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The Information Superhighwayand Traditional Communication:

Where We Stand

By Wole Adamolekun

Abstract

Advances in communication technology, bring with them newcharacteristics which often expand the horizons for informationexchange among people. The evolving information superhigh-way is promising to break the physical barriers to the free flowof information. This has serious implications for developingcountries. As many parts of the world adopt the new technolo-gies of the information superhighway African countries shouldbe cautious and not too readily abandon their traditionalcommunication methods, which are not necessarily anti-theticalto the Internet. As exciting as the new technologies are, they donot always portend positive developments.

Wole Adamolekun is Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs at NationalBoard for Community Banks, Abuja, Nigeria.

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La Super Voie de Communicationet la Communication

Traditionnelle: Le Choix S'Impose

Par Wole Adamolekun

R6sum6

Selon l'auteur de cet article, le developpement de la technologiecommunicationnelle apporte de nouvelles possibilites, ainsiameliorant l'echange d'informations a tout les niveaux. C'estjustement ce que promet de realiser 1'evolution de la Super Voiede Communication. II n'oublie pas, pour autant, de signaler quecet avancement implique des cangements divers et plus oumoins profonds, dans les pays du Tiers Monde. Adamolekumsoutient qu'avec l'adoption de cette technologie par une bonnepartie des regions du monde, les pays africains devraient fairedavantage d'attention avant d'abandonner les moyenstraditionnels de communication, au profit des moyens modernes.Car si ceux-la ne sont pas toujours favorables au developpement,ceux-ci ne sont pas forcement incompatibles avec l'lnternet.

Wole Adamolekun est Sous Directeur, Affaires Juridiques, ConseilNational de la Banque Communautaire, Abuja, Nigeria.

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Don't embrace technology for technology's sake.Use commonsense to determine when to use newmedia and when to use more traditional methods.It's great to have electronic relationships, but wealways need old fashioned human contact.Moshe Triwaks.

Three decades ago when Marshall Mcluhan, foretold theconfluence of computers, communications and information intowhat he termed the Global Village, little did we know thatdistances would no longer matter in the bargain. Information hasbecome so strategic in the new hi-tech village that people acrossthe world are linked seamlessly and instantaneously at a reducedcost, and with the same significance as the discovery of electriclight, the telephone and the printing press. The informationrevolution has literally rendered all man-made barriers of physicalborders and other contraptions inhibiting its free flow unnecessaryand superfluous.

The Information Superhighway

What exactly is information superhighway? Some call it the "All-Digital, Simultaneous, Real-Time, Interactive, Broadband, Mul-timedia, Information Superhighway." However, AT & Ts visionsimply puts it as bringing people together, giving them easyaccess to each other and to the information and services theywant and need - anytime, anywhere. The information superhigh-way is a seamless web of communication and informationnetworks - together with other elements of national informationinfrastructure, such as computers, databases, and consumerelectronics - which will put vast amounts of information at thefingertips of a variety of users. This information superhighway(1-way as its fondly called) is a vast inter operable network ofnetworks - embracing local, long distance and global networks,wireless, broadcast and cable, electronic-mail, voice mail, videophones, electronic newspapers, telex news via television (the flat

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- panel newspaper) video conferencing, satellites and mostimportant, the Internet.

The information superhighway as awesome as it seems is justbut evolving and is still a vision thing. What we would end upwith is not exactly known to anybody. The information super-highway as we know it today is not just an improvement overwhat existed, it represents near Utopian possibilities: revolu-tions golden ages, new fortunes to be made, new careers andlifestyles designed as people connect globally without leavinghome. This in essence can be seen as the re-engineering of thesociety in terms of how we live, play, work, travel and commu-nicate. In the areas of education, many more people would beengaged in distance learning and school at home; reputablemedical consultants would be able to interact with field healthworkers and even individual patients; homes would virtuallyserve as offices without losing productivity and the collaborativework environment of the office as we know it now and the needfor physical visits and shopping would be embarked upon whenit is absolutely necessary.

It is gratifying that some areas of the African continent arelinking up as fast as the Internet and the world-wide web arebeing developed. The draft constitution of Eritrea was recentlysent through the Internet to constitutional experts around theworld. South Africa is particularly strategic in her total involvementin the global networking and connectivity of hi-tech informationsystems. In several countries along the west coast and Nigeriain particular, only multinationals, high networth individuals andsome individual business people are linked with the I-way. In otherwords, people in the area are at best observers and peripheralparticipants who are stuck in a pothole at the very beginning ofthe information superhighway.

