Crisis Management: Unveiling Information and Communication Technologies' Revamped Role Through the Lens of Sub-Saharan African Countries During COVID-19

The management of COVID-19 pandemic has revealed inefficiencies in coordinating global response, particularly in African countries. Therefore, creating an urgent need to examine the literature on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in crisis management to appreciate its contextual role. Employing a systematic review, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta -Analysis (PRISMA), this paper critically assessed the extent of the use of ICT in crisis management in Africa's response to COVID-19 to reconstruct its resilience against future crises. Findings indicate that while countries with limited ICT infrastructure faced considerable challenges in utilizing ICT solutions in COVID-19 management, countries with established ICT infrastructure were able to use ICT solutions across the various phases, ranging from mitigation to recovery. Such ICT solutions include COVID-19 screening, contact tracing, surveillance, and resource prioritization and allocation. Therefore, to be effective, African countries should invest in ICT and proactively improve its application across all phases of crisis management.