As the world marks 2023 Development Information Day, there are interconnected challenges that African countries must address to ensure citizens’ rights to information and empowerment.
Development Diaries reports that despite constitutional and legal guarantees, many African countries still fail to ensure effective dissemination of development messages.
One common way in which African governments hinder access to development information is by enacting restrictive legislation. Laws governing freedom of speech and press can be used to control the flow of information.
Narrative control
For example, governments may introduce laws that criminalise the dissemination of certain types of information, particularly when it relates to government activities or exposes corruption.
These laws can be vague and open to interpretation, allowing authorities to silence dissent and control the narrative.
African governments often exercise control over media outlets through direct ownership, censorship, or pressure on independent journalism.
Independent journalists who cover topics that contradict the government’s narrative may be subject to violence, harassment, or incarceration; while state-controlled media, on the other hand, may be used to spread biased or misleading information. In effect, this makes it harder for the general public to obtain accurate and fair information.
The digital age has ushered in new challenges and opportunities for accessing information. Many African governments have responded to this by implementing digital surveillance systems and, in extreme cases, shutting down the internet during political unrest.
Distrust and discontent
Paradigm Initiative’s 2020 LONDA report on Digital Rights and Inclusion in Africa, which captured the state of digital rights in the continent, reported several censorships and disruptions to the digital ecosystem in Africa.
Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, the Republic of Congo, Guinea, Mali, Tanzania, Togo, and Zimbabwe are some of the countries where the internet and social media were shut down or throttled during elections and uprisings.
In Nigeria, authorities banned Twitter for seven months and throttled the Internet after the #EndSars protests. By limiting digital and Internet rights, press freedom is ultimately affected, posing a challenge to development information.
The incessant cases of Internet and social media shutdowns in African countries also point to a larger problem: the disconnect and imbalance in the information flow from government to the masses and vice versa. Because governmental messages are not effectively delivered to citizens, there is usually distrust and discontent, which mostly results in protests.
Critical data remains hidden
Open data initiatives, which make government data and information publicly available and accessible, are vital for informed decision-making. However, in many African countries, governments fail to implement such initiatives.
The absence of open data platforms means valuable information regarding development projects, budgets, and other critical data remains hidden from the public, hindering transparency and accountability.
Figures from Data for Development show that more than half (56 percent) of African countries lacked legislation overseeing open government data policies or practices as of 2019.
Challenges for citizens in rural areas
Inadequate resources and infrastructure also hinder access to development information. Many African countries face challenges related to limited internet connectivity, electricity shortages, and low literacy rates.
These challenges make it difficult for citizens, especially those in rural areas, to access and comprehend information.
Development Diaries calls on African governments to work towards greater transparency, openness, and accountability to ensure that their citizens have access to the information they need to participate in and benefit from development processes.
