CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In this fast growing and moving world faced with globalization, the core of economic development today depends on knowledge and technology but successful economics excel at generating and disseminating knowledge, as well as exploiting it. Technology is the engine of change that transforms resource based economy to knowledge based economy but at the macro-level, technology enables national leverage in the modem world and it brings about wealth and better welfare for the people.

In as much as development is concerned, these is now a new trend of religion that is sweeping across the world like a wild-fire in both length and breath and thereby transforming the entire world as a global unit-Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been defined by many elites from different perspective thus: Lucy, (1990) defined it as term involving the process of acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of local pictorial, textual and numeric information. Information technology is not merely seen as a hardware development but also as software which is advantageous in changing works, attitude to work, in establishing efficiency in business transaction, in achieving efficiency in communication, increasing profits margin creating new jobs and effective in mass education. Ohakwe, (2001).

Information Technology has applications in almost all spheres of human endeavours; Akpore (2005) states that developing suitable economy through information technology implies applying information and communication technology in all the main sectors of the economy hence as the world is transiting from being a resource based one into a knowledge – based one. Much as natural resource can provide as much as can be realized from the output of a society that has truly become a knowledge – based society”.

Sadly enough, our schools (The learning environment is a shadow of itself in terms of quantity and quality of items of information and communication technology… the result being that we are using yesterday’s knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies” in this era. Consequently, the introduction and use of such technologies in communication and information such as internet, computers, Microelectronics Tele communication tools as the e-mail, e-commerce, e-banking just to mention but a few is a mirage. Even many educators and students in higher institution are yet to be in abreast with some of this soft and hardware’s what an education tragendy; Ohakwe, (2001).

Recently, in e-learning, that is, electronic learning, project embarked by Zinox Technology across 40 institutions of higher learning with the aim to train Nigerian undergraduates to internationally acceptable standards hence coming to the heels of computerizing Nigeria thereby taking this venture to all the nooks and crannies of this country, hence the establishment of Information and Communication Technology parks in institutions of higher education with Imo State inclusive, therefore, it becomes imperative to determine the status of Information and Communication Technology in polytechnics and universities in Imo State.