CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a major tool for gaining competitive advantage in the corporate world and as such has been integrated into the operations of most high performing organizations in every economy. A recent policy note released by the World Bank says that information and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming the world of work, creating new job opportunities and making labour markets more innovative, inclusive, and global. ICTs are influencing employment both as an industry that creates jobs and as a tool that empowers workers to access new forms of work, in new and more flexible ways (Samuelson, 2008). The emerging ICT-enabled employment opportunities matter because countries around the world are looking to create more good jobs, which have positive economic and social implications for workers and for society. ICT is critical to Nigeria’s quest to becoming one of the leading economies in the next five years, as spelt out in the Vision 20:2020 agenda. The world is increasingly becoming technology-driven, and ICTs remain a key driver of any economy, as it has the potential to address the rising unemployment trend in the country.
In a recent report published In 2012 by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, it revealed that the ICT sector had boosted the Federal Government’s job creation efforts by creating over 12 million jobs in the past two years. It described this current contribution as an improvement on the job opportunities created by the sector between 2002 and 2012. The ICT sector in Nigeria is currently boosting the federal government’s effort in job creation with the creation on an average of about 12 million jobs from 2012 to date, that is, a significant improvement on the 2.5 million jobs the sector created between 2002 and 2012. This is in addition to contributing about nine percent to the growth of Nigeria’s GDP.
The Ministry of Labour and Productivity in Nigeria says the Federal Government is set to declare total war on unemployment and joblessness in the country with the use of ICT systems and operations which is aimed at training unemployed Nigerians. Fakiyesi (2010), opine that despite the exploitation of negative aspect of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by a few Nigerian youths, ICT has raised the economy of the nation, especially the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 1.62 per cent (Oluleye, 2006).
Although he lamented that apart from the improvement on the economy, ICT has also enhanced falsehood, dissemination of harmful information as well as fraudulent activities in the transaction of businesses.
Being without a job is indeed an enforced idleness of wage earners who are able and enthusiastic to work but cannot find jobs. In societies in which most people can earn a living only by working for others, being unable to find a job is a serious problem. Because of its human costs in deprivation and a feeling of rejection and personal failure, the extent of unemployment is widely used as a measure of workers' welfare. The proportion of workers unemployed also shows how well a nation's human resources are used and serves as an index of economic movement (positive or negative) (Ramey, 2008).
Unemployment has call for a greater concern in the Nigeria economy. It has continued to be the major macroeconomic objectives of the government. Unemployment constitutes a series of serious developmental problems and is increasingly more serious all over Nigeria. The major policy of the government and the international agencies is targeted at reducing the rate of unemployment.
To achieve the objectives of this study, the paper is divided into five interconnected chapters.
Chapter one deals with the background of the study, statements of the problem, objectives of the study, significance of the study, research questions/hypothesis, scope and limitations of the study, and definitions of terms.
The next chapter presents the review of relevant literature which is: introduction, conceptual framework, and the positive and negative impacts of ICT, and factors that enhance effective use of ICT in Nigeria.
Chapter three examines the materials used in the study which are: introduction, research design, study area, population of the study, sample size and technique, method of data collection, research instruments, reliability and validity of instrument, techniques of data analysis and decision criteria for validation of hypothesis.
Chapter four deals with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data.
While the final chapter examines the summary of the findings, conclusion, recommendations and bibliography.
.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, one million "indirect jobs" have been created by the mobile telephony sector in the past five years (Ramey, 2008). "This figure indicates that mobile telephony could boost job creation and poverty alleviation if the conditions that would stimulate its spin-offs are introduced and nurtured in a consistent manner." About 10,000 "direct jobs," or people employed by the mobile phone operators in Nigeria, have been created by the industry. ICT has also created employment in the area of mass media and entertainment, blogging, graphic design and word processing etc. however, this study is examining ICT use as a tool for creating job opportunities in Nigeria.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the objectives for this study:
1. To determine if Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be used as a tool for creating job opportunities in Nigeria.
