The statement was made by agency's Director General Debretsion G/Michael while speaking at a workshop on the distribution of the technology, including the challenges and opportunities.
He said to make Ethiopians come on-board, the government has increased effort in deploying ICT in all walks of life not only to catch up and compete with the rest of the world, but also to network with the world and reap the ripened fruits of ICT.
The agency is currently working on the draft Strategy review on Information Communication Technology (ICT) for community Development.
According to officials, the draft has identified priorities, issues and needs in terms of ICT for community development in Ethiopia, including appropriate applications, institutions and human resource issues.
According to the Director, different programs have been designed with the objective of providing citizens with accessible and affordable information communication Technology.
"Numerous initiatives and programs are being crafted to enable the poor, the young, women, people with disabilities, and different marginalized groups to utilize ICT as a speedy medium to escape the gravity of this great nation," the Director General said in his opening speech of the one-day conference.
"All understand the indubitable need of well-crafted and realistic strategy that is rigorously scrutinized by a good mix of stakeholders," he added.
The workshop aims at improving understanding of challenges, opportunities, and issues in promoting ICT for community Development, community development with in overall ICT for Development framework, ICT for community development infrastructure, among others.
The workshop was said to be instrumental in setting the way forward to strategically overcome the hurdles standing on Ethiopia's path towards realizing its ICT - for - all ambition.
ICT has been identified as a key factor that determines a country's ability to attain the Millennium Development Goals, such as eliminating poverty, combating serious diseases, improving access to education and providing equal opportunities to women.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Fikremariam Tesfaye
Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 24.01.2008
