IT is a fact that the rapid development and use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have had a direct and dramatic impact on all aspects of life.

The traditional distinctions among media, publishing, telecommunications, computing library and information services are almost disappearing, and the paradigms of creation, storing, and dissemination and exploitation of knowledge are evolving.

However, the pace at which the changes are taking place is unprecedented and there is a danger that 'the have and have-not' scenario of the industrial age will be replaced with 'the knows and knows-not' of the information age.

Experts argue, and rightly so, that what has become the central feature of modern life globally is hardly felt in many parts of Africa, other than in limited circles.

Dr Robert Okello, regional director of Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) based in Zambia, thus lamented:

"If Africa were to remain on its present course-with lowest telephone access in the world; with the fewest number of computers in the world; isolated from information and knowledge-we, the children of Africa, would have no chance to compete in the global economy".

Currently Africa has more than 700 million inhabitants with an average telephone penetration of 19 lines for every 1,000 people. The sub-Saharan Africa has even lower penetration with just five (5) lines for every 1,000 inhabitants. Simply put, the telephone infrastructure in many African countries does not adequately meet demands of the growing populations and is, in most cases, outdated.

Take the Zambian situation for example. The state owned Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) has a total of 138,307 installed 'land telephone lines' out of which only 82, 317 lines were said to be in service last year.

At that time, the tele-density or number of available telephone lines for 100 people was put at 0.76 amid complaints that the number of connected lines in service had been declining.

The situation can not be said to be better in other African countries. It can therefore be argued that, though the Internet is a very important tool in the development of any nation, under the prevailing situation in Zambia and other African countries, its introduction is likely to widen the knowledge gap between the rich and the poor.

The fact is that, as is everywhere else, the basic requirement for internet access in Africa are a telephone line, a computer and a modem. The cost of a computer, a modem and renting a telephone line is more than the average African worker's annual salary, making ownership of the hardware needed for Internet access prohibitively expensive. As the initiated say, in telecommunications lies not only cell and telephone issues but also broadcasting and now Internet.

How this sector is managed is, therefore, crucial to the attainment of freedom of information, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the media and, consequently, democratic governance.

It would, therefore, not be a bad idea for United Nations Economic Commission (Uneca) executive secretary, Mr K.Y. Amoako, and his team in Addis Ababa to ensure that the forth coming Fourth African Development Forum (ADF IV) has an item on the need for African countries to have well articulated Information and Communication Technologies Policies on its agenda.

ADF IV's theme is expected to centre on good governance. It is equally important that the issue of formulating and implementing truly democratic and virile communications policies in Africa is also considered within the framework of good governance because the absence of such policies, to ensure efficient utilisation of the communication resources, is not in the best interest of the continent's development efforts.

The truth is that communication as an industry has now become an elite enterprise, richly touted in expensive electronic gadgets and costly publications. This has in turn led to reversal of the democratisation processes for most societies since those for whom information is meant never gain access to it.

Equally important is the fact that communications infrastructure is essential to Africa's development, and to making African economies and society a vibrant, interconnected whole.

To correct the situation, African countries have to create a conducive environment to ensure that ICTs take root in rural and per-urban areas. Measures to be taken should include:

-Provision of reliable telecommunication infrastructure suitable for voice, picture, text and data transfer;

-Provision of reliable and accessible road networks to facilitate communication and documentary delivery;

-Provision of adequate and reliable power supply in most parts of these countries; and

-Removal of ITC equipment and accessories from lists of items or goods that attract high duty and other taxes.

If the above suggestions are unattainable for Africa, the best we can do then is to agree with Des Wilson that whatever new communication policies Africa should come up with, they must take into consideration the traditional communication process which "have been ignored for too long, for what appears to be more efficient but ineffective, faster but limited, heterogeneous but alienating, time serving but expensive modern process which are after all, culturally threatening to the process of democratisation and legitimisation".