By Alban Ofili-Okonkwo
It provides an efficient means of using human and institutional capabilities in an increasingly umpolar world. Information technology is one of the key determinants of competitiveness and growth of nations. Nations are becoming more competitive on the basis of their knowledge of information technology rather than on the basis of their natural endowments or low labour costs.

The power of information technology for mobilizing and creating people awareness and engagement in the political process must be emphasized here.  In this regard, information and knowledge must be viewed as strategic resources. ICT was deployed to devastating effect by the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign in the 2008 presidential election in the United States.

The result was a sweeping victory at the polls for the first African American to be elected President of the United States. His victory was revolutionary but his campaign strategies dominated by the effective use of ICT was even more so.

Obama deftly used ICT to communicate with and mobilize the people; to sell his campaign message of change and hope. He drafted the then 24 year old social network web whiz kid, Chris Hughes (a co-founder of Facebook) who masterminded the Internet blitz for the Obama campaign. Using social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, Digg, BlackPlanet, LinkedIn and others like Podcasting and Mobile Messaging, Obama communicated directly with millions of Americans on a daily basis and received one on one feedback from them.

He successfully connected with the American voters through the Internet, especially the youths who gave him 70% of their votes across America – the highest percentage of votes from young American voters for a Presidential candidate since exit polls began in the US.

He had more than 2million American supporters on Facebook and more than 112,000 supporters tweeting to get him elected. On YouTube, Obama’s supporters uploaded more than 1,800 videos into the Barack Obama.com channel with about 115,000 subscribers. The channel received 18 million visits and more than 97million video views.

His powerful techno-demographic appeal not only translated into genuine grassroots support and votes but also grassroots fund raising as he received campaign donations totaling about $160million in small amounts from grassroots donors, mainly through the Internet.

Obama’s successful use of ICT is now being emulated in other campaigns, notably in the recent elections in South Africa and the United Kingdom . With the GSM revolution that swept across Nigeria in the last 10 years and the increasing awareness and use of the Internet and other electronic media, a good percentage of the Nigerian electorate is perhaps ready to be engaged politically by the government and politicians alike via the use of ICT.  In fact, I dare say that politicians who ignore the use of ICT in the forthcoming and subsequent elections in Nigeria would be doing so at their peril.

Whether or not the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deploys the electronic ballot system in the 2011 general elections, investing in and adopting information technology quickly will move Nigeria forward.

However, if Nigeria is unable to finance the investments in information infrastructure and computer hardware and software required to access the information technology age; then she runs the risk of being marginalized in a world that is gradually becoming a global village.

Governments have to facilitate information transmission and connectivity to the global infrastructure by passing the necessary laws and regulations. Governments need to create the supportive external environment for promoting the use of information technology. It will be essential to reduce or abolish import taxes on information technology hardware such as computers, printers, satellites, televisions and radios. And more especially improve power generation and distribution.

Nigeria is now in the midst of a great turning point in the history of power, a moment akin to the introduction of the printing press in the mid 15th century.

It suffices to say that the proliferation of printed information helped fuel the rise of modern democratic habits until television replaced print as the central political medium. Now, the Internet has, like Gutenberg, lowered barriers to information and has given virtually anyone with something to say the means to say it.

The web is not only a source but a stage on which we can engage in the life of the nation. “Knowledge”, according to Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore, “is now once again connected to power,” and that is the kind of power which ensures a more politically aware citizenry and politically engaged populace.