CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The world is fast becoming a global village, and this is claimed to have been facilitated by the Internet and other information and communication technologies (Bamiro, Oluleye & Tiamiyu 2005; Obilor 2004; Onimode 2000). The advent of the Internet has been seen as one of the major exciting events in the second half of the 20th century. The reason the Internet seems this significant is because it contains the biggest resource for information in the entire world and enables people to utilise an interactive mechanism to constantly communicate with each other. As Bussiek (2005) has noted, the spread of the Internet is an unprecedented success story in the history of communication as compared to radio, which took 38 years to reach more than 50 million users, and television which took 23 years, the Internet is said to have spread to 50 million users within only 5 years.

Inadequacy of current and relevant information for teaching, learning and research had been the bane of university education in Nigeria (Okonofua,

2008). Efforts had also been made to improve the situation through interlibrary loan and document delivery services, but the challenges persisted (Adika,2003). It was in this light that the Internet was introduced into the educational system to bridge the prevailing information gap (Okonofua, 2008). The Internet began in 1969 as ARPANet (Advanced Research Project Agency Network) by the US Department of Defense to share military intelligence and research with university sources. The Internet has since the 1990s become a widely-used civilian tool for communication, research, entertainment, education, advertisement, etc. (Hinson, 2006). The Internet has become integral part of education as it plays an undisputable role in meeting information and communication needs of staff and students. The Internet has made it possible for scholars at different locations on the globe to exchange ideas on various fields of study and also allows students and lecturers to communicate both within and across international borders (Luambano and Nawe, 2004).

The growing relevance and speed of information retrieval in all aspects of human life is considered vital to development in countries the world over. With the current information explosion, and the clamour for digital libraries, users can source and utilise information with less stress (Okoro&Okoro 2006). The tremendous growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web is said to have revolutionised communication, so much so, that the ancient dream of “a scholar who knows all things happening in the world without venturing outdoors” has finally become a reality (Ololube 2005).

The rapid changes taking place in the world economy and industrial development have been driven by three technological waves: information technology, technology, and materials. Of these, according to Ajayi (1996), information technology has the greatest influence on virtually every aspect of human activities. The Internet, in particular, has been considered to have revolutionised the way people collaborate and communicate through the global services it offers. Such services include electronic mail, file transfer protocol, Gopher, Wais and Telnet, to mention but a few (Osofiyan 1996).

In spite of the rapidly changing world economic order, several studies (Ajayi 1996; Nwagwu&Agarin 2007; Singh 2002) have pointed out that the African continent is still lagging behind because of it's existing poor infrastructure, and it's unique socio-economic, cultural and political situations – all of which pose major obstacles to the introduction and implementation of new technologies supported by the Internet. Similarly, Nwagwu and Agarin (2007) have observed that there is a paucity of empirical studies regarding the influence of Internet services on teaching and research outputs (publications and conference attendance) in Nigeria. This is important because the application of Internet services on other sectors such as banking, medicine, agriculture, communication, has been previously documented (Onwubiko 2004; Tusubira&Kyeyune 2001; Yusuf 2006). Conversely, evidence abounds regarding the impact of Internet services on research activities and other academic exercises in developed and industrialised societies of the world (Slabbert 2006; Udoh 2001; Ughegbu 2001).

As some scholars have noted, the academic communities of North America, Japan and Europe are becoming increasingly reliant on the use of information and communication technology, particularly, computer and Internet facilities, in promoting research activities for subsequent national development (Udoh 2001; Ughegbu 2001). Thus, it is evident that for Nigerian higher institutions and academia to participate in contemporary international ICT development – in terms of the utilisation of Internet services for teaching and research activities – the academic community must go beyond just the use of email and browsing on the Internet to utilising other packages like e-workshop, e-conferencing, and e-learning opportunities which can facilitate, speed up and improve the quality and quantity of teaching and research activities.

Tertiary institutions all over the world are grabbing the internet opportunity for a large variety of activities globally and round the clock. Some of these activities includes: online research, long distance studies, online education, management etc

Statement of the problem

As some scholars have noted, the academic communities of North America, Japan and Europe are becoming increasingly reliant on the use of information and communication technology, particularly, computer and Internet facilities, in promoting research activities for subsequent national development (Udoh 2001; Ughegbu 2001). Thus, it is evident that for Nigerian universities and academia to participate in contemporary international ICT development – in terms of the utilisation of Internet services for teaching and research activities – the academic community must go beyond just the use of email and browsing on the Internet to utilising other packages like e-workshop, e-conferencing, and e-learning opportunities which can facilitate, speed up and improve the quality and quantity of teaching and research activities.

This study became necessary because of the 2006 World Universities’ Rating, which was principally based on the amount of research output on the web, indicated that no Nigerian university was listed among the first 6,000 universities in the world (Adeyeye 2006). Also Nigerian government undertook massive investment in the acquisition of Internet technology and its facilities, as a means to facilitate the process of teaching and research activities for their academic staff. These reasons thus provided the impetus for the current study “Toward Providing High Speed Internet Services to Staff and Students of Kaduna Polytechnic Tudunwada Campus”

Purpose of the study

The aim of this study is to find ways of providing high speed internet services to staff and students of kaduna polytechnic tudunwada campus. Specifically the study will: 

i.             To investigate the challenges facing the provision of high speed internet service in Kaduna Polytechnic.

ii.            To recommend ways in which Kaduna Polytechnic can improve internet service delivery.

Research questions

i.             What are the challenges facing the provision of high speed internet service in kaduna polytechnic.

ii.            What are the ways in which kaduna polytechnic can improve internet service delivery.

Significance of study

The study will be of significance to the students, staff/lecturers and the school management. The students will benefit because they will be able to access the internet with ease, doing their assignment and making necessary research. They lecturers will now be able to join the academic e-community by submitting journal papers online and other e-academic activities efficiently.

The school management will benefit because since the research will shed more light on how to provide high speed internet services, area of challenges like acquisition of equipment and others will be taken care of thereby enabling the  management to know how to handle such issues.

Scope of the study

The scope of the study is to find ways of providing high speed internet services to staff and students of Kaduna Polytechnic Tudun wada campus only.

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