THE ROLE OF CYBERCAFÉS IN THE PROVISION
OF ACCESS TO INTERNET RESOURCES IN ILORIN, NIGERIA1
By
Mudasiru Olalere YUSUF
Senior Lecturer (Educational Technology)
Sub-Dean, Faculty of Education
Department of Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology
University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
lereyusuf@yahoo.com
Tel.: 2348033950774
1
Published in African Journal of Educational Studies, 3 (2), 225 – 246, 2005, Faculty of
Education, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
THE ROLE OF CYBERCAFE IN THE PROVISION
OF ACCESS TO INTERNET RESOURCES IN ILORIN, NIGERIA
Abstract
Cybercafes offer opportunities for public computing, thereby providing
opportunity for information and communication technology (ICT) literacy.
Information technology literacy is becoming indispensable in the contemporary
knowledge-based society. This study investigated the facilities available; the
uses of internet resources for educational and non-educational purposes, and the
problems confronting the cybercafés, in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Sixty-eight
café officials responded to the questionnaire items used for the study. Frequency
counts and percentages were used for data analysis. The findings indicated that:
majority of the cybercafés were established between 2000 and 2003, most are
connected
to
the
Internet
through
the
wireless
technology,
the
facilities/equipments in the cafes are inadequate, and all the servers and client
systems (workstations) operate on the Window/DOS platform, using MS explorer.
The findings also indicated that e-mail was the most prevalent resource used by
clients, although other Internet resources were being used for educational
purposes. In addition, problems of poor electricity, inadequate facilities, poor
service from ISP, location of café and so forth, were recognised as major
problems militating against effective operation of cafés. Based on these findings
the need for government to provide enabling environment for cybercafés
operation through the provision of basic amenities was stressed. Also, that
1
government should put in place appropriate structures to encourage the
integration of the Internet into the Nigerian school system. The study further
underscored the need for further studies on ICT literacy in Nigeria, particularly,
through public computing.
Background
Ilorin is the capital of Kwara State, one of the 36 states of federated
Nigeria. This city of over 700,000 inhabitants is located at the geographical and
cultural confluence of the Southern Yoruba and Northern Hausa-Fulani linguistic
groups. It is situated at about 500 kilometres from Abuja, the federal capital and
306 kilometres from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital. The city is surrounded by
innumerable towns and villages of between 5-20 minutes driving distance. The
city boasts of several modern amenities and infrastructures. Linguistically, it is a
Yoruba speaking city, but historically and culturally a multi-ethnic city with
affiliations to the Yorubas, Hausa-Fulanis, Nupes and Baruba linguistic groups.
However, like in most Nigerian cities and mega towns, English language is widely
spoken, and in fact, the major medium of instruction in the schools in Ilorin.
In the economic sphere, traditional farming, and local handicrafts hold
sway, along with a burgeoning civil servant populace employed in several
government and private establishments. Educationally, there is a surfeit of
educational, training, and research institutes in the city. By the African and the
developing nation’s standard, Ilorin has a thriving educational industry. The close
affinities and links between education and the Internet, regarded as “the world’s
2
largest library” (Becker, 1999) makes the Internet an innovation being rapidly
exploited in Ilorin.
The city is home to several primary and secondary schools (public and
private), a federal university (University of Ilorin), a state polytechnic (Kwara
State Polytechnic), a state college of education (Kwara State College of
Education), a College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies, a School of Nursing
and Midwifery, and a Technical College. Training centres and research institutes
include: the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI),
Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Raw Materials Research
and Development Council (RMRDC), the Nigerian Centre for Agricultural
Mechanisation (NCAM) and Micheal and Imoudu Institute of Labour Studies. The
students, staff, training programme participants of these institutions readily make
use of the Internet for information retrieval and application in research and
communication.
