African Textile Technologies
Volume 7 No. 2
FEATURES - Textile Industry
- Textiles in Nigeria
- Nena Uche
- Nigeria's fashion industry was forced to innovate when the Government
placed a ban on imported clothing. The lessons learned from this policy
action provide insight into ways in which Africa's industries can be promoted.
- A Failed Industrial Revolution: Merchant Capital and Textile Consumption
in West Africa.
- A. B. Zack-Williams
- The high popularity of West African textiles all around the world has
failed to bring about any improvements in production techniques or in the
income level of hardworking producers. What went wrong with Africa's industrial
revolution?
- Small Scale Weaving Technology
- Research by a number of organizations has produced simple and innovative
methods of textile production. Here we provide a practical review of weaving
fundamentals, with technical details for a number of handlooms suitable
for various types of textile products.
Human Resources
- Colonialism and African Indigenous Technology
- Gloria T. Emeagwali and Nurudeen Abubakar
- There is evidence to suggest that British colonial policies often work
against the development of African indigenous technology, and in some cases
sought to destroy it. Glassmaking, tool manufacturing, and textiles are
only a few of the industries that were virtually eliminated as a result
of these policies.
Agriculture
- Organic Fertilizers: A Solution to Africa's Agricultural Problems
- Roger I Lippman
- For decades, Africa's farmlands have decreased, providing less food
while the population has continued to grow. An alternative is needed to
increase production and restore farmland. One possible solution is the
Kozgro Agricultural Program, which includes significant incentive for a
project owner and gives farmers what they need to do a better job.
Telecommunications
- AT&T Promises Clear Phone Lines for Africa
- Mawuli Tse
- The American communications giant is proposing a multi-billion dollar
scheme to put Africa's communications at the forefront of any system in
place today. Will it really happen, or is this another promise of technological
"leapfrogging" for the third World?
- New Communication Technologies: Oppressors or Liberators?
- Jerry Komia Domatob
- New communication technologies can play leading roles, either in the
development or underdevelopment of sub-Saharan Africa. Whether these technologies
will uplift or oppress Africans will depend on the efforts of policy makers
to educate and empower their constituents.
Information Systems
- Internetworking with TCP/IP
- Peter Orondo
- Computer networking has become one of the major components of the information
revolution. Today, information can be retrieved from almost anywhere in
the world, provided the source and destination have access to a common
network, such as the internet. This article explains the basic functions
of the Internet and provides a starting guide for readers interested in
setting up their own systems.
- Computers Empower Independent Newspapers in Cameroun
- Mitchell Land
- African publications have made great strides in expressing their freedom
of speech since the wave of democratization swept across the continent
a few years ago. This survey of Camerounian newspapers shows that press
freedom has also brought with it new technologies and the opportunity to
reach more at lower cost.
Opinion
- Editor's Note
- What Does Appropriate Technology mean to you?
- Jeremy Ascough
- Appropriate technology, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
Technology should be seen as a tool for solving a specific problem in a
specific context.
ATF News Update
Conference Calendar
Tech Notes
- Developing Kenya's Science Culture
- Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in Africa
- UNESCO Promotes Science in Africa
- Labor Saving Innovations at Kenya's IPI
- Disease Control Technology for Refugee Camps
- Solar Cooking Spreads to Fifty Countries
- A Global Vision for Africa
Order a
copy of this issue
Cover
Snapshots
Find
out more about ATF | Feature
Articles | Send
a letter to the editor: Talk to us! | Send
comments about this home page | ATF
Technical Services | What's
New | Related
Web Sites
© 1997 African Technology Forum, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology