Impact of ICT4D In Sub-Saharan Africa

I recently got featured on the Christian Science Monitor’s “Thirty ideas from people under 30: The Social Media Stars” blog and was also interviewed for the ONE Blog on “Peering into Ghana’s Mobile Future” where I shared views on Ghana’s mobile technology scene and its future in the years to come.

I was asked how younger people in Ghana were helping push mobile advancements and also, how tech’s growth was so important to my circles and I? My answer below:

“Mobile technology is the future for Africa. In Ghana, the only way to access the Internet among the younger generation is via mobile and smartphones.

“The greatest opportunity for growth will come from technological innovation and the adoption of new technologies in service sectors, such as banking, insurance, health, education and agriculture. These growths in technology are very important to me and my networks because they help shape the socioeconomic aspect of our lives and bridge the gap between people in Ghana and those in other parts of the world.”

I’m in total agreement with Maria Farooq on; “Information and communications technology (ICT) has become a key weapon for actors on both sides of the war for the world’s freedoms. It’s used by governments and private citizens, criminals and terrorists, and it’s blurring the lines between these groups” from her latest on Defending the Global Village

The Internet is empowering women in Africa to follow current events as they have never been able to before. ICTs have emerged as a major driver of employment in the developed world – they are increasingly seen as an important pillar for economic growth in South Africa. To plan human resources required for the ICT sector and to address gender equity, it is necessary to measure human resources as accurately as possible.

In Africa, women’s roles in computer and on the Internet have been restricted to lower-level positions. Africa’s inability to tap into the potential of its women has hampered development of New Media in the same way that gender imbalance has hindered economic, agricultural, social and educational development.

Ignorance is far more a major obstacle and those aware, mostly the educated and literate people in the private sector, say as much as they appreciate the need and importance of ICTs, the economic situation in their countries and general poverty make it difficult for people who need these ICTs to acquire them.

In Ghana, for example, the per capita income is US$400 and the average cost of a computer (plus modem and telephone line, etc) is US$1500. Also in Nigeria, to acquire a computer/modem, ISP subscription and telephone line would require the total annual income of a graduate. Compared to the Asia-Pacific countries studied, more people in Africa see the need for these ICTs inspite of traditional ways of doing things but are hampered by poverty.

Question: What are the reasons for the lack of diffusion in ICT4D on the African continent?