The expert, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, chief executive officer of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO), was speaking after meeting with senior staff of Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) on Tuesday.
“There have been improvements in ICT growth across Africa but, unfortunately, it has only been in mobile communication which has about 20 per cent penetration” said Spio-Garbrah, adding that 95 per cent of Africa is yet to receive or send an e-mail.
He also said that there was significant representation of Africa at strategic bodies such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and CTO which Africa–and Malawi in particular–should take advantage of.
“If we do not take advantage of this to advance continental, regional and national ICT objectives, we’re never going to get such an opportunity again,” he said, noting that countries that are showing significant growth are those that are investing in technology.
Spio-Garbrah also encouraged Malawians to develop their own ICTs as a means of speeding the process of bridging the digital gap that exists between Africa and the West.
E-commerce, he said, could help in the marketing of local products to outside markets at the click of a mouse and e-governance could help in easing, for example, congestions at departments such as Immigration.
“But all this,” impressed Garbrah, “requires aggressive policies and a keen interest in influencing capacity building and encouraging knowledge acquisition by making ICTs a mantra for development.”
Autor(en)/Author(s): Levi Kabwato
Quelle/Source: The Daily Times, 30.08.2007
