AFRICA AND SOUTH ASIA: ICT LESSONS FOR EACH OTHER...
By Frederick Noronha
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
IT WAS ONCE, rather condescendingly, called the 'dark continent'. Today,
Africa hopes to harness the tools of modern ICTs (information and
communication technologies) to spread knowledge and awareness among its
800+ million population.
Some are despondent about what role ICTs can play; others are upbeat.
Not just that, the experiences of the second-most populous continent of
the planet also holds out lessons for regions like Asia. Particularly in
fields like community radio, where Africa has undertaken interesting
experimentation. On the other hand, Asia probably has its experiences in
IT (information technology) which Africa could learn from.
Dakar (Senegal)-based Pierre Dandjinou is the United Nations'
Development Programme's ICT-D (Information and Communication Techology
for Development) Policy Advisor for Africa. Given his ring-side view of
developments in the region, his is an interesting perspective.
Dandjinou points optimistically to some of the initiatives underway,
though others have also clearly failed. We shared notes hurriedly at
airport lounges and mid-flight, headed north from Kuala Lumpur.
Says he: "Now we in Africa are in the third phase of implementing these
technologies. More countries have realised how ICTs can be a tool for
development. (That came) after achieving connectivity and secondly
attempting to design policies for their countries in Africa."
"At least 22-23 countries have developed some sort of e-readyness. But
many are yet to develop policy documents on the issue," says he.
"Unfortunately, the situation in most countries is a reliance on
external donor agencies, including the UNDP."
Dandjinou feels rather than waiting for donor agencies to offer support
on this front, a more sustainable policy would be a home-grown one. "We
at UNDP are trying to evolve local consultants and players. We are also
keen for partnerships with civil society organisations," says he.
Then, there is also some reluctance to spend on ICT-based projects. Some
countries see it as a costly trade-off. Should the money go for water or
for ICTs? But then, does one necessarily have to be done at the cost of
the other?
One major challenge is setting in place a sufficiently efficient
telephone infrastructure for the continent. "(In most countries) this
has been neglected for 40 years. It has largely been a state monopoly
and lacking in competition," says he.
Few African countries have set up a regulatory body. In most places, the
telecom is a monopoly, with the central government itself playing
regulator.
Another difficulty is the 'cultural barriers' and illiteracy that block
Africans from getting the most out of the Net and IT. For instance, the
language of the Net is overwhelmingly English. Some countries in the
region have 70% illiteracy rates. Among the literate too, a significant
segment doesn't speak English, more so in Francophone Africa.
"Another challenge is the cost of connectivity itself. Out of 53 African
countries, some 40 to 45 are in the list of least-developed countries.
How does one develop technology when there's so much crude poverty?,"
points out Dandjinou.
With the African continent coming under the pressure of HIV/AIDS, many
countries see this as their first priority. This means ICTs get further
sidetracked.
But some countries have done well. Senega, the country of just under 10
million whose capital lies in the westernmost point of Africa, for
instance, has some 9000 telecentres. All privately owned.
These are not cybercafes. But their whole business model is based around
the telephone. There are plans to convert these into 'teleboutiques', or
cybercafes of sort.
"There are 300-500 cybercafes, with a minimum of 10 computers connected.
You can now see cybercafes in the streets of Dakar," says Dandjinou.
Countries like Ghana -- located on the southern coast of West Africa --
have done well. South Africa, which incidentally is the richest African
country, is well known for its universal access to ICTs. Pretoria's
Universal Access Trust Fund was set up in the mid-nineties. "It's
interesting because this came about soon after South Africa's encounter
with Aparthaid. So there was a need to cater to the (disempowered)
people at large," Dandjinou adds.
In South Africa, the government entered into a deal with the national
telecom. The latter retained its monopoly over fixed lines for five
years, provided it could reach out to local areas.
Multipurpose telecentres have been set up in various countries, though
as Dandjinou says, "I don't like them personally". These have come up in
Mozambique, Uganda, Mali, and the like. But almost all are dependent on
donor agencies like the UNESCO, ITU, Canadian development body IDRC, and
sometimes the UNDP.
