Affiliations: Department of Information Studies, University of Zululand, South Africa
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Osborne Mudia Ivwurie, Department of Information Studies, University of Zululand, South Africa. E-mail:osbornemudia@yahoo.com
Abstract: In this study, we argue that there are unemployed information sector
graduates who could benefit greatly from infopreneurship if more awareness
and popularization of the practice were achieved. The purpose of this study
was to investigate the status and development of infopreneurship in Nigeria
and South Africa. The study focused on information-based businesses owned by
graduates from LIS and other related fields in selected cities in Lagos
State and Oyo State in Nigeria and Kwazulu Natal in South Africa. This study
adopted the interpretative/qualitative method or approach. Both interviews
and observation were used to gather information from the respondents and
business sites. The respondents were identified through non probability
sampling techniques, specifically purposive and snowball sampling. The
target population was chosen from a list of registered small and medium
information-based businesses as well as LIS graduates practicing
infopreneurship in sampled cities in Nigeria and South Africa.
Information-based business owners and graduates from LIS and related
information disciplines were picked from eight (8) distinct
fields/disciplines, namely: information communication technology (ICT); mass
media/communication; telecommunication; libraries; archive and records
management centers; publishing and printing sectors; computer science; and
LIS education. The findings revealed that infopreneurship is a growing
practice in the sampled cities. The sampled respondents revealed that there
were more similarities than differences in infopreneurship in the two
countries, and that there were more information-oriented businesses owned by
IT and computer science graduates than library and information
science/studies graduates. It was observed that most business products and
services are ICT-oriented, such as software and hardware installation,
tracking services, troubleshooting, web design, programming, CCTV
installation, and online TV, among others. The study recommends the
popularization of infopreneurship in the two countries and in computer
science, media, communication, and Library and Information Science (LIS)
schools. More government support is also recommended.
Keywords: Infopreneurship, entrepreneurship, Nigeria, South Africa, information consultancy, information brokerage, education and training
