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© Kamla-Raj 2014 J Communication, 5(2): 181-190 (2014)

The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)and Higher Education in Sustainable Development

E. O. Adu1, B. O. Emunemu2* and T. Oshati3**

1Faculty of Education, University of Fort Hare, South Africa2,3Department of Educational Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

E-mail: *<[email protected]>, **<[email protected]>

KEYWORDS Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Higher Education. Sustainable Development.Poverty Alleviation. Job Creation. Nigeria

ABSTRACT The present study examined the role of information and communication technology (ICT) andhigher education in sustainable development in Nigeria; it aimed at understanding the need for ICT and highereducation in sustainable development, and understanding how ICT and higher education enhance sustainability.Three research questions were asked and answered. Structured questionnaire which was divided into three sectionsto answer the three research questions were validated and used with the reliability co-efficient of r=0.87. The studyadopted a descriptive survey research design to investigate the role of ICT and higher education in sustainabledevelopment. One hundred and thirty-one lecturers (N=131) were randomly selected from different universities.The results showed that all the indicators mentioned were said to be significant in sustainable development.

Address for correspondence:Emmanuel O. AduUniversity of Fort HareEast London 5200 South AfricaTelephone: +27 84 925 1948Fax: +27 43 704 7117E-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

In many countries, education is more than ameans for enabling progress and preventingpoverty; it is also critical for the development ofknowledge societies and knowledge-basedeconomies. As suggested by many researchers,the role of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs)within the context of knowledge-based econo-mies and globalization is to give individuals theability to transform information into socially ben-eficial knowledge, skills, and values; modernizesocieties and improve the standard of living; aswell as prepare and produce a skilled workforce(Shaikh and Khoja 2011). Amjad (2006) defined aknowledge-based economy as “one that basesits growth not only on increasing capital or landor labor inputs, but also on knowledge.”

The advent and spread of ICT in varyingdegrees over the last two decades have led tothe advent of information societies which aresometimes called knowledge societies. Today,these societies play a momentous role in thedevelopment of knowledge economies. TheseICT-driven knowledge societies necessitate aworkforce skilled in the use of ICT, as well as

government support, transparent and autono-mous institutions, progressive attitudes, and asound ICT infrastructure (Shaikh and Khoja2011). In another study (Yusuf and Afolabi 2010)argue that ICT does not only help sustainabledevelopment in less developed countries to nar-row the global digital divide and produce theirown knowledge societies, rather it helps to im-prove the quality of learning and educationaloutcomes. They further suggested that the stateof any education system is determined throughthe quality of its higher education, given it con-tributes to the development of education at alllevels.

The ICT industry according to Nworgu(2007) appeared to be significant in-road intothe Nigeria society. Prior to 1999, ICT resourcesand facilities were grossly limited in the country.Only very few wealthy Nigerians had access tothese facilities and services. Internet facilitiesand services were rare to come by and the fac-simile (that is, Fax) remained for a long time, theonly means available to Nigerians for transmit-ting and receiving data or documents to otherparts of the world. Public awareness of ICT andits application was low.

However, the current picture is entirely dif-ferent. Huge investments have been made byboth the public and private sectors in the ICTbusiness in the country. Within the last three (3)years, the country has witnessed tremendousexpansion in ICT resources and facilities. About20 million Nigerians now have access to Global

182 E. O. ADU, B. O. EMUNEMU AND T. OSHATI

System for Mobile Communication (GSM). Withthe liberalization policy of the Federal Govern-ment, more GSM operators and Internet ServiceProviders (ISPs) have been licensed and are nowoperating in the country. Millions of Nigeriansnow have access to these facilities and serviceseven in the rural communities. (Ozioko and Nwa-bueze 2011).

A significant milestone in the developmentof the ICT industry in the country is the formu-lation of a National Information TechnologyPolicy (NITP), which was approved in March,2001 by the Federal Executive Council. With theenactment of this policy came the establishmentof an implementing agency-the National Infor-mation Technology Development Agency (NIT-DA) in April 2001. This agency is charged withthe responsibility of implementing Nigeria’s In-formation Technology (IT) policy “as well aspromotes the healthy growth and developmentof the IT industry in Nigeria (Isoun 2003: 13).

