A study of production and innovation capabilities in selected information and communications technology clusters in Nigeria
Keywords:
Production capacity, innovations, information technology, communication engineering, technological change, NigeriaSynopsis
The study examined the production capabilities existing in selected ICT firms in Nigeria and determined the nature and extent of innovations possessed by the firms. It also investigated factors influencing the building of production and innovation capabilities of the ICT firms in the clusters and established the impact of clustering on business performance of the firms. This is with a view to designing policy framework for facilitating innovativeness in the Nigerian ICT clusters. The study employed survey design and was carried out using both primary and secondary data sources. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a total of 400 firms from ICT clusters from Abuja, Lagos and Port-Harcourt. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaire administered on founders of the selected firms. The questionnaire elicited information on issues such as firm’s production and innovation capabilities; types of innovations; sources of information for innovation activities; internal and external factors affecting production and innovation activities and impact of clustering on business performance of the firms. Personal observations and interviews were also used to obtain more information on the activities in the clusters. Secondary data were sourced from official documents such as reports, journals and textbooks. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that about 15% of the ICT firms in the clusters had been
involved in product manufacturing such as computer cloning, power packs modification, computer casing design and fabrication among others. About 57% and 22% had monthly production up to 20 and 40 computers on the average, respectively.
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