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The Power of the Rising Development Generation Africa
The Power of the Rising Development Generation Africa
Commonwealth ICT Project for Rural Africa
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The Commonwealth heads of state assembled in Kampala last week launched an information communication technology (ICT) project, a move that is hoped to improve ICT connectivity in poor African countries and reduce the digital divide between the more developed northern hemisphere and the less developed southern hemisphere. The project known as the Commonwealth African Rural Connectivity Initiative (COMARCI) is designed to identify and assist to connect rural communities in 18 Commonwealth countries on a pilot basis.



Uganda's ICT minister Mr. Ham Mulira told journalists at the Chogm media centre in Kampala (Thursday, november 22) that the project was launched by the ministers of foreign affairs from Commonwealth countries on behalf of their governments. Mulira said COMARCI would chat out ways of how best to take new technologies like computers, Internet and telephones to Africa's rural populations who have been technologically marginalised. "Most people in rural Africa never get to enjoy the benefits of ICTs, therefore this project, COMARCI, will have a positive impact on them and ensure that the majority of the people in the Commonwealth have access to ICTs because their importance in the development needs of communities," Mulira said. The project is expected to cost $1.2 million of which Malta has already donated $500,000.



The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) chief executive officer, Mr. Ekwow Spio - Garbrah said that the project will help Africa to achieve the majority of its Millennium Development Goals, by addressing the special challenges posed by poverty, illiteracy, and marginalisation of rural populations. He said COMARCI will take into account technology transfer opportunities and will assemble a body of knowledge that could constitute a 'connectivity roadmap for Africa' to roll out to more countries at a later stage after the pilot period. "ICT is a major instrument to knowledge transmission, storage and an important fact for development and good governance," he said.



Mulira said Commonwealth countries need to put in place enabling regulations and environment for ICTs to take root. He said that countries need to understand their state of ICTs, identify the gaps and mobilise funds to enhance their ICT connectivity. He said that COMARCI has five main pillars; to build a knowledge research platform based on research and studies, to organise capacity building and training workshops for best practice sharing, to organise a global Commonwealth conference aimed at mobilising investment, funding and technology partnerships, to implement replicable pilot projects based on tested examples that work like the Hole in the Wall ICT project launched recently at a Kampala primary school, Kiswa P/S and to over see an undertaking by member states to fully implement rural connectivity in their respective countries.



Spio said that the project will be managed by the CTO under the auspices of the Commonwealth Connects Programme with the support of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the government of Malta and 30 other Commonwealth countries. He said the agreement to this effect was signed at the Connect Africa Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda last month. Uganda has been chosen to host a CTO annual conference on e-governance Africa slated for March 4th - 6th, 2008 in Kampala.




November 27, 2007 | 1:32 PM Comments  0 comments

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