Investigating the Implementation of ICT Tool to Electoral Process in Nigeria
This study is aimed at understanding the implementation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tool to electoral process and its challenges in Nigeria using actor-network theory (ANT) as a lens. Moment of translation of ANT was applied to gain an i
- PDF / 212,884 Bytes
- 11 Pages / 439.37 x 666.142 pts Page_size
- 13 Downloads / 167 Views
American University of Nigeria, Yola, Nigeria [email protected] 2 The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
Abstract. This study is aimed at understanding the implementation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tool to electoral process and its challenges in Nigeria using actor-network theory (ANT) as a lens. Moment of translation of ANT was applied to gain an insight of the phenomenon. Empirical data was used for the analysis in the context of social behavior between human and non-human actors following inductive research approach. Case study methodology was carried out at Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The methods of data collection were through interview, participant observation and reviewing organizational documents. Challenges of the Smart Card Reader (SCR) in Nigeria’s electoral process are highlighted. Results of the study indicated that the challenges in implementation of the SCR emanated from the heterogeneous actors “human and non-human”, which lack synchrony during the process. Apart from the success of the card reader during accreditation, there was inadequate manpower training by INEC body and insufficient ICT infrastructure that weakened the ANT process. Keywords: Actor-network theory Smart Card Reader Independent National Electoral Commission
1 Introduction Developing countries, Nigeria, in particular, is currently facing enormous challenges relating to poor governance [1] Infrastructural decay, economic mismanagement, and system collapse are some consequences of the systemic corruption that for so long permeated the system. Similarly, as with other developing nations especially in the African continent, the utility of ICT in the administration of organizations is low with a high level of suspicion and mistrust [2]. Implementation of ICT tool in Nigeria’s electoral process though recorded some level of success in the 2015 general elections is still bedeviled with multifaceted challenges. As in the case of many other developing nations, the challenges range from the ICT tools failure to many other human rights violations [3, 4]. Many have argued that the implementation of ICTs to electoral process has brought about great improvement [5, 6] resulting to reducing electoral malpractice [7]. However, there is little understanding on the implementation of ICTs to electoral process [8]. The failure is envisaged to have emanated from the implementation of ICT and the relationship between human and non-human actors in the © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2019 Published by Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 P. Nielsen and H. C. Kimaro (Eds.): ICT4D 2019, IFIP AICT 551, pp. 181–191, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18400-1_15
182
A. Shuaibu et al.
electoral process [6]. This study is aimed at understanding the implementation of ICT tool on the electoral process and its challenges. This study contributes to the use of actor-network theory in e-government research in developing nations, Nigeria’s electoral process in particular; to in
Data Loading...