The major thrust of the IT policy in Nigeriacan be gleaned from its vision and mission state-ment. According to the then Honorable Minis-ter of Science and Technology, Professor Turn-er Isoun, the vision of the policy was to makeNigerian IT-capable country in Africa and a keyplayer in the information society by the year2015; this was with the aim of using IT as theengine for sustainable development and globalcompetitiveness. On the other hand, its missionstatement was to: Use IT for:

EducationCreation of WealthPoverty AlleviationJob CreationGlobal Competitiveness

The policy relied on human capacity build-ing as the major strategy for realizing its visionand mission (Isoun 2003).

The development of any nation is usuallyindicated by the degree and extent of the socio-cultural, socio-economic, and political improve-ment that are brought to bear through the enter-prises of science, technology and mathematics.According to Olorundare (2007), sustainabledevelopment leads to fulfillment of societal ide-als considered relevant to the needs and aspira-tions of the society. Factors, which influencesuch developments, are based on human abilityto explore, invent, and utilize. Satisfaction ofspiritual, physical and material needs and themastery of the environment are parameters for

development when applied to the human soci-ety. It has been stated by several authors andscholars that the development of any nationdepends very much on the advancement and ap-plication of science and technology. The role ofscience in the development of modern societies isnot so much in dispute now that the influence ofmodern technological innovations is far reachingin every sphere of man’s life. If Nigeria is to buildan organized, self-reliant, and technologically com-pliant society, much emphasis has to be continual-ly made on science and technology.

A great deal of research and developmenthas been conducted in order to bring Informa-tion and Communication Technology (ICT) toits current state of art. ICT was originally intend-ed to serve as a means of improving efficiency inthe educational process (Jones and Knezek 1993).Further, it has been shown that the use of ICT ineducation can help improve memory retention,increase motivation and generally deepen under-standing. ICT can also be used to promote col-laborative learning, including role playing, groupproblem solving activities and articulated projects(Forcheri and Molfino 2000). Generally, ICT is pro-moting new approaches of working and learning,and new ways of interacting. Consequently, theintroduction of ICT into schools has provoked ahost of new questions about the evolving natureof pedagogy.

Whether or not changes in pedagogy arecontingent on trends and innovations, and aremoot points. The question that should be asked,however, is: What will be the long term impact ofICT on the teaching and learning process? It iswell documented that ICT changes the nature ofmotivation to learn (Forcheri and Molfino 2000).

Initially, educators saw the use of ICTs inthe classroom mainly as a way to teach comput-er literacy. Nonetheless, most of them now see abroader role: that of delivering many kinds oflearning at lower cost and with higher qualitythan traditional methods of teaching allowed. Inaddition, schools and universities increasinglyuse ICTs, as do other large organizations, to re-duce the costs and improve the efficiency ofadministration. (Adu and Tella 2013)

Worthy of note is the fact that the largestinvestments so far in ICTs have been in the Unit-ed States. The United States’ budget for the useof technology in schools is enormous since1989.The US Department of Education has in-vested almost US$1 billion in the use of technol-

ICT AND SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT 183

ogy in public education, not surprisingly; mostof the work developing educational ICTs andtheir most widespread applications are in theUnited States. As a result, many of the evalua-tions of ICTs have been carried out in the Unit-ed States. Some lessons from American experi-ence will are universal. (Nyangechi et al. 2013)

Others are, however, peculiar to this coun-try’s education system, which at the higher lev-el involves more private money and enterprisethan those higher educations in most other coun-tries. In examining the development of ICTs inschools, universities and training, an importantdistinction should be made. In the case ofschools, teachers primarily use ICTs in theschool as an instructional device. “Distance”learning is rarely part of school teaching. In thecase of higher education and training, studentsare more likely to use ICTs partly to learn at adistance from the instructor. Different teachingtechniques are, thus, probably required in thetwo areas of education. (Adu and Tella 2013)

Also important to remember is the fact thatmost investment in education is publicly fi-nanced. Indeed, some have been driven moreby politics than education policy. Computers andbroadband connections have a high level of vis-ibility; that makes them an attractive way forpoliticians to claim to be upgrading educationwith public money.

