INFS 111

INFORMATION IN
SOCIETY

SESSION 10 – INFORMATION AND NATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

Lecturers: Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,
Dr. Philip Kankam
 Session Overview
• The session introduces some ideas on how information
can be used for national development.

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Session Objectives
At the end of the session, you should be able to:
• explain how information can be used for national
development
• discuss the role of information in agriculture
development
• explain the impact of information in national
development
• state the legal aspects of information for national
development

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Topic One: Managing Information for National Development.

• Topic Two: The Role of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT)
• Topic Three: Information and Agricultural Development
• Topic Four: Education
• Topic Five: Socio-Economic Development
• Topic Six: Legal Aspects of Information for
Development.

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Reading List
• Adu, E. O., Emunemu, B. O., & Oshati, T. (2014). The role of
information and communication technology (ICT) and higher
education in sustainable development. Journal of Communication,
5(2), 181-190.

• Ezeani, N. S., & Falade, C. A. (2018). Information and

communication technology (ICT): A veritable tool for national
development. Nigerian Journal of Business Education (NIGJBED),
5(2), 165-174.

• Fägerlind, I., & Saha, L. J. (2016). Education and national

development: A comparative perspective. Elsevier.

• Szirmai, A. (2015). Socio-economic development. Cambridge

University Press.
Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,
Dr. Philip Kankam
 Topic One:
Managing Information for National
Development

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
National Development

• National development is the capacity of the country to raise the

standard of living of its residents (National Planning Commission,
2013).

• It can be achieved by providing individuals with basic livelihood

requirements and supplying them with employment, among others.

• Development is a process that creates growth and brings in progress

and positive change.

Slide 7
National Development cont’d…

• Two aspects of development are

• Economic growth or increase in people’s income.

• Social progress includes literacy, health and the provision of public services.

Slide 8
Components of National Development

• The components of national development are as follows

• Development of rural areas

• Increasing agricultural outputs

• Enlargement of economic knowledge

• Handling of growth in urban areas

• Eradication of poverty

• Managing population increase in highly populated areas

Slide 9
 Need to Manage Information for National Development

• The information explosion.

• Producers of information.
• Do not only inform the consumers but also persuade them.

• Makes it easier to know who has what, thereby leading to

information sharing.

• Enables society to build a good foundation as there is a better

knowledge of the world around us.

Slide 10
Ways by which Information can be Managed for National
Development

• Acceptance of information as an important national resource

• Firstly, information has to be acknowledged to be a vital resource to the
nation

• Equipping information
• Provide the necessary tools and system to ensure information is accessed
and managed well

• Ability to identify, locate and obtain local information for the use
of the people as well as foreign sources of information

Slide 11
Ways by which Information can be Managed for National
Development

• A survey of the information needs of the people.

• Understanding the kind of information the people will need will inform
proper measures to manage such information

• The compilation of national bibliographies and national

union catalogues.
• These are key to finding local information

Slide 12
 Topic Two:

The Role of Information and

Communication Technology (ICT)

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Definition and Purpose
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• systems for producing, storing, sending and retrieving digital files. These files
can contain text, sounds and images, both still and moving.

• Telecommunications and Computer technologies

• the latest channels for the transmission of information to users.

• They have revolutionized the whole process of information provision

• information revolution
• information age
• information economy
• information society

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Challenges in the use of ICT in Africa
• Insignificant computer hardware and software manufacturing
industry in Africa.

• Inadequate maintenance facilities for ICTs.

• High rate of illiteracy in Africa.

• Poor telecommunication services.

• Lack of foreign exchange to import ICT equipment and spare parts.

• Low electricity generating capacities.

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Topic Three:
Information and Agricultural
Development

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Importance of Agriculture in Ghana

• Mainstay of the Ghanaian economy.

• Contributes to about half of the Gross Domestic Product

(GDP) and absorbs about 65% of the labour force.

• The country has three main vegetational zones.

• The savannah grassland in the northern belt

• The coastal

• Tropical forest

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Types of Agricultural Information

• Technical/Scientific information

• Commercial information

• Social information

• Legal information

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Obstacles to Agricultural Information Provision in Ghana

• High level of illiteracy.

• Most of the farmers especially in rural areas cannot read and write

• Low usage of radio and television sets.

• Inadequate number of personnel trained in agricultural information.

• Inadequate Agricultural information centres

• Limited skills in accessing information

• Inadequate information resources

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Topic Four:

Education

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 The “Information for All” Programme
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• everyone has a right to education.

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO)

• The agency of the United Nations contributing to building peace
through international cooperation in education, the sciences
and culture

• International Federation of Library Association and Institutions, (IFLA).

• the leading international body representing the interests of
library and information services and their user

Slide 21
The “Information for All” Programme

• The Universal Bibliographic Control (UBC)

programme
• The purpose of UBC is to comprehensively preserve all
documentary heritage

• The Universal Availability of Publications (UAP)

programme
• a programme to improve the national and international
provision and supply of publications

Slide 22
The Advantages of Reading

• Social Values
• achieving measurable outcomes that will be beneficial for society and the
local community

• Linguistic Values
• vocabulary acquisition

• Intellectual Values
• Expand your knowledge of the world and open your mind to different
ideas which may challenge your own and cause us to view things in a
different light

• Moral Values
• Set standards, and can discipline core values and can help shape people
into who they are.
Slide 23
 Factors that Discourage Reading for Pleasure
in Africaof the oral culture in Africa
• Predominance

• English as a second language

• Foreign-based contents of books

• Lack of book-buying habits

• Social factors such as housing

• Poor teaching methodologies

• Preference for television

• Electronic means of information

Slide 24
 Solutions to Poor Reading Habits
• More books should be written, based on the African background.

• Teachers should use methodologies that encourage students to read.

• More local language materials should be produced.

• Attention should be given to children’s libraries.

• Reading should be made compulsory in all basic schools.

Slide 25
 Socio-Economic Development
• Socioeconomic development is generally viewed as
improvements in the living standards of individuals and
communities – or simply, as the achievement of a better life

• Socio-economic development incorporates public concerns in

developing social policy and economic initiatives.

Slide 26
 Importance of Information in Socio-Economic Development
• African countries are becoming increasingly aware of the
fact that information is an indispensable factor in their
socio-economic development:

• The designation of 19th November every year as African

Information Day by the Economic Commission for Africa
(ECA) Conference of Ministers responsible for planning
and social development.

Slide 27
 Sources of Information for Socio-Economic Development
Domestic and international sources
• Government Ministries and Departments

• Universities and Research Institutes

• Non-Governmental
• Foreign embassies
• Regional and sub-regional organizations
• International information systems
• International conferences and seminars

Slide 28
 Problems of Information Access in Africa
• Difficulties in accessing the information.
• Lack of proper reporting by information professionals
• leads to misinformation and hampering socio-economic planning
• The concept of confidentiality of information

• Lack of proper documentation

• Lack of awareness

• Information explosion

• Bibliographic obstacle

• Cost for Users

Slide 29
 Topic Six:

Legal Aspects of Information for

Development

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
 Intellectual Freedom and Copyright
Intellectual freedom
• Means that people have both
the freedom and the right to
think as they like and say what
they please, without
governmental interference,
except where there is possible
danger to others in the
community.
Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,
Dr. Philip Kankam
Copyright
• The sole right of preventing
the copying of a physical
material existing in the body of
knowledge. It must be noted
that copyright is concerned
only with the prevention of
reproduction of physical
 Definition and Purpose of Censorship

Definitions Types of censorship

• Censorship is the attempt to • Religious Censorship
restrict the types of materials
that are disseminated to the
public. • Political Censorship

• Moral Censorship

• Crime and Violence

Ms. Rita Agbodza, Dr. Edwina Ashie-Nikoi, Dr. Winifred Bentil,

Dr. Philip Kankam
Lecture Summary

• This session examined how information can aid in national

development and its contribution to agriculture, education and socio-
cultural development

Slide 33
Activity 10.1

• Explain how information can be used for national development

• Discuss the role of information in agriculture development

Slide 34
Activity 10.2

• Explain the impact of information on national development

• State the legal aspects of information for national development

Slide 35
 References
• Adu, E. O., Emunemu, B. O., & Oshati, T. (2014). The role of
information and communication technology (ICT) and higher
education in sustainable development. Journal of Communication,
5(2), 181-190.

• Avdeev, V. A., Avdeeva, O. A., Shagieva, R. V., Smirnova, V. V.,

Mashkin, N. A., & Taradonov, S. V. (2020). The mechanism of legal
regulation in the conditions of globalization and formation of
information environment. Regional aspect. Journal of Environmental
Management and Tourism, 10(7), 1517-1521.

• Bellon, M. R., Kotu, B. H., Azzarri, C., & Caracciolo, F. (2020). To

diversify or not to diversify, that is the question. Pursuing
agricultural development for smallholder farmers in marginal areas of
Ghana. World Development, 125, 104682.
Slide 36
 References
• Ezeani, N. S., & Falade, C. A. (2018). Information and communication
technology (ICT): A veritable tool for national development. Nigerian Journal
of Business Education (NIGJBED), 5(2), 165-174.

• Fägerlind, I., & Saha, L. J. (2016). Education and national development:

A comparative perspective. Elsevier.

• National Planning Commission. (2013). National development plan vision

2030.

• Ramadani, L., Breidbach, C. F., & Kurnia, S. (2023). Investigating information

and communication technology‐enabled national development as a
multi‐level social process. Information Systems Journal, 33(1), 130-
153.

• Szirmai, A. (2015). Socio-economic development. Cambridge University

Slide 37