Experts Say Africa Needs Stronger ICT and E-Government Strategies
Experts Say Africa Needs Stronger ICT and E-Government Strategies
ECA Press Release No. 08/2009
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 17 February 2009 – Africa still lags far behind other regions of the world when it comes to digital governance, experts were told during a meeting on Electronic/Mobile Government today.
Speaking at the opening of the “Electronic/Mobile Government in Africa” workshop, Mr. Richard Kerby, Inter-regional adviser on E-government for the United Nations Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM), said that despite expansion of mobile technologies and many countries preparing and adopting ICT strategies, there had not been much progress in this area.
“Such developments have not helped Africa to come to the forefront of e-government development,” he said.
The workshop presented an opportunity for practitioners, government experts and other ICT users to enhance and improve the type, range and scope of e/m government services. The goal of the workshop is to explore regional knowledge of the issues and challenges of e/m government development in Africa, as well as develop partnerships for capacity building in the region. It is also a chance for the United Nations to further its thinking on the development of the UN Global Knowledge Repository.
In her welcoming remarks, Ms. Aida Opoku-Mensah, Director of the ICT, Science and Technology Division of the United Nations Economic Commission on Africa (UNECA/ISTD), said that in order for African governments to make the most of emerging technologies, countries need to invest massively in infrastructure. Ms Opoku-Mensah also emphasized on the importance of mobile applications in Africa. “ We need to capitalize on M-applications for public service delivery in areas such as health and education services” she said.
Dr. Mesfin Belachew, Deputy Director Ethiopian ICT Development Agency, acknowledged that challenges faced by his country in implementing e-government protocols, mirrored those of many African nations. To overcome these challenges would take a great deal of investment, training and awareness raising – but this was necessary in the long-run.
Dr. Belachew noted that “ICT has been acknowledged as a powerful tool for social, economical, cultural and political development.”
The workshop was organized by UNECA/ISTD in partnership with the Division of Public Administration and Knowledge Management (DPADM) of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).
The 3-day workshop would review and analyse various approaches and best practices in e/m government development in Africa and assess issues and challenges facing countries as they advance in developing their programmes as a contribution towards achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The workshop will also focus on the transfer and exchange of experiences among multi-stakeholders on effective e/m government development.
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