Effective information service delivery to rural dwellers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This paper is deliberately designed to be thought-provoking. It reiterates the importance of effective information service delivery to rural communities. Adopting the desk research method, available literature on rural information sources and services to rural dwellers in various countries in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa was extensively reviewed and descriptively analysed to showcase the effectiveness of various information delivery channels to the rural dwellers. This led to the identification of six major channels through which rural information delivery is generally anchored. These channels are made up of the mass media, information service systems, education and training programmes, change agents, personal contacts and miscellaneous channels. The strength and weaknesses of each of these channels in terms of delivering information services to rural dwellers were analysed in the light of contemporary realities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although libraries, especially public libraries, are expected to be at the centre of rural/community-based information services, these libraries and their staff contend with several challenges which, inevitably, undermine their effectiveness. Worried about the situation, the researcher calls for field experiment studies towards designing rural-oriented, practical and replicable models that will be effective for rural information delivery across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Health Information Literacy among Malaria Patients in Ghana: Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 in Focus

“…However, this study does not support the assertion that libraries engage the public in health issues. This may be as a result of the view of Uzuegbu (2016) that "the outreach programmes of the present day public libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa do not offer the effective information service delivery required because they lack the ethos to successfully execute such tasks" [27].…”

Impact of tailor-made information literacy provision on rural dwellers’ participation in sustainable development targets in Nigeria:: Implications for public library services to oral societies

“…Of course, the vital role that information plays and why it must not be denied to rural people has been adequately reported (Diso, 2005; Etebu, 2009; Harande, 2009; Ibrahimah, 1986; Issa, 1998; Kamba, 2009; Momodu, 2012; Munyu, 2000; Okiy, 2003; Sturges and Neill, 1998; Ukachi, 2007). Despite the exposition, instances have been published which show that rural dwellers still wallow in ignorance (Oluwatosin and Oladepo, 2006) because of a dearth of practicable information (Uzuegbu, 2016). As such, the absence of a workable solution to the problem of information gap in rural areas has lingered.…”

Delivery of community information service as corporate social responsibility by librarians in Nigerian tertiary institutions

“…Unfortunately, one of the forms of libraries, known as community information centres, that would have been a change agent for transformation and development of rural communities via the provision of essential community-based information services for addressing rural information needs appear non-existing in the rural communities in our society, Nigeria (Uzuegbu & Uzuegbu, 2013;Igwe, Ndubuisi-Okoh, Akuma & Okoche, 2015;Uzuegbu, 2016). Even at that, some of the so-called rural information technology centres established by the federal government of Nigeria through its National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in order to serve the rural areas are not actually located in core rural areas, and many have gone moribund due to neglect and associated operational factors.…”

“…Even at that, some of the so-called rural information technology centres established by the federal government of Nigeria through its National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in order to serve the rural areas are not actually located in core rural areas, and many have gone moribund due to neglect and associated operational factors. In contributing to this discourse, Ndinde (2014) made case for community-based information centers for achieving equality of access to information for community survival and growth, which is a panacea for national development, whereas Kamba (cited in Uzuegbu, 2016) argued for the establishment of innovative community information centers for providing rural dwellers with appropriate information that can allow them participate in today's knowledge societies.…”

“…Aina (2004: 66) reiterates that given the fact that large proportions of African people in Delivery of community information service as corporate social responsibility by librarians in Nigerian tertiary institutions rural areas are neglected, it can be rightly said that the pattern of development of library and information services in Africa is defective, as it is geared towards a tiny majority of the societal members mostly in urban centres. Thus, a critical question put forward by Uzuegbu (2016) which still remains unanswered is: whose job is it to deliver effective information services to rural dwellers in Africa?…”