From Africa Recovery, Vol.13#4 (December 1999), page 22 (part of special feature on information technology)

A country's development plan must be the starting point for information and communication strategies, says Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Director of the Division of Information Services for Development at the Economic Commission for Africa

Mastering the tools of technology

Africa's decision makers must "integrate the technological dimension" in national plans for economic growth and human development and the process "should not be directed by technocrats." To this end, ECA advocates drawing in disadvantaged communities, incorporates gender issues and gets the youth fully involved "through the broadest possible national consultation," says Ms. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane.

Some countries are "very much behind on their development agenda," and that is precisely why ECA believes the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help accelerate the process. Through telemedicine, for example, "you can inform one community about the cholera epidemic in another village 10 kilometres away and advise them on precautionary measures." ICTs "will not solve Africa's basic problems but can contribute to improvements in health care, education and commerce."

More openness to dialogue

Asked if the interests of ordinary people are adequately represented in policy making on ICTs, she observes that "the level of civil society participation is a national question, and more and more governments are open to dialogue." The continent-wide prominence of gender issues is another sign of the increasing influence of civil society organizations.

On the notion of ICTs helping Africa "leapfrog" stages of development, she acknowledges the "constant debate" about whether development must be linear or in stages. She believes there are "pivotal moments in history when you must make a qualitative and quantitative leap. But let's not fool ourselves; there will be no miracles and ICTs are not a panacea. You have to know what kind of development you want. Then you must be in control of the technology and avoid fashions and new gadgets. You have to know what you expect from technology, or else you risk a big letdown."
She points to illiterate market women "who can work wonders with a calculator," and asks what is being developed for such people. "They do just fine with a calculator because it is not a gadget but a tool integrated in their lives." And without banking networks and infrastructure, electronic commerce is "inconceivable" for rural Africans. But ICTs are adaptable: "You just have to understand information needs in rural areas. In Africa, we share information and there is a culture of communication that predates the new technologies. Put a telecentre in a village and the people will come. All you need is one person who can read. One little kid can translate for the father or grandfather and read messages for the whole village. And the local teacher or medical aide could do an hour or two a week, passing on basic health care information. Nobody is saying that overnight all rural Africans must be gifted in essay writing or translation from English or French into their language."

'You must have a plan'

There is still a lot to do, she says, to improve the institutional and regulatory framework for ICTs and to overcome resistance to deregulation in countries where the experience has fallen short of expectations. "Privatization does not solve all problems. You must have a plan, you must know how to open your market, and what kinds of services you want. Some countries have gone from a state to a private monopoly, which has not been as beneficial as introducing competition. Since telecommunications are often a major source of state revenue, governments should take their time to find and be comfortable with the right balance."

Many government delegations participated enthusiastically at ADF '99 and Ms. Ben Soltane is pleased with the progress made since 1995 when ECA held the African Regional Symposium on Telematics for Development. Only five African countries had Internet connections at the time and some officials said: "No, thank you very much. We hold power by controlling information." She says many officials may still believe that, "but few will dare say that now." She affirms that "if you know how to share information, the more you can disseminate, the stronger you are."

And while it is "fantastic" that 51 African countries are now connected to the Internet, Ms. Ben Soltane says "we have to go beyond this raw figure to find out who has benefited." She wants to move from anecdotal evidence to more scientific study. "We have to define what we want to measure, at micro- and macro-levels, in terms of impact on specific sectors and on categories of people."

[Back to index] [To Volume13#4 -- full graphics]

Material from this article may be freely reproduced, with attribution to "Africa Recovery, United Nations".
We would appreciate a copy of the reproduction.

Africa Recovery
Room S-931
United Nations
New York, NY 10017 USA

Tel: (212) 963-6857
Fax: (212) 963-4556
Email: africa_recovery@un.org

Website: www.africarecovery.org
Contact us by email: africa_recovery@un.org