Review of Related Literature
The Internet has become an indispensable aspect of the contemporary
knowledge-based society, in the area of information management, storage,
retrieval, communication and research. The importance of information and
communication technologies (ICTs) has brought to the fore the need for ICT
literacy world wide. It has also engendered the need for people to be fortified with
basic skills which can be used to acquire new and emerging knowledge and skills
(Williams, 2003). As a result of the Internet’s enormous potentials, it has become
3
indispensable in commerce, science and technology, health care delivery, and so
on.
The Internet, which is a network of network of computers sharing
information, is a mechanism for information and means for collaboration and
interaction between individuals and computer without the barrier of distance or
geographical location (Leiner et al., 2002). It enables unfettered communication
and transfer of data between and among computers at different locations in the
world. The information and communication potentials of the Internet have
reduced the gap between the developed and the developing nations in their
access to information, which is vital for addressing the nations’ socio-economic
problems (Kargbo, 2002). It also serves as energizer holding great promises for
the socio-economic, cultural and political developments of developing nations
(Caspary, 2002, & Xiaoming & Kay, 2004).
The influence of the Internet on education has been profound. Some of its
benefits include opportunity for making available to students and teachers on-line
instructional materials. Learning can be made available anytime, anywhere, to
either regular or distance learners; students who missed teacher’s point during
classroom
instruction
would
have
the
opportunity
of
going
over
the
lecture/presentation; and teachers, students, administrators, ad researchers are
provided with the opportunities of doing research on any topic from several
internet resources (Go, 2000). It is a powerful tool for the use of the students and
teachers as it provides profusion of instructional resources for formal and
informal education for all ages. The Internet ensures that learners are actively
4
involved in teaching and learning, and greater access to education is assured.
Furthermore, students, teachers, educators and researchers will optimise the
potentials of the Internet to transform ways in retrieving and utilizing information
in education and research. Teachers and students also augment classroom
instruction through the Internet (Kargbo, 2002). It can be inferred that the Internet
provides opportunities for the development of a better educated and literate
society.
Globally, over 605.60 million people are believed to be on-line and the
number is increasing daily. This number is disproportionately distributed with
North America (Canada and the United State of America) accounting for majority
of users, while several parts of the world are scarcely affected by the Internet
revolution (Griffith, 2002, & Nua Internet Survey, 2002a). For instance, Africa
accounted for only 5.5 million users of Internet resources world wide (Nua
Internet Survey, 2002a & 2002b). It should also be stressed that even in
advanced countries; the distribution of usage is not even across regional and
demographic lines. For example, in the USA regional demographic difference
were found in access and use of Internet, as older Americans are under
represented in Internet usage and there is obvious bias toward male users
(Peslak, 2004).
Cybercafes’ exist and are being established daily globally. They provide
opportunities for public computing, thereby providing opportunities for ICT literacy
(Williams, 2003). The cybercafe is the Internet equivalent of public phone, as it
provides unrestricted access to the Internet. Through the cybercafe, users are
5
provided with opportunities to use the Internet without registering a name or any
other information with any service provider (Eng, 2004). The cybercafe provides
ready access to Internet resources for those who do not have access to the
Internet as a result of financial constraints to acquire personal Internet
connection and all those travellers away from home who need to use the Internet
facilities (Martin, n.d. & Revelation Cybercafe, n.d.). Standard cybercafes are
noted for coffee, live events, multi-media events and support for users. Clients
are therefore provided with opportunities of working and socialising in a relaxed
manner on-line.
Cybercafe started in the USA in the driving range of Silicon Valley, in
Southern California, where small cafes brought in computers with Internet access
and allowed their patrons to explore the potentialities of the Internet for
themselves. From there, the idea of cybercafe expanded world wide (Revelation
Cybercafe, n.d.). The cybercafe solves the problem of interaction, which had
been noted by some writers regarding ICT. The adoption of computer has been
found to affect leisure activities as adopters devoted less time to sports and other
outdoor recreation, and they engage in less social interaction (Zhu & He, 2002).
