Information and development in Africa document submitted by the delegation of Cote d'Ivoire

613*1

UNITED NATIONS

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Distr.

GENERAL

E/ECA/CK.12/2U 25 March 1986 ENGLISH

Original: FRENCH

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

Seventh meeting of the Technical Preparatory Committee of the Whole

Yaounde, Republic of Cameroon 7 to 12 April 1986

Item 11 of the provisional agenda*

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

Twenty-first session of the Commission/

Twelfth meeting of the Conference of Ministers

Yaounde, Republic of Cameroon 17 to 21 April 1906

Item 6 of the provisional agenda*

INFORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

DOCUMENT SUBMITTED BY THE DELEGATION OF COTE D'lVOIRE

E/ECA/TPCW.7/1 E/ECA/CM.12/1

.885

E/ECA/CM.12/28

I. ESTABLISHED FACTS

In considering development problems in Africa, the analysis of the socio- economic environment enables us to identify two major established facts:

First, the devalorization of raw materials which were traditionally of

"strategic interest";

Then the beginning of a real de-industrialization in developing African countries.

1. The devalorization of strategic raw materials

Three factors seriously threaten the value of the traditional raw materials of this type, namely: new materials, technology and the sea-bed deposits.

The effect of the changes in materials can be observed by analysing- for instance, the automobile industry. A close observation of the new trends of this sector^ even in the United States, will clearly reveal that .there has been a significant drop in the quantity of "expensive" raw materials (steel) used. This drop is becoming more pronounced as the years go by.

Their volumes are reduced with the invention of composite materials^ .ceramics, optical fibres, etc... New vahicles are, therefore, manufactured with less traditional raw materials. Now optical fibres and ceramics are made from sand and purified clay, the ordinary materials used by potters. Almost everywhere plastic and composite materials are gradually replacing natural minerals in the manufacture of products. - ■ . ■■;■;■

Biotechnology is gaining ground and may relegate to a position of secondary

importance such essential products as oil and experts promise that in future,

With regard to the vast mineral deposits in sea-beds, negotiations and

sea.

In these negotiations and meetings, third world countries, which still lack: appropriate technology for an effective development of their sea-beds, struggle to preserve and guarantee their ownership rights, pending to be technically able to develop them whilst highly developed countries take the liberty to develop these "new territories which, according to them, belong

to those who discover and develop the?n".

Under s,uch rigid conditions, our countries are irretrievably the losers

if they do not have the means to resort to the use of appropriate technology.

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2. The beginning of a real de-industrialization

Assisted and encouraged by development experts, most often coming from the former colonial powers or international development institutions,, all developing countries, regardless of their political options, attempt to utilize the same development strategies based on industrialization. Thus the third world has been actively engaged in setting up factories adopting the technology of the heavy industry of the nineteenth century. However,, this industry is no longer viable.

Furthermore, if for a long time the multinationals had ths advantage of setting up factories in countries with cheap labour, this is no longer the case. In fact* the effectiveness of new automated assembly lines implementing new concepts such as the adaptable workshop, makes the assembly on the spot more competitive than that carried out in countries where labour is more expensive.

With the new industrial robots, projects for the establishment of factories in developing countries may decrease.

3. Development of large-scale regional projects

In recent years there have been spectacular initiatives in the field of frontier technology, either in the form of governmental action or in the form of joint strategies by private groups, representing an important mobilization of funds and human resources • as well as the restructuring of the means for scientific and technological research.

The Japanese project "Fifth Generation of Computers" launched in 1982 by the Ministry of Industry and International Trade of Japan (MIIT) has set new frontiers in computer development and has had a significant effect on the most developed countries. The European programme, ESPRIT, has ushered in a new era of research in Europe and other projects like RACE in telecommunications, illustrate the common strategy in frontier technology.

The EUREKA project, developed in May 1985, broadening mechanisms embracing vast fields of new technologies. The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) is the United States response to different initiatives taken in the field of communications, new materials and biotechnology.

Using as a basis the conclusions that emanated from the Conference of Ministers in charge of the application of science and technology for development in Latin America, the Club de CALI meeting in its plenary session in Cartagena, Colombia, recommended the formulation of the project for the development of frontier technology, known as PLANETA.

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II. AFRICA'S STAND

With regard to these far-searching initiatives taken on the other continents, where does Africa stand? First of all, it should be noted that in Africa, there are obstacles to development.

