On Issues and Challenges of Rural Telecommunications Access in Nigeria
##article.subject##:
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##article.abstract##
Rural telecommunication access has to do with provision of telecommunication infrastructure in rural
communities for the purpose of connectivity within communities and with the rest of the world. There has
been growing interest in how to provide universal telecommunication access in developing countries. The
trend in digital divide between the rural and urban areas for developing countries reveals a growing gap.
Efforts are being made by developed nations to close the gap; hence, there is the need for reversal of this
trend by developing nations in their pursuit of sustainable development. The rural communities in Africa,
particularly in Nigeria, are strongly faced with many challenges which include extreme poverty, lack of
social services and infrastructures, low level of education and health status, as well as unequal access to
income opportunities. Despite the fact that telecommunications services in Nigeria could be traced back to
1851, the aforementioned factors, coupled with the difficult physical terrain in some cases, have made them
lack behind the urban areas with regard to provision of telecommunications access. In this paper, issues and
challenges of providing telecommunications access in the rural areas are provided. The work looks in-depth
into the socio-cultural, literacy, security, infrastructure, regulatory and financial sustainability issues.
Furthermore, the paper proffers some technological options/solutions to meeting the telecommunications
needs of the rural communities in Nigeria within a very short, but reasonable, time.
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Deruyck, M., W. Vereecken, W. Joseph, B. Lannoo, M. Pickavet, and L. Martens (2012). Reducing The Power Consumption in Wireless
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Advanced International Conference on Telecommunications, pp 116 – 121.
Nwagboso, C.I. (2012). Security Challenges and Economy of the Nigerian State (2007 – 2011), American International Journal of
Contemporary Research, 2(6), 244-.258.
Nwammuo, A.N., Asemah, E.S., and Edegoh, L.O.N (2013). Analysis of the Diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies
among Rural Nigerian Women. American International Journal of Social Science, 2(1), pp. 77 – 81
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Opata, C.B. (2013). Sustainable Development and Rural Access to Telecommunications in Nigeria, Re-Imagining Development
Communication in Africa, C. Onwumechili and I. S. Ndolo ed, 225-244, Maryland: Lexington Books
Opawoye, I., Faruk, N., Bello, O.W. and M. Olufemi (2015). Recent Trends on TV White Space Deployments in Africa. Nigerian
journal of Technology (NIJOTECH), University of Nnsuka, 34(3), pp. 556 – 563.
OpenBTS (2016). http://openbts.org/ visited 18/5/2016
Pyramid Research (2010). The Impact of Mobile Services in Nigeria – How Mobile Technologies Are Transforming Economic and
Social Activities, Pyramid Research.
Range Network (2016). http://www.rangenetworks.com/products/openbts visited 18/5/2016
Sadiq, O.M., Oyelade A.O. and Ukchukwu C.A.S. (2011). 10 years of Telecommunication Development in Nigeria. International
Conference on Innovation in Engineering and Technology (IET 2011), Aug 8th -10th, pp 67-71.
Sesan ‘Gbenga and Titi Omo-Ettu (2007). Progress in the Midst of Storm: A review of the telecommunications industry in 2007.
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Uduak, A. and Isihak, S. (2014). Electricity access in nigeria: is off-grid electrification using solar photovoltaic panels economically
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Population Division.ESA/P/WP/205.
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1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431
Walsham, G. (2001). Making a World of Difference: IT in a Global Context. John Wiley and The World bank “World Development
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WHO/UNDP. (2009). The Energy Access Situation in Developing Countries. United Nations Development Programme: Available on
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16th October 2014.
Activities and Sustainable Development, Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 4(2).
Adediran Y.A. (2005). Universal Access for Communities in Rural and Remote areas. Proc. of International Conference in Engineering
2005, Lagos, Nigeria, 23-25th May, pp 84-92.
Adediran Y.A., Faruk. N, Ayeni. A.A, Kolade. O, N.T. Surajudeen-Bakinde and O.W. Bello, (2014). TV White Space in Nigeria in
UHF band: Geo-spatial approach, In proc IEEE 6th International Conference on Adaptive Science & Technology (ICAST), Ogun
state, Nigeria, pp 1-6, 29-31 Oct.
