Knowledge management and the revamping of economic development opportunities in the Niger Delta

Abstract

This paper investigates the centrality of knowledge management as an enabler of economic development opportunities in the Niger Delta region. Given the developmental challenges facing the Niger Delta region, it is imperative that knowledge management should be harnessed as a tool for development. From the prism of PIND and leveraging a qualitative and descriptive approach, this study adopts focus group discussions and in‐depth interviews to affirm that knowledge management is an effective tool for fostering economic development. Results reveal that while information on development is not readily available to the citizens of the region, as well as a low level of awareness of developmental initiatives within local communities, the study contends that in order to stimulate economic development in the Niger Delta region, a robust knowledge management framework that takes cognisance of the innate needs of the people through citizen engagement must be instituted. Also to be considered is the literacy level, the medium of communication and the physical terrain of the region, which makes it challenging to extend developmental activities to all corners of the Niger Delta. The study, therefore, recommends the use of social media to improve information dissemination and the formation of knowledge clusters facilitated by ICT to expand the scope of operations in all local communities in the region.