Internet & technology
Africa: Ministers share experiences on implementing ICT policies
2007-03-09, Issue 294
http://pambazuka.org/en/category/internet/40185
Printer friendly version
Eight African ministers responsible for information communication technology (ICT) have wound up a three day ministerial conference held in Entebbe, Uganda. The ministers have been grappling with how to strengthen networking among ministers responsible for the different facets of ICT as a basis for knowledge and experience sharing as well as formal and informal linkages aimed at promoting the use of ICT to support development within the regional contexts.
Highway African News Agency
Eight African ministers responsible for information communication technology (ICT) have wound up a three day ministerial conference held in Entebbe, Uganda.
The ministers have been grappling with how to strengthen networking among ministers responsible for the different facets of ICT as a basis for knowledge and experience sharing as well as formal and informal linkages aimed at promoting the use of ICT to support development within the regional contexts.
"We also aimed at stimulating the development of insight into the various policy challenges around national e-strategies in an era of convergence and regionalism and possible approaches to their resolution," says Uganda's minister of information and communication technology Dr. Ham Mulira.
The conference held on the theme "Approaches to National ICT Policy, Laws and Institutions in an era of Technology Convergence and Regional Integration", was also attended by the minister of communication science and technology of Botswana P. Venson.
Others in attendance were Ethiopian ministers of information and communication, David Ruach Tang, Mutahi Kagwe of Kenya, Namibia's minister of information and broadcasting Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Al-Zahawi Ibrahim Malik of the Sudan.
Also were Mr. Benjamin Choppy who represented the Syechelles minister for investment, industry and technology, Rwanda's minister of communications and energy Albert Butare, Tanzania's deputy minister of infrastructure Maua Daftari, while Madagascar's minister des Telecommunications des Postes et dela Communication was represented Mr. Jean Marie Rabehovitra.
"Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are key enablers of development and have facilitated economic growth through globalization and worldwide flow of capital," said Dr. Mulira.
"A few would disagree that technology underpins the unprecedented levels of prosperity enjoyed by the developed countries, this scope and pace of recent change is a function of revolutionary advances in ICT?s," he said. "As such ICTS have been key enablers of globalization, facilitating the flow of information, development in trade and capital flows," he said in a speech he read at the three day ministerial conference.
The conference was also attended by members of the South Africa based - The Research ICT Africa, a network of African researchers who have compiled a report from ten countries on the theme "Towards an African e-Index: ICT access and usage, 2005."
Mulira said also that against that backdrop of ICT-enabled social and economic opportunity are some sobering statistics.
"It is sad to note that one third of the world?s population have not realized the benefits of using ICT as a tool for development, this is a reality for which we all have shared responsibility," he said.
"As governments, industry players, private sector and the international organizations we each have a role to play in order to transform this digital divide into digital opportunities for national development and enhancement of regional integration." He said.
"During the conference we achieved a greater level of peer interaction, shared national e-strategies that are related to human development and learnt on the integration of capacity building and research into national ICT policy development," Mulira concluded.