Adesanya, A (1997). Transportation Development in Adedotun, A. O. And Titilola, S. J. (eds.) Nigeria in 2010. Nigerian Institute of
Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan. Pp 181-193, 1997.
Adisa R.S. (2012): Rural Development in the Twenty-First Century as a Global Necessity in ‘Rural Development’.
www.intechopen.com.
Akinola, S. R. (2007). Coping with Infrastructural Deprivation through Collective Action among Rural People in Nigeria. Nordic
Journal of African Studies, 16(1), pp 30-46
Auer, G. et al (2011). How much energy is needed to run a wireless network? IEEE Wireless Communications, 18(5), pp 40-49.
Azazi, A. (2011). Responding to the Emerging Trends of Terrorism in Nigeria, 5th Policing Executive Forum Conference Proceedings
organized by CLEEN Foundation.
Bhushan. N, et al, (2014). Network Densification: The Dominant Theme for Wireless Evolution into 5G. IEEE Communications
Magazine, pp 82-89, February
DFID (2005). The Economic Impact of Telecommunications on Rural Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction: A study of rural communities
in India (Gujarat), Mozambique and Tanzania. Report of DFID KaR Project 8347, Department for International Development.
DFID (2012). Nigeria, http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/Africa-West--Central/Nigeria/, Accessed on 15th October 2014.
Deruyck. M, Emmeric, T., Wout, J. and Luc, M. (2011). Modelling and optimization of power consumption in wireless access network.
Computer Communications, Elsevier, 43, pp 2036-2046.
Deruyck, M., W. Vereecken, W. Joseph, B. Lannoo, M. Pickavet, and L. Martens (2012). Reducing The Power Consumption in Wireless
Access Networks: Overview and Recommendations. Progress in Electromagnetics Research, 132, 255–274.
Djamal-Eddine M, Tinku R and Yvon G. (2011). On the role of infrastructure sharing for mobile network operators in emerging markets,
Computer Networks, 55(7), 16 May 2011, Pages 1576-1591, ISSN 1389-1286, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2011.01.023.
De Plessus V., Beshiri R. and Bollman R.D. (2001): Definitions of Rural. Rural and Small Town. Canada Analysis Bulletin, 3(3),
November, pp 1-17.
Farias F.S., Monti, P, Vastberg, A, Nilson, M, Costa, J.C.W.A. and Wosinska, L. (2013). Green backhauling for heterogeneous mobile
access networks: What are the challenges? in Information, Communications and Signal Processing (ICICS), 2013, 9th
International Conference on pp.1-5, 10-13 Dec. 2013 doi: 10.1109/ICICS.2013.6782868
Global Peace Index (GPI, 2012). Global Peace Ranking, Institute for Economics and Peace. Retreived from: Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia.
Hilling, D. (1996). Transport and Developing Countries. 1996, Routledge. London
Akinola, S. R (2007). Coping with Infrastructural Deprivation through Collective Action among Rural People in Nigeria. Nordic Journal
of African Studies. 16(1), pp 30-46
HSRC: Africa Rural and Urban population 1950-2050. (http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/review/june-2012/linking-growing-africaneconomies-mushrooming-cities)
African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, April, 2016 Vol 3, No. 2
28
IEA (2013). Energy Poverty: How to make Modern Energy Access Universal, International Energy Agency: Available on
http://www.se4all.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Special_Excerpt_of_WEO_2010.pdf [Accessed on 17/08/2014].
IFAD (2014). Rural Poverty in Nigeria, The International Fund for Agricultural Development
http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/nigeria, Accessed on 16th October 2014.
Igbuzor, O. (2011). Peace and Security Education: A Critical Factor for Sustainable Peace and National Development. International
Journal of Peace and Development Studies, 2(1), 1-7, January.
Kawasumi, Y. (2014). Rural Communications on the Global Agenda, Global Survey on Rural Communications, International
Telecommunicaion Union,
http://www.itu.int/itunews/manager/display.asp?lang=en&year=2004&issue=05&ipage=globalAgenda, Accessed on July 6,
2014.
Kuran M. S. and T. Tugcu (2010): A survey on emerging broadband wireless access technologies, Computer Networks, 51(11), pp.
3013–3046.
