ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the evolution of communication policy in postcolonial Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It sets out three eras marked by specific trends. First, the period from decolonization to 1980, where African leaders, facing the daunting task of putting their countries on the development path, embraced the idea of modernization, made the State the centrepiece of the development and created the state monopoly in the sector. Second, the period from 1980 to mid-1990 was marked by democratizing communication and the strengthening of national media in developing countries. Third, the liberalization and new communication technologies (NCTs) era began from mid-1990 to the present. This chapter analyses how each of these trajectories has influenced communication policies in the region. Salient liberalization challenges are identified while suggesting new avenues to improve the communication policymaking process in SSA.
