Towards the effect of external agencies on national information and communication technology policies development in developing countries: Case of Africa

Abstract

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) spearheads a country's social and economic development and studies have established that there is a relationship between ICTs and a country's social and economic development. Development of ICT policies in African countries has been through the adoption of prescribed models: blue print and an incremental approach based on the blue print approach. Despite the countries using these two frameworks, there are still indications that the gap in implementing ICTs in Africa is widening from the rest of the world. This research examines the effect of foreign agencies on national ICT policy development in developing countries. A case study approach will be used to compare two countries that adopted the NICI framework with other two that followed the incremental process. Secondary data from databases kept by international development agencies and policy documents from countries under study will be used in the research.