National Bureau of Statistics (2014). GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT FOR NIGERIA. National Bureau of Statistics,
nigerianstat.gov.ng/pages/download/185 [Accessed on 03/06/2014]
NCC, (2016). Guidelines on Collocation and Infrastructure Sharing, LegalGuidelines_Collocation_and_Infrastructure_Sharing.pdfhttp://www.ncc.gov.ng/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_de
tails&gid=54&Itemid=
Nwana, S.H. (2014). Telecommunications, Media and Technology for developing economies, Gigalen press, pp 9-13.
Nayan, N., ZhaoR., Zhelev N. & Machuca C.M. (2012). Techno-economic analysis for Rural Broadband Access Networks, The Eighth
Advanced International Conference on Telecommunications, pp 116 – 121.
Nwagboso, C.I. (2012). Security Challenges and Economy of the Nigerian State (2007 – 2011), American International Journal of
Contemporary Research, 2(6), 244-.258.
Nwammuo, A.N., Asemah, E.S., and Edegoh, L.O.N (2013). Analysis of the Diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies
among Rural Nigerian Women. American International Journal of Social Science, 2(1), pp. 77 – 81
OECD (2004). The Development of Broadband Access in Rural and Remote Areas, Working Party on Telecommunication and
Information Services Policies, Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry. Committee for Information and Communication
Policy, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, DSTI/ICCP/TISP(2003)7/FINALUnclassified.
Ogunsola, L. A. (2005). Information and Communication Technologies and the Effects of Globalization: Twenty-First Century "Digital
Slavery" for Developing Countries--Myth or Reality? Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship, 6(1-2)
Opata, C.B. (2013). Sustainable Development and Rural Access to Telecommunications in Nigeria, Re-Imagining Development
Communication in Africa, C. Onwumechili and I. S. Ndolo ed, 225-244, Maryland: Lexington Books
Opawoye, I., Faruk, N., Bello, O.W. and M. Olufemi (2015). Recent Trends on TV White Space Deployments in Africa. Nigerian
journal of Technology (NIJOTECH), University of Nnsuka, 34(3), pp. 556 – 563.
OpenBTS (2016). http://openbts.org/ visited 18/5/2016
Pyramid Research (2010). The Impact of Mobile Services in Nigeria – How Mobile Technologies Are Transforming Economic and
Social Activities, Pyramid Research.
Range Network (2016). http://www.rangenetworks.com/products/openbts visited 18/5/2016
Sadiq, O.M., Oyelade A.O. and Ukchukwu C.A.S. (2011). 10 years of Telecommunication Development in Nigeria. International
Conference on Innovation in Engineering and Technology (IET 2011), Aug 8th -10th, pp 67-71.
Sesan ‘Gbenga and Titi Omo-Ettu (2007). Progress in the Midst of Storm: A review of the telecommunications industry in 2007.
CybershuulNews.com, Dec. 31.
Uduak, A. and Isihak, S. (2014). Electricity access in nigeria: is off-grid electrification using solar photovoltaic panels economically
viable? Available on http://spidersolutionsnigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ELECTRICITY-ACCESS-INNIGERIA1.pdf [Accessed 20/08/2014]
Ujah, O. and Eboh, E. (2006). The Security Factor in Business Environment Across Nigerian States, African Institute for Applied
Economics, Becans Working Paper 1.
UN-Habitat (2006). State of the World Cities 2006-2007, Earth scan/United Nations Human Settlements Program.
African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, April, 2016 Vol 3, No. 2
29
United Nations (2008b) World Urbanization Prospects: The 2007 Revision Highlights. Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division.ESA/P/WP/205.
Usman. A.B. (2014). Analysis of condition of rural road transport in Kwara state, Nigeria. European Scientific Journal, 10(5) ISSN:
1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431
Walsham, G. (2001). Making a World of Difference: IT in a Global Context. John Wiley and The World bank “World Development
Indicators:
Rural environment and land use” http://wdi.worldbank.org/table/3.1# [Accessed on 05/07/2014]
WHO/UNDP. (2009). The Energy Access Situation in Developing Countries. United Nations Development Programme: Available on
http://content.undp.org/go/cms-service/stream/asset/?asset_id=2205620 [Accessed on 20/08/2014].
World Bank (2014b). Rural population (% of total population), http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS, Accessed on
16th October 2014.
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2016-04-23
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Articles