The hi-tech information technology involves mostly gadgetsthat are currently in use. The telephone (analogue and digital),cellular phones, computer, fax machines, broadcast televisionand radio, cable television, live broadcast, on-line computernetworks, satellite and wireless networks are all components of

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the information superhighway. Most of these facilities areavailable and operational with varying degrees of successes andefficiency all over the continent. The important thing to note isthat we tend to overestimate the potential of communicationtechnology forgetting that the software and hardware could beineffective if there no skilled and creative people to operate, andfunds to maintain them. Furthermore, many communicationexperiments failed dismally because of inadequate attention tothe interplay of socio-political variables that would determine thecultural relevance and acceptability of the system. This is whyhundreds of crates of computers meant for some Nigerianschools are left in the open for years without anybody worryingabout what to do with them.

What is in it for developing countries?

The information superhighway has a lot of promise for thedeveloping nations of the world particularly those in Africa.Whenever we get connected on the information superhighwayramp, the potentials include:

a) Education would benefit through the enhancement of thedistance learning system which the poor economy and theincreased demand for tertiary and professional educationhave made compelling.

b) Theposiibility for experienced consultants to serve many moremedical institutions and centres through the power ofcommunication. Information storage, retrieval anddissemination in the world-wide web/networks could be costeffective.

c) Rural-urban migration in the long run may be contained aspeople wherever they are can have what they desire withouttoo much physical movements. Advanced information tech-nology will guarantee jobs and services in all places be they

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rural or urban.

d) Working at home with hi-tech communication may becomeattractive to members of the business class who clutter thestreets with several vehicles and personnel in different directionsin pursuit of valued jobs. It is a potential area that could beexplored as we get on the information superhighway proper.

e) The economy has truly become global and it is only wise tohook on to the information superhighway to remain relevant,profitable and prosperous.

f) The great strides in information technology would furtherbuild the global society with as many nations being able tointeract, transact and communicate with other people with-out losing their cultural identity and preferences.

In order to benefit from the foregoing, it may be necessary forthe developing nations that are still preparing to move on to theinformation superhighway to consider substantial investmentin communication infrastructure. Leap frogging or jump-start-ing has been recommended.as there is no wisdom in startingwith gadgets that have long been abandoned for more efficientand cost-effective alternatives. Rather than buy old technolo-gies, it is more prudent to invest scarce capital resources inmodern technologies still conscious of the need and capacity ofthe people to sustain it. In the words of Mayo (1995), "the globalleaders of the 21st century will be those countries that have notonly invested in the right technologies, but also in the intellec-tual growth of their people."

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Communication systems in Nigeria

So much for the information superhighway. The Nigerianexperience at adopting information technologies is very instruc-tive. Over the years, we have tried several methods of technologytransfer, adoption, copying and missteps. Today, it is difficult topin point how far we have gone in our drive to become atechnologically-developed nation. Whatever stage and type oftechnology that is imaginable in the whole world, (the internetinclusive) is provided in Nigeria. The question really is howextensive and what impact have these technologies on the peopleand economy? Surely our communication sector is not ascoordinated and developed as it should be. Social infrastruc-tures such as electric light, personnel, technical know-how anddepressed economy have continued to make communicationserratic, expensive and unserviceable. Despite the fact that thecountry has the potentials to accommodate the most moderntechnology in the communication industry, it cannot guaranteethe efficiency of basic such as telephone let alone cellular phonesand fax machines. .

Yes, the television and radio as important sections of theinformation superhighway have continued to perform wonder-fully even under unimaginable odds of using absolute andinefficient equipment. The attempt of cable television is still inits infancy and it may become another good programme goneawry unless the regulatory body steps in to ensure that theservice providers do not over exploit their monopoly which mayultimately stifle the development. Most times, the service you getis not commensurate with the price paid by subscribers. Thesame is the story of the cellular telephone. Even the land phonesare inadequate; and big exchanges are located in places wherethey may not be fully subscribed for another two decades.

The computer may be more accessible to people in thedeveloping countries as it is more personal; it can also beinteractive and dynamic in solving many informational problems.

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A personal computer equipped with a modem could get you tothe on-ramp with the assistance of a local service provider. Also,we are in the video age which promises to be most useful in theless developed nations. When fully developed, video conferencingcould facilitate business to the extent that it would save time,enhance productivity, reduce travel time while still ensuringgreater person-to-person contact.

The foregoing statement have been made to establish ourhaphazard and peripheral attempts at joining the world in theexplosive and confounding information revolution being wit-nessed today.

The reasons for this unfortunate and uncoordinated ap-proach is not far to seek. It seems logical that not much impactcan be made as we have neglected the important step of takinginto cognisance our technical capabilities, culture, finances andlevel of communication infrastructure. More than often, ourforay into communication and technology adoption has beenmore fancy and based on the wish to be seen as modern ratherthan the desire to make communication work for the people.

