A Review of Critical Studies on National ICT Policy in the Context of Africa

Abstract

This paper presents a review of critical studies on ICT policies in the context of Africa to understand their contribution in highlighting, often taken for granted issues, in the application and use of ICT to address poverty and exclusion in society. Using narrative literature review, the findings confirm the paucity of critical studies on ICT policies in Africa. Theory of Communicative Action (TCA) was mostly used in the sampled literature to interrogate hidden assumptions and power issues related to ICT policies. The study proposes the use of African centric critique of ICT policy issues to understand ICT policy challenges and address the realities of the context of Africa. The paper suggests possible areas for further research to stimulate debate on improving ICT policies in Africa and address conditions that limit African countries to flourish when using ICTs.