Journal of
Internet and Information Systems

  • Abbreviation: J. Internet Inf. Syst.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-6478
  • DOI: 10.5897/JIIS
  • Start Year: 2010
  • Published Articles: 21

Full Length Research Paper

The state of e-government readiness in Africa: A comparative web assessment of selected African countries

Brendan E. Asogwa
Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

  •  Published: 30 October 2011

Abstract

 

This paper surveyed the level of preparedness of selected African governments in using information and communication technologies to enhance the range and quality of services provided to the citizen; and determined the extent of, and continuous improvement efforts of African leaders towards the attainment of connected government. Data for the study was a secondary data adapted from the Internet. The UN global e-government readiness ranking and the five stages of e-government evolution was downloaded, adapted and used as a benchmark and analytical framework for measuring the web readiness of African governments in 2005, 2008 and 2010. It was discovered that many African governments have demonstrated their willingness to apply information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their public administration, but majority was at the emerging and enhanced stages. The strength of their web presence continues to diminish as they move upward the benchmark or the ladder to integrated governance. A very serious impediment which characterized e-government readiness in all the African governments was lack of continuity which arose from their inability to update their websites, high level of poverty, and low level of human capital and knowledge economy. The implications include poor provision of government services and underutilization of ICTs facilities in Africa which might result in the widening of ‘access divide’ between the rich and the poor.

 

Key words: Africa, e-government, information and communication technologies (ICTs), public services, global ranking, benchmark, web assessment.