Futures of Learning

Fishing canoe in Prampram. Photo by Araba Sey, December 19, 2006

As in most African countries, discussions of digital media technologies in Ghana are usually located in the discourse on socio-economic development and digital divides. In the case of Ghana, not only is there an expressed desire to facilitate human development within its borders, but also to become the digital technology hub of the region (Republic of Ghana, 2003). For this to happen would require a dramatic change in the current ICT infrastructure, and the emergence of an active community of users with both the ability and capacity to act at the cutting edge of technology. From the policy angle, the government has outlined a framework – the ICT for Accelerated Development Policy – for fostering this environment. The policy states as its objective, “to: accelerate Ghana’s socio-economic development process towards the realization of the vision to transfrom Ghana into a high income economy and society that is predominantly information-rich and knowledge-based within the next two to three decades or less” (Republic of Ghana, 2003, p.14). One of the challenges highlighted in the policy is that of turning the youthful population into an asset for growth. Alongside this is a perception within the general population that digital information and communication technologies represent a threat to the nation’s socio-cultural structure particularly in their potential to expose young people to alternative lifestyles. It is interesting, therefore, to observe actual developments on the ground, particularly the digital habits of the youth.

Demographics

As of 2007, Ghana had a population of 23million with an approximately 50/50 rural-urban split (CIA world factbook, 2009). The population is relatively young – about 60% are below the age of 25 years, and about 5% above 65 years – fueling a deep sense of the role of the youth in fostering national development (Republic of Ghana, 2003). This goal is hampered by high illiteracy rates (47%, US Department of State, 2009), high secondary school dropout rates (half of secondary school entrants do not make it to the senior level) and high poverty levels (40% of population below the $1 poverty level, Republic of Ghana, 2003).

Technology adoption and use

Levels of digital technology use amongst the general Ghanaian population are limited by the sparseness of the existing infrastructure, although significant strides have been made in recent years (fueled by industry deregulation and restructuring). Ghana was one of the first African countries to get connected to the Internet in 1989/90. For most internet users, public venues (mainly internet cafés and telecenters) are the primary source of access – the cost of shared access has continued to decline making this the most cost-effective option for the population. Until the mid 2000s, residential broadband lines were virtually nonexistent. Though generally priced out of the reach of most residents, there are now several companies offering broadband and wireless internet access packages to households. In 2007 there were 16,200 broadband subscribers; 23, 400 internet subscribers; 880,000 internet users in the country (ITU, 2009). While internet cafés are the primary source of Internet access, telephones are by far the main means of communication. The fixed line infrastructure is poor – as at 2007 there was just over one fixed line per 100 inhabitants. The deficiency has been filled by mobile telephony which reportedly stands at 12 million subscriptions (Wireless Federation, 2009), a penetration rate of over 50%. Amongst digital media in Ghana, mobile phones have probably received the most attention from researchers and journalists in recent times, arising from the innovative ways in which users are adapting this particular technology to their everyday needs. Even so, compared to the work that has been done in other regions, there is a relatively limited amount of literature on the use of digital technologies in Ghana.

In my next blog posts I will discuss trends in new media development and practice in context of the relatively low access levels, national socio-economic goals, and the limited existence of empirical research on digital media practices in Ghana. I look forward to your comments and feedback! 

References

CIA (2009). CIA world factbook. Available at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gh.html.
ITU. (2009). ITU statistics. Available at http://www.itu.int.
Republic of Ghana (2003). Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development [ICT4AD] Policy. Available at http://www.ict.gov.gh. 
US Department of State. (March 2009). Background Note: Ghana. Available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2860.htm.
Wireless Federation. (2009). Ghana’s mobile suscriber base totals 12Mn at Jan’09-end. Available at http://wirelessfederation.com/news/14781-ghanas-mobile-subscriber-base-totals-12mn-at-jan09-end/.