Similarly, the Internet has been criticized for providing little personal human
interaction. Even within instructional setting, Internet reduced interaction in class,
as students ask few questions; discussion between teacher and students rare
and students hardly respond to teacher’s questions (Ali & Franklin, 2001). The
cybercafe eliminates isolation and provides opportunities for people to meet,
socialize, and discuss their experiences (Revelation Cybercafe, n.d.).
6
Nigeria and Access to Information and Communication Technology
With a population of over 100 million people, Nigeria, unarguably, is the
most populated country in the African continent. This large population makes the
country a potential market for ICT. However, Nigeria lags behind such countries
like South Africa, Egypt and some other countries in Internet connection. For
example, as at 1998, Nigeria was rated 15th in Africa in Internet host (Internet
Domain Survey, 1998, quoted by Hall, 1998). Reasons that may be adduced for
this state of low Internet connectivity include irregular or non-existence electricity,
poor state of the country’s economy, poor telecommunication, political instability,
and obsolete equipment, among others. This is attested to by earlier studies in
Africa and Asia (Nua Internet Survey, 2002a and Xiaoming & Kay, 2004).
The need for greater usage of ICT, particularly the Internet, has
engendered several development policies in the area of telecommunication. This
is because the Nigerian government recognises the innumerable benefits
inherent in the use of ICT for social, political, economical and educational
purposes. This is exemplified in the strategies outlined for rapid development of
Internet infrastructure, service and contents of the National Policy on
Telecommunication (FRN, 2000):



Government shall encourage the provision of elaborate
infrastructure required to have fast and reliable Internet access
through institutional and private sector participation
Government shall encourage the development of Internet
content that will promote the social economic and political
development of Nigeria
Government shall continue to monitor the emerging application
of the Internet in areas such as banking, telephone, as well as
e-commerce and enact appropriate legislation and incentives
7

that will encourage their use to promote rapid socio-economic
development
Government shall promote the use of the Internet in health,
agriculture, education and research and encourage private
sector participation in this project (chap. 7)
Similarly, in the Nigerian National Policy for Information Technology (FRN,
2001) the value of information technology in the development of the nation’s rural
and urban communities was stressed. The strategies to achieve this include the
establishment of rural Internet resource centres with VSAT capability to provide
access to IT and the Internet, and also the establishment of IT facilities in rural
areas through the use of mobile Internet unit.
Before the liberalization of the telecommunication sector in year 2000,
telephone access was not widespread, even in urban centres. For example, as at
1999, Nigeria had installed capacity of 700,000 and 400,000 connected
telephone lines (FRN, 2000). However, the licensing of G S M operators between
2001 and 2003 has raised the teledencity of the country to over two million within
three years.
There are a number of governmental, non-governmental, and commercial
concerns involved in the development of Internet and its adoption in Nigeria
(Jidaw Systems Limited, n.d.) The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC)
is saddled with the responsibility for regulating the provision of Internet service.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is saddled
with the promotion of ICT (including Internet) use in Nigeria (NITDA, 2003), the
Nigerian Internet Group (NIG), the Nigerian chapter of the global Internet Society
(ISOC), and the Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN).
8
Although ITC is penetrating every sector of the Nigerian Society, few
empirical studies have been conducted on their use for socio-economic and
educational purposes. Studies on Nigerian secondary schools have examined
teachers’ competence and attitudes, students’ perception on the adoption of
micro computer in education, status of computer education, and the gap between
policy and practice of the Nigerian National Computer Policy (Ajelabi, 1998
Jegede & Adelodun, 2003, Jegede & Owolabi, 2003, & Yusuf, 1997, 1998).
Studies at the tertiary institution level had examined computer literacy level and
the gender differences among Nigerian university staff, and the level of internet
usage for academic research in Nigerian Universities (Idowu, Adagunodo &
Popoola, 2003 & Jagboro, 2003). In spite of the fact that cybercafes are
prominent in Nigerian major cities and in spite of their contribution to the
development of ICT literacy, no study known to the researcher had examined the
impact of cybercafe on the promotion of ICT usage in Nigeria. William (2003) had
underscored the need for research on how people acquire and practise computer
literacy using the framework of public computing, that is, through cybercafes.