2. To identify various types of jobs that can be created with the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
3. To examine the positive impacts of ICT in Nigeria.
4. To identify the detrimental effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use on Nigerian youths.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Can Information and Communication Technology (ICT) be used as a tool for creating job opportunities in Nigeria?
2. What are the various types of jobs that can be created with the use of Information and Communication and Technology (ICT) in Nigeria?
3. What are the positive impacts of ICT in Nigeria?
4. What are the detrimental effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use on Nigerian youths?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The following are the significance of this study:
1. Outcome of this study will be a useful guide for the general public especially Nigerian teaming unemployed youths on how they can tap into the advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the purpose of creating self-employment.
2. This research will also serve as a back bone and an eye-opener to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research in this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to provide new explanation to the topic.
3. The study will also help the government, public and private firms, entrepreneurs, Small Scale Enterprises,etc to discover the essence of ICT and its related jobs creation in alleviating poverty and in building both the country’s and business economy.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study provides insight into Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool for creating job opportunities in Nigeria.
The study seeks to ascertain whether or not the inception of ICT in Nigeria has contributed to the alleviation of unemployment and poverty, as well as adding value to the development of the country’s economy. It seeks to understand the factors that have impeded the successful acquisition of ICT related jobs in Nigeria.
It will further cover various sub sections of ICT that youths can take advantage of to be self-employed.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
In the course of this research several factors posed a limitation to its success.
Finance is one of the major factors that played a devastating role in preventing the researcher to use certain approaches and methods in the course of the study. Also, the researcher had a time problem because the available time was share between academic work, domestic responsibilities etc. it was not easy to attain a perfect balance among these activities as such very little time was available for the conduct of this study.
Academic pressure and availability of material were among the limitations encountered by the researcher due to the combination of both classroom lectures and assignment hence the bulk of materials used were limited to the ones available.
1.8 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
A hypothesis is a tentative statement which shows causal relationship that exists between two or more variables. Such declared tentative statement is subject to acceptance (confirmation) or rejection, depending on the results that fall out from its empirical verification. (Dode, 2012)
The formulated hypotheses in this research work include:
Null Hypothesis:
Ho: ICT cannot be used as a tool for job creation in Nigeria.
Alternate Hypothesis:
Hi: ICT can be used as a tool for job creation in Nigeria.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Information: this is defined as a processed data.
Communication: the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.
Technology: the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.
Information communication technology (ICT): information and communications technology - or technologies is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning.
Internet: a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.
Unemployment: a state of being unemployed. Or a state of being without a job.
Audio conferencing: Audio conferencing is like using a telephone network to talk to one or more people it is used in meetings. It involves the real-time (live) exchange of voice messages over a telephone network.
Video conferencing: Does not just allow voice and graphics but also allows exchanges of moving images. This does not use telephone lines but either a satellite link or television network.
Web-based conferencing: involves the transmission of text and graphic audio and visual media through the internet. It requires the use of computers and browsers.
Teleconferencing: can be used both on formal and informal learning contexts.
E-Nigeria: is an annual information technology(IT) summit organized by NITDA which brings together relevant.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 CHAPTER ONE: Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Objectives of the study
1.4 Research questions
1.5 Significance of the study
1.6 Scope of the study
1.7 Limitation of the study
1.8 Research hypothesis
1.9 Definition of terms
2.0 CHAPTER TWO: Literature review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Conceptual framework
2.3 The positive and negative impacts of ICT
2.3.1 Positive impacts of ICT
2.3.2 Negative impacts of ICT on people
2.4 Factors that enhances effective use of ICT in Nigeria
2.5 Role of ICT in Nigeria
2.6 Review of ICT as related to job creation in Nigeria
2.7 Brief history of ICT in Nigeria
3.0 CHAPTR THREE: REASEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research design
3.3 Study area
3.4 Population of the study
3.5 Sample size and technique
3.5 Sample size and technique
3.6 Method of data collection
3.7 Research instruments
3.8 Reliability and validity of instruments
3.9 Techniques of data analysis
3.10 Decision criteria for validation of hypothesis
4.0 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Data presentation analysis and interpretation
4.3 Test of research hypothesis
5.0 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Stating Findings
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendation
BIBLOGRAPHY…..