Development experts recognize today the essential role that cultural integration plays in the development process.

But there are also other obstacles to development which are specific to African countries. They are infrastructural constraints and psychological barriers.

1. Infrastructural constraints

The informatics field illustrates this perfectly.

Power supply difficulties

(a) Power supply is one of the major constraints of this category.

If in industrialized countries computer scientists face the problem of short power failure, in developing countries power failures last long, are frequent, obstruct work, with the risk of causing serious loss in data;

(b) The other aspect of the problem of power supply is related to instability in voltage and frequency. Users are therefore obliged to purchase

Telecommunications

The poor quality of telecommunications or their inadequacy is a second

constraint.

Maintenance

The third serious obstacle is maintenance. The poor industrialization at national level is such that it is difficult to have an expert available

for each model utilized.

Human resources

The level of the qualifications of technicians and users constitutes

the fourth difficulty. ;

Training problems are recognized by most countries as a top priority,

but the resources available are still, very often, far below real needs.

E/ECA/CM.12/28 Page 4

Every country attempts to be both an effective user and producer of

informatics items., which is quite normal. However, whatever the objective behind the establishment of an industrial plant, there is always one difficulty, namely poor nature of the local industrial infrastructure. The firm may face problems of regular and rapid supplies in components primary and semi-finished products. In particular, the assistance of sub-contracting firms, which often play a major role in cutting down production costs, can

The various problems relating to neighbouring industries always correspond to increased costs as opposed to those of the environment in which the products

in question were manufactured. ..

These costs are borne by the community in industrialized countries" whereas in developing countries they must be borne by individual users.

2. Psychological barriers

It is not unusual to hear the following reply, when some computer engineering companies and services are asked why they do not employ nationals:

"What shall we do with our locrl engineer at the end of the project for which he has been recruited? He cannot even be proposed to neighbouring countries,

even if his skills could be used."

Constructors reply that when the leaders propose to transfer the knowhow for the manufacture of computors: "Will a product bearing your country's trademark be easily marketed in the neighbouring countries?"

3- The need for Africa to formulate a policy on frontier technology

Whatever may be the main objective, the above-mentioned major projects are not isolated in the economies of their promoters. On the contrary, the interest which they arouse, the diversity of fields and mobilization, contribute to the multiplication of technical fall out in numerous sectors.

The process heightens the trend observed in the past, namely the relative depreciation of raw materials or less sophisticated commodities and the valorization of commodities involving more technology whether at the conception or production levels, or even ^he product itself. Such a trend increases the risk of de-industrialization in developing countries- by making the technological context more important than the relative advantages of

labour cost.

This acceleration of development in countries which are partners of Africa is of a nature to seriously compromise the chances of the latter and makes the already preoccupying prospects gloomier. The increase in its technological dependence implies a trade deficit and is also a handicap in all other fields:

for the objectives of major projects which are being implemented explicitly

involve in addition defence questions, new conquests such as the space

exploration, exploitation of the earth's crust, training techniques etc.

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Besides the threat of lagging behind, Africa is faced with a soaring population growth and poor agricultural fields owing to the improvishment of the soil as a result of constant ploughing of the same area by the farmers.

The African farmer cannot feed himself or rather the farmer today cannot survive by using the past techniques without a sufficient increase in the farming level. This is obvious for there is famine in rainy as well as dry

areas.

Africa should, therefore, be present in international debates on competitive technology and assign \;o its diplomacy, among other major objectives of the moment, the negotiation of a technological co-development among African countries on the one hand and on the other between the latter and their extra-African partners. One aspect of the solution to development problems in Africa lies in the mastery and the rational management under all its forms of information considered as support to knowledge; this information has become a real major economic resource.

It is in this context that the Government of Cote d'lvoire, in cooperation with the Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics (IBI) authorized the organization,, in Yamoussoukro in March 1985. of the conference on the theme

"Informatics and Sovereignty, a Contribution of the Lagos Plan of Action".

It was at that conference that the "Groupe de Yamoussoukro" was set up a working group to serve as a permanent reflection forum so as to seek through free and detailed discussions, agreement, as far as possible, on strategies relating to master the frontier technology of information and communications by African countries.

Faced with the challenge of informatics, Africa should show the need for a clear and active political will and within the scope of a large co operation at the regional and continental levels, which is imperative for all the States- taking into account the meagreness of their means and the smallness of their markets taken separately.