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the roles of cybercafe in
promoting ICT literacy through the provision of Internet services in Ilorin, Nigeria,
with regards to:
(a)
the type of facilities at the cybercafes
(b)
the type of Internet resources used by cybercafe clients.
(c)
the use of Internet resources for formal and informal educational
purposes.
9
(d)
the problems affecting effective operation of the cafe.
Research Questions
To achieve the purpose of this study, the following research questions
were addressed by this study.
1.
What types of facilities are available at the Internet cafes?
2.
What type of Internet resources do clients use at the cybercafes?
3.
Do clients of the cybercafes use Internet resources for formal and informal
educational purposes?
4.
What are the problems militating against effective operation of
cybercafes?
Research Method
Research Type: The descriptive survey research method was adopted for this
study. The method was considered appropriate for obtaining information on the
roles of cybercafe in the provision of access to Internet resources in llorin,
Nigeria.
Instrument: A survey instrument ‘’Questionnaire on the Operation of
Cybercafes” specifically developed by the researcher was used for this study.
The instrument contained four major sections. Section A dealt with demographic
information on the year of cafe establishment and location. Section B composed
of six major items which addressed issues related to types of Internet connection,
types and number of server and client systems, service cost and café club
operation. Section C consisted of six items on the resources cybercafes clients’
use, while Section D comprised of nine major items that addressed the problems
10
of the cafés. Items on the instrument employed open ended response, paired
comparison (forced choice between two alternatives: Yes/No), and choice from
several alternative responses.
A panel of experts made up of two educational technologists, two
educational measurement experts and four computer science experts evaluated
the instrument for the face and content validity. The instrument was pilot tested
on 15 cybercafés located in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria ad found to be valid and
reliable.
Sample: The population for this study was all the cybercafés located in Ilorin
metropolis. Copies of the questionnaire were administered by volunteer final year
student teachers in November, 2003. Out of a total of 81questionnaire copies
administered, only 68 (83.95 percent) copies were correctly filled and duly
returned, while 5 (6.17 percent) had incomplete information, and were thus
discarded in the final analysis. The administration of the questionnaire on the
café official (one in each cybercafe) took between 15-20 minutes. Most of the
respondents had no difficulty in responding to the questionnaire items.
Data Analysis and Results
The frequency counts of the responses of the café officials were taken
before the percentages of responses to each of the items were determined. The
results are as reflected in Tables 1 - 7. Table 1 shows the demographic data on
the cybercafé.
11
Table 1:- Years of Cybercafé Establishment and Locations
Cybercafé Location
Year of Establishment
Before
2000
No. %
Within
or
around 2
Education, Research or
Training Institutions
Outside the Immediate Environments
of
Education, Research or
Training Institutions
Total
2
2000
2001
2002
2003
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
2.94
4
5.88
9
13.24
7
10.29
7
10.29
-
2
2.94
8
11.76
13
19.12
16
23.53
2.94
6
8.82
17
25
20
29.41
23
33.82
The results in Table 1 indicate that majority of the cybercafes were
established between 2000 and 2003. Furthermore, 29 (42.65 percent) of the
cafés are located within or around the immediate environment of educational,
training or research institutions, while 39 (57.35 percent) are located outside the
immediate environment of the institutions.
Research Question 1: What types of facilities are available at the Internet
cafes?
Items in Section B of the questionnaire were used in answering this
research question. The results related to the question are as reflected in Tables 2
– 5. Table 2 addressed the issue of the types of internet connection at the
cybercafes.
12
Table 2: Types of Internet Connection at the Cafes
Types of Connection
No. of Cafes
Percentage
Dial – Up Access
7
10.29
Direct on PC
9
13.24
Wireless (VSAT)
11
16.18
Wireless (ISP)
41
60.29
Total
68
100
It can be deduced from Table 2 that 60.29 percent of the cybercafe
receive their Internet signals through the four ISP in Ilorin. Also, 11 (16.18
percent) of them provide Internet service via the VSAT, 9 (13.23 percent) receive
the signal through Direct on PC, while 7 (10.29 percent) are through Dial-up.
