Information and communication technologies for sustainable development effect of national culture

Abstract

The globalisation of world markets and the ubiquitous nature of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) make ICT an inevitable choice to address developmental issues. ICT are believed to be enablers of social and economic development, tending to foster inclusive digital economy by bridging the digital divide by International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations (UN) and the World Bank. The ICT are accelerators, augmenters, and amplifiers of change. These technologies are also prominent among technologies as they leapfrog traditional growth trajectories and accelerate the development process of nations. The Sustainable development is defined as the development that meets the need of the present without comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs . It encompasses the development of economy, society, and environment. For sustainable development to progress from vision to action, ICTs need to transit from digital to developmental revolution. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) comprises of 17 development goals targeted to be accomplished by 2030. This requires all countries to prioritise the achievement of sustainable development high on their development agenda. Most countries rely on the benefits of ICT to accelerate the attainment of sustainable development goals. The World Bank statistics indicate that nearly 70% of ICT for development (ICT4D) projects are failures, more than one-third of ICT4D projects have severely failed, with half being partial failures and only a limited number of projects were successful. The primary reasons attributed to the failures are infrastructural challenges and social issues. The infrastructural challenges are materialistic and require financial aid for developing adequate infrastructure, while social issues are subjective and require attention for appropriate use of ICT towards development.