Highway Africa News Agency

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Microsoft have announced a joint initiative to help bridge the gab between corporations disposing of their used computers and small and medium enterpreneurs (SMEs) in Africa that can use these PCs to help grow their operations.

Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director General of UNIDO said in a media statement issued today , "This is the third collaborative program, in less than a year, under our partnership with Microsoft and it is designed to enable new avenues of economic and social empowerment through access to innovative technology."

The initiative agreement was signed by Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director General of UNIDO and Dr. Cheick Diarra, Chairman of Microsoft Africa at the first African sub-regional Forum on ICT Best Practices in Ouagadougou.

The program will develop a business model for refurbishment centers in Africa and will pilot the first computer refurbishment center in Uganda.

"By providing computers, software and training to entrepreneurs, we aim to foster jobs and opportunities in small and midsize enterprises in Africa. We are committed to developing a model for refurbishment that is sustainable, both economically and environmentally," he added.

Asked if this does not lead to the dumping and aggravation of e-waste in Africa, he said that both Microsoft and UNIDO will promote the creation of a regional electronic-waste recycling facility for East Africa.

"Ultimately, the goal is for this to result in a pan-African best practice," he said.

The initiative was announced during the three-day ICT Best Practices Forum for West and Central Africa, which was organised by the Government of Burkina Faso, the African Development Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and Microsoft.

It has brought together over 1 000 government representatives, experts and donors from 44 countries to share specific experiences and technology solutions in education, agriculture, healthcare and governmental operations.

The forum is also expected to provide opportunities for countries to learn from these experiences and allow for these solutions to be replicated in other countries.