Even when politicians are not involved, themost measurable spending on ICTs in educa-tion is generally the result of public policy rath-er than private choice. However, private invest-ment in ICTs also occurs. Some are by compa-nies, using ICTs for training programs. In addi-tion, many students acquire home computerspartly for educational purposes; many, especiallyin richer countries, use their computers for studyand homework. One important question iswhether public investments in ICTs in educa-tion, made at the behest of administrators orpoliticians have been less successful than pri-vate investments, made by students on their ownaccount. Certainly, public-sector investors inICTs in education need to be aware of the waycorporate employers are approaching the use ofICTs in training, in case there are lessons to belearned. (Tella and Adu 2010)

It is a general conception that man is theobject of development and development cannottake place except man takes the initiative as wellas plans, organizes, and implements develop-

ment (Onuka 2007). Thus, it can be said thatdevelopment is by man and for man. Yet, no mancan cause development to take place until he isadequately educated to do so. Onuka (2007)believes that manpower development is the pro-cess of the continuing education of the manag-er to keep him abreast of every new manage-ment development (education or training). It is acycle that begins with planning and ends upwith feedback on organization, implementationand evaluation.

Akorede and Onuka (2008) observe that pro-fessional staffs are an essential ingredient ofthe emancipation of a people in terms of devel-opment. He further stated that many African in-stitutions of higher learning are in a state of cri-sis; implying that they are currently ill-equipped.Emunemu and Onuka (2008) contend that edu-cation is the major tool for development, thusstakeholders in education industry must pay thedesired attention to the sector and ensure thatappropriate level of investment is committedthereto. Onuka and Emunemu (2008) found outthat there was very high correlation betweenuniversity education and leadership performancein Nigeria. This finding portends that educationplays vital role in national development andshould, therefore, not be toiled with. However,it has been found by various scholars that re-search also engenders educational advance-ment/development. (Odinko 2001)

Sustainable development, on the other hand,is an organizing principle for human life on afinite planet. It posits a desirable future state forhuman societies in which living conditions andresource-use meet human needs without under-mining the sustainability of natural systems andthe environment so that future generations mayalso have their needs met.

Sustainable development ties together con-cern for the carrying capacity of natural sys-tems with the social and economic challengesfaced by humanity. As early as the 1970s, ‘sus-tainability’ was employed to describe an econo-my “in equilibrium with basic ecological sup-port systems”. Scientists, in many fields havehighlighted the limits to growth and economistshave presented alternatives, for instance, asteady state economy to address concerns overthe impacts of expanding human developmenton the planet (Manning et al. 2011).

The concept of sustainable development inthe past has most often than not been broken


out into three constituent domains: environmen-tal sustainability, economic sustainability andsocial sustainability. However, many other pos-sible ways to delineate the concept have beensuggested. For example, distinguishing the fourdomains of economic, ecological, political andcultural sustainability their important sourcesrefer to the fourth domain as ‘institutional’ or asgood governance’ (Reinecke et al. 2012)

Statement of the Problem

The socio-economic, cultural and politicaltransformations are essential ingredients forsustainable development. Recently due to theadvent of modern and sophisticated technolo-gy, there has been a need to explore ICT as partof the ingredient. In fact, studies have shownthe strength of education in promoting sustain-able development across the globe, hence, thereis need for introducing specific independentvariables. Therefore, the study focuses on eval-uating the perceived contribution of ICT andhigher education system respectively and col-lectively to sustainable national development inNigeria. In addition, the study specifically ad-dressed the perceived contributions of ICT andhigher education to sustainable development inNigeria.

Research Questions

The following questions were raised to pro-vide answers to the problem the study set out toaddress.

1. What are the perceived contributions ofICT to sustainable development in Nige-ria?

2. What are the perceived contributions ofhigher education to sustainable develop-ment in Nigeria?

3. What are the perceived contributions ofboth ICT and higher education to sustain-able development in Nigeria?

Literature Review

Higher Education for SustainableDevelopment

Education empowers people for their role insociety and, therefore, is of vital importance topromote the sustainable development of our glo-

bal community. The Millennium DevelopmentGoals adopted by the UN General Assembly in2000, and the WEHAB initiative proposed bythe UN Secretary General Kofi Annan duringthe 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Devel-opment (WSSD) in Johannesburg both under-score the role of education in improving peo-ples’ lives. While it is broadly understood thatliteracy and education for all play a crucial rolein preparing people for their future in a highlyconnected, interlinked and globalized world; high-er education in particular occupies an importantposition in shaping the way in which future gen-erations will learn to cope with the complexitiesof sustainable development. In nine of the fortychapters, Agenda 21 noted the key role univer-sities have to play to achieve sustainability.