This is why successive governments in Nigeria as in someother African countries have expended so much in moderncommunication yet only limited and qualified achievementshave been recorded. As we approach the turn of the century, weare still combining the old analog telephone system with digitaland even cellular. In some places there are about three differenttypes of telephone services and each of them is nearly tooexpensive for the people. There are faxes, voice mail andanswering machines. It is ironic that we have the gamut of whatis needed to be well connnected in the world's informationsystem but really nothing seems to be working.

The result of all these unplanned communication systems isthat we have now found ourselves in the middle of nowhere andour next steps are uncertain. Julius Nyerere humorously statedsome years back that while others try to reach the moon, we tryto reach our villages. The lesson to draw from this is that we haveto start by communicating effectively with our people in the rural

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areas who constitute more than seventy percent of our popula-tion. It is also these neglected people that constitute the mostproductive segment of the population in most African countries.

In recent times, there has been a conscious effort by someAfrican governments to boost communication generally throughprivatisation and commercialisation programme. While mostgovernment communication agencies are still torn between realcommercialisation and depending on government subventions,private organisations have come to give them a very keencompetition. The situation portends great promise for thedevelopment of the information superhighway in Africa becausethe private sector is usually the engine for technologicaldevelopment.

Traditional communication

The invasion of the airwaves by the optical fibres carrying largevolumes of data at a speed comparable only to that of light fromone end of the world to the other notwithstanding, many peoplein Africa are still ignorant of the information superhighway.They still go about their daily chores the way they know best -using the well known and established traditional methods ofcommunication. The most important tools of this system areface-to-face communication, village square meetings, roosteralarm, story telling, music (wooden flute, metal gong, antelopehorn etc.), masquerades, age groups, opinion leaders, open airtheatre, body and sign language. All these community-basedmethods of communication are the basis of Africa's rich culturaland historical heritage (Adaba 1995).

The efficacy of these methods is not in doubt as they havecemented and sustained the growth of various cultures, indig-enous technology, and skilled local business enterprises whichstill constitute important aspects of Third World economies. Atleast, most of these people at the grassroots level have been ableto meet their socio-political needs making the best of well-testedand eccepted communication systems. A Nigerian masquerade

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(efe) typifies traditional communication usage in many Africancountries.

In many communities there are variants of the Efe Masqueradedance. Efe in its ordinary usage could mean jesting. However, thetraditional and original concept of efe is a powerful communicationmedium used to convey serious socio-political messages in asubtle but pungent manner. During an efe masquerade danceouting, certain anti-social and distasteful behaviour of individualsare poignantly exposed in songs, dance and drama which leavenobody in doubt as to who the culprit is and what should be doneabout him. As a result of the celebrations accompanying efe, itattracts as large following and information thus gathered isdisseminated far and wide. The affected people may instantlybecome pariah in the community unless socially acceptableatonement is made for the misdemeanour. Most annual festivalsin many African communities use credible opinion leaders tocastigate social miscreants. This has served as a deterrent overthe years and provide lessons for the young ones. Today we talkof junk journalism because the malfeasance of the high andmighty in the society is exposed. This is why many people are nolonger enthralled with attempt by some African governments toredefine what is in the public and or private interest, in as muchas the conduct of their functionaries are concerned. Thetraditional society does not have this ambiguity, which is a creditto its communication system.

Experience has shown that in spite of the tremendous attrac-tion modern communication holds for all, the basics hardlychange. The electronic mail, video teleconferencing, telephoneand the ever dynamic and interactive personal computer cannever replace face-to-face communication. As Peterson (1995)puts it, before you can achieve good communication, you mustfirst know and tune into your audiences. This character of thetraditional communication with the special efforts of eye contactmakes it well suited for the largely illiterate population in Africancountries.

Whereas the media hype of information superhighway mayseem to indicate that everybody is into it, we all know that it

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would continue to be for an extremely few people with the meansand even the need to bother about it. As for the majority of thepeople still hooked to the old reliable oramedia and pseudomodern communication, they will and should plan to link up withsuperhighway as things must change for the better. Rapiddevelopments in technology and demands for greater job perfor-mance, economy of scale and comparative advantage require amodernization of our old system in order not to be left behind inworld development.

Where we stand

It is not an exaggeration to say that some African countries arealready in the league of multi-media, interaction, real-time,digital and narrow band information systems. All the newdevelopments in telecommunication as earlier stated are oper-able and in existence but their influence and impact are certainlyinsignificant. There is therefore the need to establish practicableand definite strategies to link up with the world.

What we have on the ground is an amalgamation of all sortsand there is need for communications regulatory bodies toharmonise their efforts and decide on how best to use the old andnew methods of communication. While the elite business classcannot be stopped from its fancy game of adopting what may notbe sustained, the working middle class, students and the majorityof the people must be assisted to make the right choices that willactually help them in becoming more productive, efficient andcost effective.

