Mobile technologies and development in conflict affected North East region of Nigeria: The issues, benefits and challenges
Joseph Wilson · World of Media Journal of Russian Media and Journalism Studies · 2018
The North East of Nigeria for almost a decade has been engulfed in a violent conflict as a result of the Boko haram insurgency.The region is endowed with human and natural resources but remains the least developed part of the country due to the devastating Boko Haram conflicts and weak infrastructural base, among others, thus depriving the region of meaningful development.Recently, developments in the region have shifted to resettling displaced people and rebuilding and rehabilitating the zone in the midst of deep poverty, lower level conflicts and high expectations by the population.In all of that, instant communication and information sharing facilitated by mobile technologies remain central.Thus, the paper assesses the availability, quality and use of mobile technologies by various stakeholders in shaping the various situations, influencing and shaping the processes of development amidst the challenges in the region.Observation and interview were the instruments used for this study.The study found that the destroyed mobile facilities which enable phone networks in settlements along major highways in the region, have been reconstructed and mobile signals are available now.It also found that there are enormous benefits of mobile technologies in shaping development in the region but there are some challenges as well.The paper concludes that despite the challenges, the benefits of mobile technology in shaping development in the region is glaring.