Universities form a link between knowledgegeneration and transfer of knowledge to societyin two ways. First, they prepare the future deci-sion-makers of society for their entry into thelabour market. Such preparation includes edu-cation of teachers who play the most importantrole in providing education at both primary andsecondary levels. Second, they actively contrib-ute to the societal development through out-reach and service to society. (UNESCO 2002)

Universities as Actors in Society

Globalisation has spurred technological, eco-nomic, social and cultural change as well as thegreater mobility of capital, technology, informa-tion and labour. This phenomenon has created agrowing demand for society’s capacity to ac-quire process, disseminate and apply knowledge.Universities as important centres of research andlearning, play an important role in this context.In addition to fundamental research, universi-ties also have to undertake innovative, action-oriented research. They should be particularlyattuned to the provision of appropriate knowl-edge and skills relevant for sustainable devel-opment to the local community as local knowl-edge centres. In addition to their traditionalteaching functions, universities must considertheir role in retraining school teachers as well asother local professionals to contribute to learn-ing for sustainable development.

In this observation, universities are impor-tant actors in the community, as employers, pur-chasers and service users. They are also busi-nesses where prudent use of resources saves


money and safeguards reputations. Thus, uni-versities can be perceived as models for societyin the pursuit of sustainable development. Uni-versities are expected to contribute to innova-tion, to contribute to reflection on values andethics, and to contribute to the transformationto a more sustainable society. The provision ofknowledge as a “public good” is one of the tasksof higher education, and unhindered access toknowledge is a prerequisite for sustainable de-velopment. Of particular importance are qualita-tive factors imparted by the education system,such as orientation towards innovation andlearning, creativity and the willingness to takerisks. (UNESCO 2012:2)

According to UNESCO, in considering theroles and functions of the university in promot-ing sustainable development, the following is-sues should be particularly addressed:

increasing the relevance of teaching andresearch for the societal processes lead-ing to more sustainable and discouragingunsustainable patterns of life,improving the quality and efficiency ofteaching and research,bridging the gap between science and ed-ucation, and traditional knowledge and ed-ucation,strengthening interactions with actorsoutside the university, in particular withlocal communities and businesses,Introducing decentralized and flexible man-agement concepts.

Higher Education and KnowledgeTransfer to Society

The problems of the society are very com-plex; hence there is need for multidisciplinaryapproaches to solve them. The contest for high-er education institutes is to create gorgeouslearning environments that prepare learners fortheir roles in society. This implies that learningenvironments should: offer access to scientificknowledge of good quality that enable studentsto obtain the aptitudes needed to work togetherin multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams ininvolved processes, and bring the global aspectinto individual learning environments.

Through the processes of education, out-reach and service to community and region, uni-versities and other higher education institutesconstitute ties between knowledge generation

and application of this knowledge in society.This bridging function is of great importance forinnovation, development and creation of wel-fare. The learning environments created in high-er education should enable learners to under-stand their physical and social environment; todevelop a positive attitude towards cultural,environmental multiplicity, and life-support en-vironmental processes; and to use their knowl-edge and attitude in a way that is responsiblewith respect to the well-being of their own soci-ety, other societies and of the planet as a whole.

Higher education should not only criticallyreflect on learning environments and learningprocesses for students studying for their firstdegree in higher education, rather they shouldalso reflect on their role in creating an infrastruc-ture that supports and enhances life-long learn-ing processes. Higher education has a specificplace within the educational system because itconstitutes the learning environment for all ed-ucational professionals including those for pri-mary and secondary education. Therefore, it isimportant that the learning environments foreducational professionals provide a source ofinspiration for the development of innovativelearning processes as well. For that purpose,the opportunities offered by new media and in-formation and communication technology (ICT)certainly deserve attention. (UNESCO 2002)

Higher Education and the UN DecadeEducation for Sustainable Development

Knowledge is a key factor for sustainabledevelopment. Yet without the appropriate con-text and applications, knowledge cannot success-fully catalyse sustainable development. There-fore, education should be considered as an en-abling infrastructure for all sectors of the econo-my, for democracy and for good governance. Thechallenge for higher education is to innovatetraditional learning environments and learningprocesses in such a way that they not only sup-port the learning process of children and youngadults in formal education, but life-long learning,training and informal learning as well. Higher ed-ucation institutes are challenged to co-operatetogether in networks that constitute a supportiveinfrastructure for life-long learners.

