Democratization: The Dominant Imperative for National Communication Policies in Africa in the 21st Century

This article advances the argument that the dominance of the democratization agenda worldwide has created an environment in Africa which has resulted in a major shift from development-driven imperatives to a democratization-driven imperative for policy formulation. The article focuses on the growing need for an independent media authority/commission, the print and electronic media, oramedia and human resources concerns. Some of the major forces at play such as cultural factors that are inherently contradictory to the democratization agenda are addressed. A skeletal framework for a national communication policy for the subsectors discussed is presented.