Donor agencies plough in some $200,000 at the disposal of the
communities, to establish communication centres, and also an information
research centre. It was expected to promote telemedicine, and assist
farmers.
"Most of them did not work, because they had no business model for them
to operate once donor agency aid stopped," admits Dandjinou. But in some
cases, while the funding lasted, they managed to attain some of their
(temporary) goals. For instance, villagers got a chance to use modern
ICT tools, be in touch with the outside world including expats from
their country, and get some of the latest (and even relevant)
information.
"It works. But only for two or three years (as long as the funding
lasts). Today, the results are just not there," says Dandjinou.
Of course, Africa too has thrown up some interesting ICT-for-development
projects, even if only few in number compared to regions like South
Asia.
Mali, the former French colony and land-locked state in West Africa and
part of the great Mali Empire till the 15th century, is today a place
from where a number of people out-migrate/ They've managed to build an
interesting project. Some who went abroad kept in touch with their
villages, and provided funding for setting up a cybercafe. They took on
local youth to take printouts and deliver incoming mail, says Dandjinou.
"For Africa, the diaspora is one of its assets. It involves
highly-educated people who live outside the continent, but who would
like to contribute though they probably cannot find the proper channel
to do so," says Dandjinou.
Some Ethiopians also launched telecommerce projects. This interesting
project involves North America-based expats 'buying' sheep via the Net
and their credit-cards. This is done without their local relatives
having to make any payments.
"Discussion lists are still something largely missing in Africa. Even
among IT professionals it's largely not there still," says Dandjinou,
with a tinge of regret.
COMMUNITY RADIO
---------------
In the field of community radio, however, Africa is surely ahead of
regions like South Asia, which could learn from it. Experiments in
community radio in Mali, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal,
Tanzania, and elsewhere in Africa have already drawn attention at the
international level.
"Community radio (low-powered, citizen-run FM stations) are performing
well in a few places, one of them being Niger. Using low-cost
technology, they've been able to set up and run these. Information
produced is local, proximity-information. It covers topics like
agriculture, cattle-raising, water problems... things that really make a
difference (to people's lives)," says Dandjinou.
UNDP has itself helped run seven community radio stations in Niger, the
country with very limited resources in the heart of West Africa. "Now
the communities are asking for more (such stations to be set up). More
are also being planned in Benin and Mauritania." Mali, a country of 15
million, has some 50 community radio stations.
In some parts of Africa too, governments (like in South Asia) are
reluctant to open up radio. In countries like Ethiopia, Guinea or Ivory
Coast, nothing much has happened because these countries "didn't
promote" community radio.
"But we had to insist that this (community radio) is going to be an
enabler for participation and development. We also told them that this
can be a communication channel for the government itself. Lastly, we
told politicians that this could be a good tool for being in permanent
contact with the community that elects them," explains Dandjinou.
Dandjinou says there are plans for experimenting with WorldSpace radio,
the satellite-based radio network set up by Ethiopian-American Noah
Samara who believes that apt information can come to the rescue of the
poor. WorldSpace, though expensive could have its benefits, if installed
in community-listening centres where larger groups could tune in, he
says.
"I know (WorldSpace founder and ICT campaigner Noah) Samara very well.
But he needs support to sustain him. Looks like the world outside there
is not helping him a lot, just like the (Indian) Simputer project (to
produce a low-cost computing device)," says Dandjinou.
As Africa clutches around for solutions -- just as South Asia, which
faces parallel problems in development and giving its citizens a better
life -- this is a question which affects hundreds of millions. That's
why it's so important.
--
Frederick Noronha * Freelance Journalist * Goa * India 832.409490 / 409783
BYTESFORALL www.bytesforall.org * GNU-LINUX http://linuxinindia.pitas.com
Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] * SMS [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Saligao Goa India
Writing with a difference... on what makes *the* difference
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