Co-operation between universities is how-ever not enough. To fulfil their outreach/servicefunction at regional, national and international


levels as well, universities and higher educa-tional institutes will have to be active knobs innot only national and regional but internationalnetworks with other partners such as primaryand secondary schools, vocational education,science centres, small and medium sized compa-nies, chambers of commerce, NGOs, national andregional governments, etc. The challenges forhigher education in the context of the Decadeare, thus, colossal, but the opportunities as well.New media and ICT offer many possibilities toenhance human activities in the field of educa-tion by providing flexible access to educationalresources, assisting in information managementand facilitating active discussions. Emphasisshould not only be on competition at a globalscale, but also, and even much more, on co-op-eration and sharing of knowledge at a globalscale.

The Role of ICT in Achieving Development Goal

United Nations Global Alliance for ICT andDevelopment (2012), succinctly described thatin the United Nations’ Millennium Summit a setof development goals were created with an aimto improve some of the most critical social, eco-nomic, and environmental issues in the devel-oping world by 2015. The eight goals are:

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hun-gerGoal 2: Achieve universal primary educa-tionGoal 3: Promote gender equality and em-power womenGoal 4: Reduce child mortality rateGoal 5: Improve maternal healthGoal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and otherdiseasesGoal 7: Ensure environmental sustainabili-tyGoal 8: Develop a global partnership fordevelopment

How Does ICT Help Advance SustainableDevelopment?

The prime cause of poverty is isolation fromthe rest of the global community. Access to theinternet and mobile networks can allow impov-erished people around the world to access bank-ing, medical services, and markets. Remoteweather stations can be set up in new locations

and connected via mobile networks to allow re-searchers to better study the local and globalimpacts of climate change.

The Importance of Access to the Internet

Providing laptops to students in the devel-oping world like the one laptop per child pro-gram does, allow children in developing coun-tries to communicate with other children in ad-vance countries like US and even to work onclass projects together. The potential of suchinteraction is invaluable. Learning to use tech-nology to expand the reach of a child in a smallvillage in Africa expands the horizons of theirpossibilities infinitely. For the children in thedeveloped world the lessons will also be of greatvalue. For example, in a country like Uganda dueto the importance of the transfer of knowledge,a dedicated news network, South-South News,has been set up to help reach the MillenniumDevelopment Goals through the use of Informa-tion, Communication, and Technology.

Access to Mobile Networks

In just the last two decades, most of Africahas leapfrogged the communication infrastruc-ture divide from having no telephones to hav-ing widespread cellular networks. This has al-lowed the rapid spread of mobile banking ser-vices, allowing people to make secure transac-tions and secure small business loans. Besides,being currently developed is a system that al-lows for minimally-trained local medical workersto easily diagnose malaria, obtain prescriptions,and register cases with mobile technology. Mo-bile networks can also help disseminate infor-mation by allowing farmers access to best prac-tices for irrigation and fertilization. Unfortunate-ly, cost is still a major barrier to the effective useof mobile technology. African countries shouldmonetize their extremely valuable mobile com-munication spectrum to invest in major infra-structure improvements.

Are There Downsides to ExpandedAccess to ICT?

Enabling access to ICT to over six billionpeople sounds like a waste nightmare in themaking. There is certainly a need to have seri-ous discussions about the environmental impli-


cations. Systems must be put in place to allowfor effective recycling of laptops and mobiledevices. There are also serious considerationsaround the impact of the infrastructure, cellularnetworks, telephone switching equipment, serv-ers and satellite-based equipment. Finally, inaddition to connecting farmers and workers tomarkets, will access to ICT also move the rest ofthe world towards Western-style consumerism?Rather than fearing the consequences of othersfollowing in the West’s destructive footsteps, itis our responsibility to lead by example and ex-tend a hand to our global brothers and sisters toelevate their quality of life and alleviate extremehardship. ICT, for the first time, makes this apossibility.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study adopted descriptive survey re-search design to investigate the role of ICT andhigher education in sustainable development.