Table 3: No. of Servers and System Platform in Cybercafes
No.
Servers
1
of No.
Cybercafes
63
of Percentage
System Platform
Browser
92.65
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
2
5
7.35
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
Above 2
-
-
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
Total
68
100
The results in Table 3 indicate that 63 (92.65 percent) of the cybercafés
have just 1 server each, while only 5(7.35 percent) have up to 2 servers each.
This indicated that in the event of a system breakdown of the server, most of the
cafés will not able to provide Internet service to subscribers on time, as they do
13
not have backup servers. All the servers in the cafés operate on Window/DOS
System Platform and Microsoft Explorer Browser. Further analysis on facilities
with regards to client systems, system platform and browsers are as indicated in
Table 4.
Table 4: Average No. of client systems, Platform and Browser
Average No. of No. of
Client Systems cafés
1-5
4
Percentages
System Platform
Browser
5.88
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
6-10
34
50
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
11-15
17
25
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
16-20
6
8.82
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
21-25
6
8.82
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
26 and above
1
1.47
Window / DOS
Microsoft Explorer
Total
68
100
-
-
The results in Table 4 indicate that most of the cybercafes have average
of between 6 and 10 client systems (50 percent); and less than 9 percent of the
cafés have between 15-20 client systems. Similarly, only one café (1.47 percent)
has 25 and above client systems. Furthermore, all the client systems in the cafés
operate on the Window/DOS platform using the Microsoft explorer browser.
14
Table 5: Average Charges for Internet Services
Time/Duration
Charges
Remark
15 minutes
N40 - N60
Minimum allowable time
30 minutes
N70 – N110
Access expires within 7 days
1 hour
N120 – N200
Access expires between 1-15 days
4 hours
N500 – N600
Access expires within 14 hours
Night Browsing
N250 – N400
Between 10.00 pm – 6.00am Nigerian time
Club Membership
15 hours
N1800 – N2000
20 hours
N2400 – N2600
25 hours
N3000 – N3200
Browsing
through Prizes vary
clients personal Laptop reduced rate
Access days of a month or 30 days
at
*Note: The official exchange rate of a Nigerian Naira to the US Dollar as at
November, 2003, was $1 to N136.
As can be observed from the results on Table 5 cybercafe clients have the
options of payment based on required minutes or hour of browsing. Privilege is
given for both Pay as You Use and Prepaid Service. It should be emphasised
that cybercafes staff indicated that discount charges are usually allowed for
regular users of a particular café. As an addendum to the results in the Table,
only four of the 68 cybercafés (5.88 percent) indicate that they operate café club
which gives discount for all services to members.
15
Research Question 2: What type of Internet resources do clients use at the
café?
The ratings of café officials on the type of resources client use at their
cafes are as indicated in Table 6.
Table 6: Internet Resources used by Cybercafe Clients
Resources
1
2
3
4
5
6
E-mail
51 (75%)
12 (17.65%)
27 (39.71%)
3 (4.41%)
1 (1.47%)
1(1.47%)
Internet Telephoning
-
12 (17.65%)
-
18 (26.47%)
10 (14.71%)
1(1.47%)
Web Data Collecting
(Education &
Research)
Use of Search
Engine
Internet Chat
12
(17.65%)
26 (38.24%)
13 (19.12%)
9 (13.24%)
6 (8.82%)
2(2.94%)
5
(7.35%)
-
13 (19.12%)
20 (29.41%)
17 (25%)
5 (7.35%)
8(11.76%)
4 (5.88%)
3 (4.41%)
13 (19.12%)
25 (36.76%)
23 (33.82%)
On-line Discussion
-
1 (1.47%)
5 (7.35%)
8 (11.76%)
21 (30.88%)
33 (48.53%)
Total
68 (100)
68 (100)
68 (100)
68 (100)
68 (100)
68 (100)
The results in Table 6 indicated that majority of cybercafé clients make
more use of the e-mail than other Internet resources. The table shows that 51 (75
percent) rated the e-mail first. Web data convection (related to education and
research purposes) was rated next as 12 (17.65 percent) rated it first after the email, and the use of search engine for educational and other purposes was rated
first by 5 (7.35 percent). However, another resource, the on-line discussion
group, in spite of its relevance to education, was rated lower than each of the
Internet telephone and Internet chat.
