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the changing and restoration of academic curricula in the African changing higher

educational system far outweighs its economic and social significance in the development of

future instructional materials and course delivery in various institutions of higher learning.

ICT can help developing countries tackle a wide range of academic problems plaguing the

continent’s academic development. By improving access to information and by enabling

communication, ICT can play a significant role in reaching various institutions of higher

learning, and providing an enabling academic environment for both the teachers and learners

as the African continent emerges in a new era driven by more diverse information technology

machinery.

Various examples have shown that the integration of ICT for development projects in

Africa has been very successful in areas such as health, economic empowerment, human

rights and commerce (Thomas, 2006). It has also assisted in development projects where

international community, NGOs, the educational sector, various national governments and

industry all contribute in playing a significant role in realizing the benefits of ICT in a range

of sectors, from health, education, commerce and e-government to scientific capacity

building, gender empowerment and human rights. In most countries of Africa, the only

hindrance to realizing the benefits of ICT is inadequate infrastructure and human capacity.

ICT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Thomas (2006) identified the “digital divide” as a core disparity that most of the time creates

marginal challenges for a significant number of countries in attempting to reach

the pinnacle of technological excellence. There are wide disparities in the extent to which

different developing countries, and different socio-economic groups within these countries,

benefit from ICT. The digital divide commonly refers to the gap between those with access to