Population/Sample

The population of this study comprises main-ly all the 650 lecturers in some selected universi-ties. Simple random sampling technique wasused in the selection of the lecturers. The sam-ple size of this study consists of one hundredand thirty-one university lecturers (N=131)

Validity and Reliability of Research Instrument

A structured questionnaire was used to elic-it information from the respondents. The instru-ment was validated by the experts in the samefield and Cronbach alpha was used to measureits reliability. The reliability coefficient is r=0.87.The instrument was divided into two sections;section 1 required respondents’ bio-data, whilesection 2 contained three parts. Part 1 containsitems/indicators on ICT and sustainable devel-opment. Part 2 contains items/indicators on high-er education and sustainable development andpart 3 contains items on the role of ICT and highereducation for sustainable development. Likertmodified response scale was used. The respons-es range from Strongly Agree – Strongly Dis-agree.

Data Administration and Analyses

The instrument was administered to the re-spondents in their various universities with thesupport of research assistants. The administra-tion was completed in 10 days. Data collectedwas analyzed using descriptive and Chi-Squarestatistics

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Research Question 1: What are the perceivedcontributions of ICT to sustainable developmentin Nigeria?

The analysis on the contribution of ICT tosustainable development in Nigeria reveal thatfactors such as effective ICT integration will pro-mote sustainable development, Robust and ef-fective ICT policy will enhance sustainable de-velopment; and the supply of high tech ICT fa-cilities will sustain development in Nigeria havethe highest significant contribution to sustain-able development in Nigeria with (Mean 4 andSD of .00000). This is followed by lack of cre-ativity and willingness to change hinder sus-tainable development and High cost of sustain-ability of technology can hinder developmentwith (Mean 3.4 and SD = .49862). Next to thesefactors is piloting the chosen of ICT-based modelwill enhance sustainability with (Mean 3.41 andSD of .494). The results also revealed that lackof ICT competences will affect sustainable de-velopment in Nigeria and also the accessibilityto internet and mobile networks will enhancesustainable development (Mean 3.709 and SDof .4555) respectively. This implies that all theICT factors identified here have the capabilityof contributing significantly to the sustainabledevelopment.

Research Question 2: What are the perceivedcontributions of higher education to sustain-able development?

It reveals that the development and adequatemaintenance of infrastructures in institutions oflearning can promote sustainable developmentin Nigeria contributed mostly to sustainable de-velopment in Nigeria with (Mean of 4 and SD=.000). The next factors of higher education thatmade significant contribution to sustainabledevelopment are the autonomy for higher edu-cation system that can enhance sustainable de-velopment in Nigeria and the positive attitudeof higher education leadership will affect sus-


tainable development in Nigeria with (Mean3.733 and SD of .444) respectively. Next to this isoverhauling of Computer Assisted Instruction

programs in institutions of learning will enhancesustainable development with (Mean 3.389 andSD of .490). Other factors of higher education

Table 1: Descriptive statistics on ICT and sustainable development in Nigeria

N Min Max Mean Stddevi-ation

Effective ICT integration will promote sustainable 131 4.00 4.00 4.0000 .00000development

Robust and effective ICT policy will enhance sustainable 131 4.00 4.00 4.0000 .00000 development

Robust and effective ICT policy will enhance sustainable 131 4.00 4.00 4.0000 .00000development

Piloting the chosen of ICT-based model will enhance 131 3.00 4.00 3.4122 .49412sustainability

Difficulty in linking ICT to the curriculum may affect 131 3.00 4.00 3.7328 .44418sustainable development

Lack of ICT competences will affect sustainable development 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554in Nigeria

Lack of creativity and willingness to change will hinder 131 3.00 4.00 3.4427 .49862sustainable develop

Lack of ICT skills and experts will militate against 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554sustainable development.

