Africa makes headway in developing ICT strategy

Developing Information Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure across Africa is one of the aims of the Nepad e-Africa Commission which has made major headway in creating a broad ICT strategy for the continent. That was the message from Dr Edmund Katiti, policy advisor for ICT infrastructure with the Nepad e-Africa Commission, when he addressed a business forum in Johannesburg last week. The Commission was established by African ministers of communications in October 2001 and adopted as the Nepad ICT Task Team a year later. According to Katiti, accelerating the development of African inter-country, intra-country and global connectivity is of utmost importance if Africa is to become an equal and active participant in the global information society. “This is about the resourcefulness of Africa’s people, eradicating poverty on our continent and ensuring sustainable growth.” Projects currently under way include the ICT Broadband Infrastructure programme aimed at connecting all African countries to one another by broadband fibreoptic networks, and in turn to the rest of the world through existing and planned submarine cable systems. The submarine cable system is expected to be up and running by 2010 and will literally span the whole of Africa when completed. Other programmes include the e-schools project which is about improving the quality of learning but also harnessing ICT technology by empowering Africa’s youth with the necessary skills needed in the new age world.