The African Journal of Information Systems

 

The African Journal of Information Systems (AJIS) provides a high caliber scholarly research journal in information and communication technology (ICT). The focus of AJIS is to acquaint a broad audience of readers in the variety of intellectual traditions included under the rubric of ICT in Africa. Therefore, the journal aims at disseminating research on the transfer, diffusion, and adoption of ICT within the context of Africa; the innovation and development of ICT solutions for and within this context; impacts of ICT on society and of society on ICT; and other relevant normative, empirical, and theoretical concerns of ICT development, implementation, strategy, management and policy that are distinctive to Africa and associated developing economies.

This journal is managed by a team of researchers and practitioner interested in promoting ICT research and practice in Africa.

Theme: ICT For Development in Africa – Sustaining The Momentum, Extending The Reach

Numerous gatherings and research have x-rayed the potentials and impetus for development resultant from a full scale adoption of ICT in Africa. Emphasis has been on creating awareness, identifying potentials and building capacity. The fact that current challenges relating to infrastructure, security and government policies can slow down the benefits accruable from a virile ICT growth has also been highlighted. Empirical evidences on ICT adoption and diffusion in Africa reveals an upward growth. This fact is supported by the rapid increase in mobile telephone subscribers, online banking, the proliferation of e-government portals and electronic commerce. Firm-level variables such as financial capacity and technological absorptive capacity have also influenced the intensity of the adoption of ICTs thereby suggesting that globalization has also influenced the adoption of new technologies in Africa.

 

Unfortunately, the developmental trend has concentrated in cities, metropolis and urban communities in Africa with millions still out of reach of the ICT development wave. This scenario raises two basic questions in the mind of ICT technocrats, practitioners and the academia. How can we sustain the present developmental momentum? What can be done to extend the reach of ICT to the unreached? There is an urgency to keep pace with ICT development and its benefits while also addressing possible areas of developmental benefit of ICT to other target groups. Rural dwellers, farmers, extension officers, health workers and social workers must be empowered to use and apply ICTs much more creatively and pragmatically to development problems beyond the internet-enabled PC telecenters. There is also the challenge of the non-involvement and imbalance of gender, dearth of sound ICT-roadmap and strategies by policy makers resulting in uncoordinated and unsustainable ICT-development activities.