Research Question 3: Are Internet resources being utilized for formal and
informal educational purposes?
16
Items 2, 3, and 5 in Table 6 are directly related to this question. From the
results in Table 6, it can be deduced that web data collection for academic
purposes was rated first by 12 (17.65 percent) of respondents; the use of search
engine, usually for educational purposes was rated next by 5 (7.35 percent).
However, on-line discussion which can be relevant for educational uses was
rated the least by most of the respondents. This implies that the educational
significance of on-line discussion is yet to be recognised by Internet users in
Ilorin. It should be underscored that the e-mail, mostly used for communication,
at times, is used for educational purposes.
Research Question 4: What are the problems militating against effective
operation of cybercafes?
The analysis relating to this research question is as reflected in Table 7.
Table 7: Problems Confronting Cybercafés
S/N
Problems
1
Few client systems
No.
Cybercafes
24
of Percentage
2
Location of café
26
38.24
3
Problem of electricity
68
100
4
Poor service from ISP
49
72.06
5
Uncooperative attitude of clients
23
33.82
6
Incompetence of clients
30
44.12
7
Theft of café equipment/material
5
7.35
8
Problem of virus through the Internet
24
35.29
9
Problem of Equipment maintenance
30
44.12
35.29
The results as reflected in Table 8 indicate that electricity problem was
rated highest, as all the 68 (100 percent) cafés involved in the study agreed on
17
this problem. Also, poor service from ISP was rated next 49 (72.06 percent),
while the problem of client incompetence came third on the rating, 30 (44.12
percent). Other problems identified include the problems of the location of café 26 (38.24 percent), few client systems - 24 (35.29 percent), and the problem of
virus through the Internet 24 (35.29 percent), among others. Other problems not
indicated on the questionnaire, but identified and qualitatively analysed were
obsolete hardware and rapid changes in computer technology with the attendant
needs for constant system upgrading.
Discussion and Conclusions
There is increasing interest in the use of ICT through public computing
using the cybercafe which has provided the greatest access to Internet resources
in Nigeria. It can be deduced from the results presented that cybercafé
establishment had increased tremendously between 2000 and 2003 which is a
reflection of high demand for Internet services. There had been an increase from
2.94 percent to 33.82 percent within four years. It should be noted that over 40%
of the cafes are located within the immediate environment of educational,
researcher or training institutions in the city.
The findings also indicated that majority of the cafés; over 80% are
connected to the Internet through wireless technology (VSAT or local ISP). This
is as a result of inadequate telecommunication facilities in Nigeria. This finding
gives credence to the recommendation of earlier studies on the option of
providing Internet access in developing nations (Caspary, 2002, International
Telecommunication Union, 2001). Other major findings were that the servers and
18
client systems in all cafes were based on the Windows/DOS platform and all of
them use the Microsoft explorer as the browser within their cafes. It was noted
that most of the cafes do not have backup server and they also have very few
client systems.
The findings also highlighted the fact the e-mail was the dominant
resource on the Internet used by most café clients. This result agrees with the
findings of earlier studies which point to the dominance of the e-mail as an
Internet resource, used most by clients (Gitta & Ikoja-Odongo, 2003, Jagboro,
2003). However, the purposes for which the uses were directed could not be
discerned. The findings also indicated that web data collection and use of search
engine ranked next after the e-mail. This goes to show the increasing use of the
Internet for educational purposes.
