’ to avoid leaving behind huge segments of the American population as the world, led by the US, figuratively flies into cyberspace. This article examines the dilemma of African countries as they are swept along by this Internet ‘e-uphoria’. It provides data on Internet use in Africa and on impediments to growth and development of the Internet on the continent. The article shows that even though all 54 countries in Africa now have Internet access, at least in their capital cities, the global impact of their connectivity is negligible. It argues that ongoing efforts to widen connectivity on the continent, being undertaken by American and European companies driven entirely by the profit motive, may create a new and dangerous form of techno-dependency. The article concludes with suggestions for resolving this and other problems that accompany current efforts to introduce widespread Internet use in African countries.

Key Words: Africa • communication • development • information technology • Internet

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