There is need for African governments to establish regulatorybodies to guarantee easy access and use of information technol-ogy. Some of the issues that needed to be addressed include:

(a) Checking in-coming information through the internet andother hitech information-laden systems to ensure that whatpublics get is what is needed. As already recognised, theinternet has a lot of garbage packages that may have negative

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consequences on young people.

(b) Many African countries are slow in standardising the adop-tion of any technology. Communication technology changesso rapidly and the cost is rather prohibitive if standards are notset.

(c) In latching on to the information superhighway, specificinformation infrastructures would have to be developed tosuit the needs of the countries in question. That somedeveloping countries as Brazil, Indonesia and India are up todate in information technology is not accidental. They wereable to develop and evolve their own systems over a consid-erable length of time before they arrived where they are now.There is need for African countries to begin the same processnow for a better future in informatics.

The way forward

That African countries should cruise on the information super-highway Is not in question. What we need to resolve is how wecan meaningfully become active participants in the new worldInformation order. Below are some proposals of what can bedone to help realise the benefits of new communication technol-ogy:

(i) A new beginning in developing enduring information infra-structures that would take cogniscance of our culturalheritage, literacy level, capacity utilisation, maintenanceculture and the existing traditional communication system isnecessary. There is a lot of wisdom in taking the peoplethrough familiar systems to the more complicated and un-known systems, no matter how efficacious they may be.

ii) The chaotic and indiscriminate importation and adoption of hi-tech information system we do not have need for is a waste

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of scarce resources.

iiii) Some of our media houses have mostly disused and archaicequipment's. Some of the attempts made to modernise boththe radio and television services have not succeeded since ourtechnology adoption strategies are lagging behind.

iiv) Privatisation and deregulation in Africa has opened thefloodgate for some entrepreneurs to get into specialisedareas Most African newspapers that are professional todayare those that are owned by practising journalist who live bythe pen. When businessmen float newspapers, they areusually ready to pander to their primary interest - profitmaking. The lesson from all these is that the public interestshould be paramount in communication operations.

(v) A symbiotic relationship can exist between the seemingly jetage communication system of the western world and therather aged traditional communication systems in Africa.The focus of communication is people and the only waycommunication can be effective is when there is a two-wayflow. For as long as the majority of the people are illiterate andlive in the rural areas, so would the temptation to go back tothe good old days of village mobile film shows, gong man andother local methods of communication be strong.

Conclusion

There is need for developing nations to be extremely careful aswe admire and contemplate where to join the bandwagon on theinformation superhighway. If we must know, it is full of severalbooby traps for unwary and unprepared information wayfarers.The sheer great immediacy and drama we now experience andthe speed at which we can view what is happening world wide(the O.J. Simpson real-time chase on cable network, the spaceshuttles, the disaster stories and epoc making peace accords

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after several decades of war) makes it extremely difficult toeasily process the data we have on our hands at any given time.Increasingly we are becoming less analytical and mere consum-ers and passive onlookers. There is need to recognise theresponsibility to help people understand, evaluate and appreciatethe advantages and disadvantages of each technology, and alsotake due care to use each one appropriately and strategically.

By now the excitement and attraction to new technologiesthat have not moved us forward ought to reduce while we becomemore sober and reflective in our future communication policyformulation and execution. Leap frogging and jump starting willwork only if the government and indeed the operators of thesystem cooperate to create an enabling environment for a morepurposeful and beneficial communications system in Africa.

Bibliography

Adaba, Tom (1995) "Alternative Media for Development in Nige-ria!, Kaduna, Nigeria, August 1995.

Adamolekun, Wole and Tayo Ekundayo (1995) Interactive PublicRelations (Unpublished paper)

Boafo, Kwame, ed (1991) "Communication Process: AlternativeChannels and Strategies for Development Support," Ot-tawa: IDRC.

Duggan, Ervings (1995) "Which Ramp onto the InformationSuperhighway? Public Broadcasting Is A Sign of Hope"Vital Speeches of the Day, Mount Pleasant, USA.

Egwuonwu, Ronald, ed (1994) BoardRoomManagement ABookof Readings (published in Honour of Chief Rufus Giwa,CEO, Lever Brother, Nigeria), Stride Associates, Lagos,Nigeria.

Mayo, Jones (1995) "Information Technology for Development- The National and Global Information Superhighway. VitalSpeeches of the Day, Mount Pleasant, USA.

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Peterson, Susan (1995) "Managing Your Communication. TheYear 2000 and Beyond" Vital Speeches of the Day, MountPleasant, USA.

Triwaks, Moshe (1995) "Communication Explosion: The IsraelExperience" 8th Sam Epelle Memorial Gold Paper PublicLecture, Lagos Nigeria.

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