It was evident from this study that a number of problems like poor
electricity, poor telecommunication, and inadequate facilities, impact negatively
on cybercafé operation in Ilorin. These results confirm the submissions on the
problem of Internet access made in earlier studies (Nua Internet Survey, 2002b,
Xiaoming & Kay, 2004)
It can be deduced that cybercafes have contributed in no small measure in
the development of information technology literacy. The federal, state and local
governments should provide the enabling environment for the cybercafé through
progressive legislation, provision of improved infrastructural and loan facilities to
the operators, and encouragement of the local production of equipment needed
at the cafés.
19
Educators, teachers and educational administrators should be provided
with the basic training to be able to assist in the promotion of the diffusion of ICT.
They should be informed of the positive influence of ICT, particularly the Internet,
on the teaching and learning. Nigerian primary, secondary and tertiary institutions
should be connected to the Internet.
Future research efforts should focus on how to integrate the Internet fully
in the Nigerian school system. Other research efforts should also examine other
areas of promoting information technology literacy through public computing.
Such areas that may be examined include the application of the Internet in
libraries, museum, and computing centres.
References
Ajelabi, A. (1998). The perception of students on the adoption of microcomputer
for teaching and learning. Its implication for sustained national
development. Journal of Educational Media and Technology, 7 (1), 161 165.
Ali, A. & Franklin, T. (2001). Internet use in the classroom: Potential and pitfalls
for student learning and teacher–student relationships. Educational
Technology, 4 (4), 57 - 59.
Becker, H. J. (1999). Internet use by teachers: Conditions of professional use
and teacher-directed student use. Retrieved July 25th, 2003, from
http://www.crito.uci.edu/TLC/findings/Internet-Use/startpage.htm
Caspary, G. (2002). Information technologies to serve the poor. How rural areas
can benefit from the communications revolution. D+C Development and
20
Cooperation,
1,
pp.
4
-
5.
Retrieved
July
25th,
2003,
from
http://www.dse.de/zeitschr/de102-3.htm
Eng, P. (2004). Filtering out terrorist? Internet cafes struggle with issues of
terrorism vs. privacy. ABC News. Retrieved March 27th, 2004, from
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/cybercafe020415.html
Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (2000). National policy on telecommunication.
Abuja: Federal Ministry of Communications. Retrieved December 3 rd,
2003, from http://ait-infotechnetwork.net/nationalpolicy.htm
Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (2001). Nigerian national policy for Information
technology
(IT):
use
it:
Retrieved
December
3rd,
2003,
from
http://www.nitda.gov.ng/docs/policy/ngitpolicy.pdf
Gitta, S. & Ikoja-Odongo, J. R. (2003). The impact of cybercafes on information
services in Uganda. First Monday, 8 (4). Retrieved September 20th, 2003,
from http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_4/gitta/index.html
Go, A.C. (2000). Why use the internet in education? Retrieved December 23rd,,
2003, from http://dragon.ep.usm.edu/~int/capstone/tonette/www3.html
Griffith, R. T. (2002) History of the Internet, Internet for historians (and just about
everyone else). Chapter five: Basic net data. Retrieved November 3rd,
2003, from http://www.let.leidenuniv.nl/history/ivh/chap5.htm
Hall, M. (1998). Africa connected. First Monday, 3 (11). Retrieved July 7th, 2004,
from http://firstmonday.dk/issues/issue3_11/hall/index.html
Idowu, P.A., Adagunodo, E. R. & Popoola, B. I. (2003). Computer literacy level
and gender differences among Nigerian university staff. The African
21
Symposium,
3
(3).
Retrieved
December
3rd,
2003,
from
http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/aern/comlit.pdf
International Telecommunication Union (2001). Final report on ITU-D question
13/1: Promotion of infrastructure and use of the Internet in developing
countries. Retrieved December 3rd, 2003, from http://www.itu.int./ITUD/study-groups/SGP_1998-2002/SG1/Documents/2001/185REVIE.doc
Jagboro, K. O. (2003). A study of Internet usage in Nigerian universities: A case
study of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. First Monday, 8 (2)
Retrieved
3rd,
July
2003,
from
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_2/jagboro/index.html
Jegede, P. O. & Adelodun, O. A. (2003). The status of computer education in
Nigeria secondary schools. The African Symposium, 3 (3). Retrieved
December 3rd, 2003, from http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/aern/disedu.pdf
Jegede, P. O. & Owolabi, J. A. (2003). Computer education in Nigerian
secondary schools: Gaps between policy and practice. Meridian, 6 (2).
