United States Department of State (Washington, DC)
November 5, 2003 Posted to the web November 6, 2003
Jim Fisher-Thompson Washington, DC
An information technology (IT) partnership between the U.S. Government, Uganda and the private sector is helping President Yoweri Museveni position his country as a major player and regional center for the burgeoning computer services market in sub-Saharan Africa.
Both Museveni and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Andrew Natsios made this point during a November 5 signing near USAID headquarters of two public/private partnership agreements with Cisco Systems and the EDS Corporation. The $14.3 million deal, which includes the establishment of ten Network Academies within Uganda's university system, is partially funded by the Leland Initiative, a U.S. Government effort aimed at connecting African nations to the Internet.
Natsios praised the collaborative effort as "another chapter in a very successful information technology alliance [in which], since 1996, USAID has invested $75 million to develop Africa's IT sector, much of it through Leland Initiative partnerships, such as the one we are celebrating today."
The agreements, he said, were also "a testament to the leadership of President Museveni....[and] also a reflection of the technical expertise that Uganda's Makerere University has shown."
The impact on Uganda's and the region's economy could be considerable, a USAID press release added, as "this innovative and pioneering alliance...jumpstarts the foundation for an information technology-trained workforce, and will provide the skills needed to establish a vibrant private sector in Uganda."
Cisco, a computer software firm will partner with professional computer trainer, EDS, to establish 10 computer network academies that will include: "Training and certification in network computing, information technology essentials, programming languages and voice and data cabling fundamentals."
Uganda is a logical place for such an effort, the release concluded, because it "is a leader in bringing the Internet and improved telecommunications to Africa."
President Museveni, who interrupted an investment tour of the United States to sign the agreements, said, "We have been working with USAID for many years now," adding that he was looking forward to the new IT partnership, which he hoped would make his country a regional IT center.
Ambassador Edith Ssempala, who has been Uganda's envoy in Washington for seven years, told the Washington File Museveni was in the United States "basically to promote the tourist industry" as well as other investment possibilities in Uganda.
Asked what she thought the role of the private sector in Uganda's development ought to be, Ssempala said, "We believe it has to be the real engine for change. This has been the missing link in development in Africa and so we have made it a central element in all of our development partnerships."
Ssempala said Uganda's message for U.S. investors is "that Uganda is a country that offers numerous opportunities to investors; where investors will make money -- about a 30% return in profits -- and Uganda and its people will benefit. We are ready; our investment climate is receptive; and the return on investment is great."
But just as important, "When you invest in Uganda, it is not just in that 24-million-person market. You are investing in the almost 100-million-person market of the East African community. So, it's a huge opportunity for Americans -- we are open for business!"
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make allAfrica.com your home page
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top | Site Fran�ais | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright � 2003 United States Department of State. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). Click here to contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME
East Africa
United States, Canada and Africa Uganda ICT and Telecom
U.S. Welcomes Signing of Protocols On Power Sharing for Burundi U.S. Aid Agency Works to Expand Africa's Internet Access Trade, Not Aid, Will Lift US, Says Museveni Taxes Scare US Firm Gay Bishop: Nigerian Archbishops Meet On Major Decision
SUSTAINABLE AFRICA PEACEAFRICA
BIZTECH AGOA | NEPAD
Arts, Culture, Entertainment Books Children & Youth Conflict and Security Crime and Corruption Economy, Business, & Finance Editorials Education Environment & Sustainable Development Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Health AIDS | Malaria Humanitarian Responses ICT and Telecom Legal Affairs and Crime Media Music Religion Refugees Science and Biotech Sport Soccer
Travel Women
U.S., Canada and Africa Europe and Africa Asia, Australia, and Africa Middle East and Africa Latin America and Africa
Special Reports Photo Essays Internet Gateway
From allAfrica's ReportersContent Providers
Click here to contact us
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click here to purchase
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click here to purchase
_________________________________________________________________
Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
-------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
