The Neglect

Michel Menou (1993), brings the matter to the fore by saying:

"Although we have witnessed a steady growth in the provision of information services in developing countries, a number of fundamental questions still remain unanswered. The people of these countries question the relevance and appropriateness of the services offered. Development assistance agencies are concerned about problems and sustainability. The extent to which information societies actually contribute to the empowerment of people and the accountability of the institutions concerned are subjects of controversy and debate. Logic dictates that information is an essential resource for social and economic development of Third World countries, but how can this be demonstrated? How tangible is the linkage between information investments and the achievement of specific development goals? The limited status accorded to information in most developing countries suggests that its potential value is not evident."

B. Cronin (1986) correctly points out that 'an information society is one in which the use of information is central to social development and organisational management'. He further says that:

"The absence or presence of a high degree of automation is not the determining criterion, though in practice there tends to be a strong positive correlation between the amount of information in use and the degree of technology penetration. The computer revolution has helped us manage the proliferation of recorded information and exacerbated the problem of over-supply. Technology is, in effect, a twin-edged sword, which spawns problems as it proffers solutions."

For many countries in development, there are a range of battles still to be won on both the technology and information provision fronts. National governments are now becoming interested in the 'economic significance of information'. The business community has also woken up to the fact that information is an active economic resource and as such requires new and improved techniques for its management (Cronin, 1986).

Dennis N. Ocholla's case-study in Botswana reveals a pattern that can be found in many SSA countries by saying:

"The country's socio-economic conditions includes sophisticated information consumers alongside some of the least information-conscious people. Information provision centres and services, such as libraries, are minimal and still underdeveloped and under-utilised. In addition, services are less market-driven and adapt to change very slowly."

The major concern for the average citizen is not information, but other more crucial needs for example having a piece of land for subsistence farming. The kind of information awareness needed in SSA countries is that which has long-term gains. 'Short-termism' usually governs the information seeking behaviour of a majority of the people in those countries - day to day survival tactics. Such a pattern of behaviour has spread throughout society that for most people working in positions of authority their efforts are geared towards immediate personal gain. The common problem pattern in most public sector organisations is that the information services are under-developed to the extent of failing to provide basic information. It is only when you need a piece of information that people start to realise the importance of having viable information dissemination services.

In a survey carried out by the author one respondent, a BBC journalist Laurent Ndayihurume had some revealing truths about the level of awareness of the value of information typically found in many SSA countries. On the ethnic problem (which is a big issue dividing people) he said: 'people don't know the truth', on the economy: 'people don't understand', on illiteracy: 'people are not encouraged enough to send children to school'. All this shows the need to create an environment of information awareness to change and shift attitudes and behaviour still embedded into some traditions that have done more harm than good in the socio-economic development process in many SSA countries.