IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The French Development Agency (AFD) is financing the creation of a network of cities in Africa around the challenges of "smart city". It has entrusted the National Agency for Urban Renewal (dubbed ANRU in French) with the implementation of this project, which will benefit 12 African cities across the continent. A referent expert is being recruited.

What can be done to advance thinking on smart city in Africa? The French Development Agency (AFD), mobilised on the issue of digital transition for urban development, has decided to finance the creation of a network of African cities around the challenges of smart cities, called ASToN (African Smart Towns Network). The bank has called on the National Agency for Urban Renewal (ANRU) to implement this project. This French establishment, located in Paris, is also responsible for managing the European URBACT programme in Europe, whose method it will use here.

Global research firm Informa Telecoms & Media said last week a fifth of internet traffic in Africa would be carried by cellular networks by 2015, compared with a global equivalent of just 3%.

Infrastructure investment in high speed third-generation networks has soared in recent years, making mobile operators the main providers of internet services in Africa.

• Nearly 60% of Africans will live in cities by 2050, up from 43% today, UN says
• Global smart city market set to grow from $623.9 billion in 2023 to $4.65 trillion by 2032
• Projects in Kenya, Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia aim to modernise infrastructure and create jobs

Africa’s cities are growing at breakneck speed, straining infrastructure, public services, and resources. The United Nations projects that almost 60% of Africans will live in urban areas by 2050, compared with 43% today.

This surge is reshaping city landscapes and piling pressure on mobility systems, water and energy networks, and waste management.

Gordon Greylish, VP, Sales and Marketing Group General Manager, Governments and World Ahead Division, Intel, discusses how embracing the 3rd industrial revolution will assist in addressing issues like diversifying economies and improving efficiency.

One interesting theme took centre stage during panel discussions at the recently concluded World Economic Forum on Africa in Rwanda; that what the continent needs as much as roads, dams, power plants (although there is still more development required) is a way to embrace technology and infuse digital transformation in all sectors.

The Vice President said Ghana has initiated a number of policies and programmes to meet the achievement of this goal. He outlined the ICT for accelerated development policy, ICT education, strategic document and the establishment of Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence. He said the developing World should brace themselves to challenge the brain drain.

Emerging African economies are increasingly embracing IT services solutions in a bid to support their growth initiatives.

That’s according to the latest insights released today by International Data Corporation (IDC), with the global advisory services firm also explaining that growing public and private sector IT spending, together with maturing and increasingly competitive business environments, are also driving IT services demand.

"AfriNIC will be allocating IPv4 for the next two years, meaning people are not in urgency mode compared to other regions. Organizations are still in their comfort zone," said Adiel Akplogan, CEO of AfriNIC, the regional Internet registrar.

There are those who suggest that the disparate state of the connectivity services market in South Africa is due, in part, to the various business models that exist and the need to make technology work.

Yusuf Ibrahim's computer screen is awash with colourful maps and charts. From his desk in downtown Nairobi, Ibrahim can track outbreaks of deadly diseases and keep on eye on the progress of potentially tricky pregnancies. "With the touch of a button I can see what's going on across the country in real-time," Ibrahim said. "It is amazing."

Ibrahim's computer is collecting vital health and epidemiological data from hundreds of miles away via travelling healthworkers with mobile phones.

“The AU would coordinate with ITU and all development partners to continue activities on harmonising policies and regulations in Africa based on the platform created by Harmonisation of the ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa project,” the statement noted.

Lack of existing health-care systems and underdeveloped privacy laws are likely to push faster adoption of mobile health business models in Africa compared to developed countries.

Operators and partners from developed countries are projecting that it will take at least five years before they can navigate through laws and develop appropriate business models, but in Africa, m-health projects are taking off.

An expert believes African countries should consider using digital technologies to solve issues in existing cities instead of constructing new “smart cities”.

This comes amid authorities pledging to construct smart cities but failing to deliver because of high upfront infrastructure costs and socio-environmental complexities.

Prevailing economic issues including the 2008/09 global economic recession has exacerbated matters.

Now, to change the world, I am typing on a computer about the challenges that African governments are still facing in applying technology for faster information dissemination, service delivery, and bringing governance closer to the people at the click of a computer mouse.

He said connecting rural communities on the continent to tackle challenges in education, health and governance required a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society.

President Mills made the call in a speech read on his behalf by Communications Minister, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, at the opening session of the Fifth African Regional Conference on Rural Communications in Accra.

Building trust online remains a big hurdle to fully taking advantage of the Internet in Africa, and at the Africa Domain Name System Forum meeting in Nairobi earlier this month, experts called for more rapid implementation of security mechanisms on the central elements of the Internet infrastructure and recommended the use of DNS security (DNSSEC) extensions to counter the issue.

Building trust online remains a big hurdle to fully taking advantage of the Internet in Africa, and at the Africa Domain Name System Forum meeting in Nairobi earlier this month, experts called for more rapid implementation of security mechanisms on the central elements of the Internet infrastructure and recommended the use of DNS security (DNSSEC) extensions to counter the issue.

Jeong, a Senior Research Fellow with the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI), stated this at a Stakeholders’ Workshop and Instructors Training on capacity development of e-government for Nigerian civil servants.

A total of 30 Nigerian civil servants are currently undergoing a three-week capacity training in e-government in South Korea.

The latest (2006-2007) World Economic Forum Global Information Technology report shows that African countries are still lagging behind in terms of using opportunities offered by ICT for development and enhancing competitiveness.

Whereas North America's 340 million population is heavily covered with about 74 per cent having access to the Internet.

Since Internet and technology associated with it is a most potent denominator for economic and social equilibrium, it explains why the African continent still moves its economy at a snail speed.

He said in a continent where majority of the population lacked access to quality healthcare services, telemedicine offered a better option to bring comprehensive healthcare to the people, using information technology (IT).

Telemedicine is a concept where rural and deprived health centres are linked up to state-of-the-art health facilities in urban areas or a given area to enable medical personnel to diagnose and treat patients through the internet or any IT means.

The report, by South Africa-based telecommunications analysts BMI-TechKnowledge, which is represented in 40 African countries, said over 80 percent of African internet use is routed through satellite connections.