DIGITAL DIVIDE IN NIGERIAN IVORY TOWERS

A number of studies have been conducted with a view of understanding and overcoming the phenomenon known as “Digital Divide”. In the developing the problem associated with access to the Internet in the universities seems to have received little if any attention, particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa where access to the Internet is still a big problem. This paper reports on a survey conducted in selected Nigerian public universities. Using a semi-structured interview on technical people, responsible for day to day operation of the Internet infrastructures, and some faculty members in the universities, this study finds that access to the Internet still remains problematic. The paper recommends among others that public universities management should form a consortium with a view of pooling resources to subscribe to broadband Internet, and cloud computing option, which appears to be the least explored by the universities in Nigeria.