The world has experienced a series of Revolutions. The 21st century is highly characterised with information explosion like never before in human history. Today, with just a click on a mouse, interested individual can access scores of information on virtually any issue of concern in life. Gone are the days when few ‘elites’ reigns in knowledge and intellectual prowess over the majority. Nations that recognizes the importance of information-empowerment to her citizenry have left no stone unturned in entrenching it in their constitution as a fundamental/civic right of the governed. Decades ago, nations that appeared as world ‘giants’ are today facing stiff competition from emerging world powers owing to information technology.
It spread so fast as with a scourge on rampage, covering lands and territories, infecting inhabitants of high-tech nations in the West to village dwellers of developing communities in Africa with its ‘sting’ of relevance. In the years preceding the 21st century, when an issue of global or national interest occurs and those in the corridors of powers decides to conceal such from the knowledge of the people, they succeeded in some cases. There were high secrets in high places. Today, the converse is the case. With the advent of the internet, information dissemination and closing of knowledge gap has been made much easier. Such accounts for what makes the headliners in most local and international dailies as the corrupt hidden ‘mess’ of unscrupulous elements are brought to bear and appropriate penalty applied. Those professionally vested with the responsibility of acting as ‘bridgers’ between the government and the governed are alive to their responsilities with the adoption and implementation of the freedom of information law. What is more, the various component regions of the world are inter-dependent on one another in a global village. No doubt, access to information in an unprecedented scale is a gift to our generation. Continue reading “Beyond the Information Age: What Next?”
