Benue State University, Makurdi

POLITICS OF ICT INTEGRATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

Ihie Eru Joel
Department of Educational Foundations, College of Education, Oju

Jemimah Ogi
Department of Educational Foundations, College of Education, Oju

Jones Ikpe
Department of Educational Foundations, College of Education, Oju

Abstract

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become inseparable entities in all aspects of human life. The use of ICT has fundamentally changed the practices and procedures of nearly all forms of endeavor within business, governance, education and civil service. There is universal recognition of the need to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education as we enter the era of globalization where the free flow of information via satellite and the internet hold sway in global information dissemination of knowledge. Already, Nigeria is on the other side of the international digital divide, as it has not made significant effort to integrate ICT into secondary school curriculum. A great deal of instructional and administrative work in secondary school in Nigeria is still carried out manually. This paper, therefore, examines the major obstacles and politics militating against the use of ICT in secondary education in Nigeria. It identifies poor funding of computer hardware and software, weak infrastructure, lack of adequate human skills and knowledge in ICT, and lack of relevant software appropriate and culturally suitable to Nigeria. In modern society, Nigeria needs ICT to aid teaching and learning and educational management. ICT is an instrument for the economic and technological development in the 21 st century; therefore, Nigeria cannot afford to be on the other side of the digital divide..

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