Retrieved
2nd,
February
2004,
from
http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/sum2003/nigeria/index.html
Jidsaw Systems Limited (2003). IT and telecoms bodies in Nigeria. Retrieved
February 3rd, 2004, from http://www.jidaw.com/comm.html
Kargbo, J. A. (2002). The Internet in schools and colleges in Sierra Leone:
Prospects and challenges. First Monday, 7 (3). Retrieved November 22nd,
2003, from http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue7_3/kargbo/index.html
22
Leiner, B. M., Cerf, V. G., Clark, D. D., Kahn, R. E., Kleinrock, L. Lynch, J. P., et
al (2002). A brief history of the Internet. Internet Society. Retrieved July
3rd, 2003, from http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml
Martin, J. (n.d.) Staying connected in Europe. Retrieved February 22nd, 2004,
from http://goeurope.about.com/cs/cybercafes/a/connecting.htm
National Information Technology Development Agency (2003). NITDA begins
strategic action plan for the implementation of Nigeria IT policy. Retrieved
January 2nd, 2004, from http://www.nitda.gov.ng/docs/papers/nitdasap.pdf
Nua Internet Survey (2002a). Africa wired, but Internet access limited. Retrieved
July
7th,
2003,
from
http://www.solomonalliancegroup.com/press_release/accesslimited.htm
Nua Internet Survey (2002b). How many on line? Retrieved July 7th, 2003, from
http://www.nua.ie/surveys/how_many_online/
Peslak, A. R. (2004). An analysis of regional and demographic differences in
United States Internet usage. First Monday, 9 (3). Retrieved April 5th,
2004, from http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_3/peslak/index.html
Revelations Cybercafe (n.d.). Introduction: Why were Internet cafes started?
Retrieved
2nd,
February
2004,
from
http://intsys.fin.qub.ac.uk/itsoc/9698/21/CYBER1.HTM
Scholastic (2003). Welcoming the Internet into your classroom. Scholastic Inc.
Retrieved
3rd,
December
2003,
from
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachtech/welcomeinternet.htm
23
Williams, K. (2003). Literacy and computer literacy: analysing the NRC’s being
fluent with information technology. The Journal of Literacy and
Technology,
3
(1).
Retrieved
3rd,
December
2003,
from
http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/v3n1/williams.htm
Xiamoing H. R. & Kay, (2004). Factors affecting Internet development: An Asian
survey.
First
Monday,
9
(2).
Retrieved
April
5th,
2004,
from
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_2/hao/index.html
Yusuf, M.O. (1997). An investigation to teachers’ competence in implementing
computer education in Nigerian secondary schools. Journal of Science
Teaching and Learning, 3 (1&2), 54 – 63.
Yusuf, M. O. (1998). A study of the dimensions of teachers’ attitude toward
computer education in Nigerian secondary schools. Journal of computer
Literacy, 2 (1), 47 - 58.
Zhu, J. J. & He, Z. (2002). Diffusion, use and impact of the Internet in Hong
Kong:
A
chain
Communication,
process
7
(2).
model.
Journal
Retrieved
of
July
Computer–Mediated
7th,
2003,
from
http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol7/issue2/china.html
About The Author
The Author is a Senior Lecturer (Educational Technology), in the Department of
Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin,
Nigeria. He is currently the Departmental Postgraduate Programme Coordinator
and also the Sub-Dean, Faculty of Education, in the University. He had B.A. (Ed.)
and M. A. (Ed.) degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife, Nigeria, and
a Ph.D. degree in Educational Technology from University of Ilorin, in 1997. The
author is happily married with five children.
24