High cost of sustainability of technology can hinder 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .49862development

Limited access to computer and software can affect 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554sustainable development

Accessibility to internet and mobile networks will enhance 131 3.00 4.003 3.7099 .45554sustainable development

Effective recycling of laptops and mobile devices can promote 131 3.00 4.00 3.2672 .44418sustainable development

Valid N (list wise) 131

Table 2: Descriptive statisticshigher education and sustainable development in Nigeria

N Min Max Mean Stddevi-ation

131 3.00 4.00 3.3728 .44418The positive attitude of higher education leadership will affect 131 3.00 4.00 3.3728 .44418

sustainable development in NigeriaThe development and adequate maintenance of infrastructures 131 4.00 4.00 4.0000 .00000

in institutions of learning can promote sustainabledevelopment in Nigeria

Overhauling of Computer Assisted Instruction programmers 131 3.00 4.00 3.3893 .48947in institutions of learning will enhance sustainabledevelopment

Human capacity building programs in our institution will 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554positively affect sustainable development

Political interference in higher education system will militate 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554against sustainable development

Adequate funding of higher education can promote development 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554Bad education policy and planning will hinder sustainable 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554

developmentLack of clear Language and educational content development 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554

can militate against developmentTraining and retraining of staff in educational institutions 131 3.00 4.00 3.7099 .45554

will promote sustainable developmentValid N (list wise) 131


that exert significant contribution to sustainabledevelopment in Nigeria are: Human capacitybuilding programs in our institutions will posi-tively affect sustainable development; politicalinterference in higher education system will mil-itate against sustainable development; adequatefunding of higher education can promote devel-opment; bad education policy and planning willhinder sustainable development; lack of clearLanguage and educational content developmentcan militate against development training andretraining of staff in educational institutions willpromote sustainable development. All of theseare with (Mean 3.710 and SD .4556). This is anindication that all the higher education factorsidentified significantly have the capability ofcontributing to sustainable development in Ni-geria.

Research Question 3: What are the perceivedcontributions of ICT and higher education tosustainable development in Nigeria?

The roles of ICT and higher education to thesustainable development identified by the re-spondents in an open ended format include pro-moting and enhancing Government policies andoperational procedures with (Mean 3.98 and SD.488). This is followed by helping to recover,revamp as well as update obsolete governmentpolicies with credible indices for wealth creationwith (Mean 3.544 and SD of .444) while contrib-uting to the intense growth and urbanization ofremote as well as rural areas with little or noknowledge of ICT followed with (Mean 3.544and SD of .433).

CONCLUSION

Universities are important actors in the com-munity, as employers, purchasers and serviceusers; they are also businesses where prudentuse of resources saves money and safeguardsreputations. Thus, universities can be perceivedas models for society in the pursuit of sustain-able development. Higher education should notonly critically reflect on learning environmentsand learning processes for students studying

for their first degree in higher education, theyshould also reflect on their role in creating aninfrastructure that supports and enhances life-long learning processes. In examining the de-velopment of ICTs in schools, universities andtraining, an important distinction should bemade. In the case of schools, teachers primarilyuse ICTs in the school as an instructional de-vice. “Distance” learning is rarely part of schoolteaching. In the case of higher education andtraining, students are more likely to use ICTspartly to learn at a distance from the instructor.

From the findings,factors such as effectiveICT integration will promote sustainable devel-opment, robust and effective ICT policy will en-hance sustainable development; and the sup-ply of high technology facilities will sustain de-velopment in Nigeria have the highest signifi-cant contribution to sustainable developmentin Nigeria with (Mean 4 and SD of .00000).

Concerning the role of higher education; thedevelopment and adequate maintenance of infra-structures in institutions of learning can promotesustainable development in Nigeria contributedmostly to sustainable development in Nigeria with(Mean of 4 and SD= .000000). Concerning therole of ICT and higher education in sustainabledevelopment, the findings revealed that; promot-ing and enhancing Government policies and op-erational procedures with (Mean 3.98 and SD.488) have the greatest contribution.

RECOMMENDATION

It was however recommended that attentionshould be paid on the indicators listed above soas to enhance sustainable development inNigeria.

REFERENCES

Adu EO, Tella A2013. A Comparison of social net-working sites use among undergraduate students intwo selected African Universities: University of Ilor-in, Nigeria and BA ISAGO University College,Botswana. In: R McBride, M Searson (Eds.): Pro-ceedings of Society for Information Technology &

Table 3: Other roles of ICT and higher education for sustainable development

S.No. Items No. Mean SD

1 Promoting and enhancing government policies and operational procedures 131 3.98332 .487662 Help to recover, revamp as a well as update obsolete government 131 3.7854 .44445

policies with credible indices for wealth creation3 contribute to the intense growth and urbanization of remote as 131 3.5444 .43245

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