Addis Ababa — Chair: Mary Chinery-Hesse, Deputy Director General, International Labour Organization; Presenters: Catherine Nyaki Adera, UN University Institute for New Technologies; Derrick Cogburn, University of Michigan, School of Information/GIIC, USA. Panel: Alan Gelb, Chief Economist, Africa Region, World Bank, USA; Gertrude Akapelwa-Ehueni, Special Assistant to the Director, African Development Bank, Cote D'Ivoire; Mohamed Mahdi, Chief Executive Officer, Cyberknowledge Systems, South Africa; Chris Slade, Vice President, Public and Industry Sector Development, Oracle;
Objective: This presentation aimed to: - define the information economy; - identify the elements present in Africa; - describe the constraints facing Africa; - identify Africa's opportunities to exploit the global information economy to benefit its own development.
Summary:
The information economy and society was driven by the global interrelationships of information and communication technologies with economic, political, social and cultural forces. Africa's infrastructure gap was noted and various global, regional and national responses urged. Creative public and private sector partnerships could develop the information structure in the region, stimulate knowledge, education and learning, promote electronic commerce and market-access components, master teleworking and accelerate capacity building.
Alan Gelb of the World Bank urged the financing of ICT infrastructure, and more support to science and technology in Africa, because technology capability was even more unequally distributed than capital. He pointed out that in the emerging framework of global governance, the interest of small countries were not being represented properly, as seen in such World Trade Organization (WTO) issues as intellectual property rights. Collaborating African countries should identify and assist major operators continent-wide. Sub-regional arrangements should be explored for investment, technical training and reduced costs. National frameworks needed a positive, enabling regulatory environment, public/ private sector partnerships and focus on the centres of competence. African training institutions should do more to further indigenous knowledge and accelerate the research process.
Gertrude Akapelwa-Ehueni of the ADB pointed to the need for public policy development as well as infrastructure and awareness building. Stakeholders, both public and private, had limited awareness and understanding of ICT requirements and uses. However with awareness and connectivity, Africa had much to gain and much to contribute in the way of business, information dissemination and web content development especially in the arts, culture and entertainment.
Mohammed Mahdi of Cyberknowledge Systems stated that a monumental effort was needed to break free from the vicious cycles of widening information and infrastructural gaps, to a new "virtuous" cycle. ICTs were forcing new ways of thinking, reorganizing business operations and creating new businesses and new jobs. In the paradigms of the information economy, players needed to realize that the picture was not one of decreasing returns but one of increasing gains.
Oracle's Chris Slade noted that the average middle-aged person in Africa might well find the new information technologies perplexing and more of a global plague. Those who made the leap into the new mode of thinking and operating needed costly equipment and link ups, capacity building, markets, competitive pricing and correct timing. Skills available in the African Diaspora could assist in this process. Representatives of various sectors of the economy should approach lagging governments to encourage and stimulate policy and technology supply.
The floor interventions stressed that digitalization was part of Africa's future but profits should not be put before people, or the interests of a few before the interest of the majority. Government's role as regulator and enabler was noted. Skeptics were urged to look at positive opportunities instead of obstacles. Attitudinal changes, policy development and collaboration among governments and between government and private sector were necessary for kick- starting infrastructural development and such innovative ICT uses as distance education and literacy campaigns.
For more information on the Forum or to interview participants, please contact: Peter da Costa Senior Communication Adviser Economic Commission for Africa P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa Ethiopia Tel: +251-1-51 58 26 Fax: +251-1-51 03 65 Cell: +251-9-20 17 94 E-mail: dacosta@un.org or ecainfo@un.org Web: http://www.un.org/depts/eca
