What is AISI?

The African Information Society Initiative (AISI) is an action framework that has been the basis for information and communication activities in Africa since 1996. AISI is not about technology. It is about giving Africans the means to improve the quality of their lives and fight against poverty.

Resolution 812 (XXXI): Implementation of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI)
Adopted by the 22nd meeting of the ECA Conference of Ministers, May 1996, Resolution 812 (XXXI) States:

The Conference of Ministers, Recalling resolution 795 (XXX) on building Africa’s information highway which requested the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to constitute a high level working group to develop an action plan on information and communication technologies to accelerate socioeconomic development in African countries; ...

Vision

The African Information Society Initiative aims at supporting and accelerating socio-economic development across the region. Driven by critical development imperatives, it focuses on priority strategies, programmes and projects which can assist in the sustainable build-up of an information society in African countries. This is in accordance with the regional integration goals of the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community, which foresaw the necessity of information networks and of regional databases, information sources and skills capacities.


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Celebration of the African Information and Communication Technology Week (AICTW)

ICTweekThe African Union Conmission announced that the African ICT week (AICTW) will take place from 16th to 22nd of November 2009, which will mark the commemorattion of Africa's involvement in the Information Society. This African ICT week answers the desire and the commitment to build a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society and inline with the outcome of WSIS, the decisions of the AU CIT Ministerial Conference and relevant AU Summit decisions.

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The Oliver Tambo Declaration - AU Conference of African Ministers in Charge of ICTs

The Oliver Tambo Declaration was adopted by the Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of African Ministers in charge of Information and Communication Technologies on 5 November 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Pursuant to the Assembly of the Heads of State and governments decision (Assembly/AU/Dec. 232(XII)), the main objective of the meeting was to prepare the 2010 African Union January 2010 Summit on the theme “Information and Communications Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development”.

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Launch of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) “Information Economy Report 2009”
22 October 2009

unctad-ier09
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The UNCTAD Information Economy Report (IER) 2009 was launched today, the 22nd of October at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa. The report was launched in collaboration with the ECA’s ICT, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) at a function attended by the Africa Union Commission (AUC) Human Resources, Science and Technology Division, international media personnel, media institutions in Addis Ababa, statisticians from the Ethiopian National Statistics Office (NSO), academics from the University of Addis Ababa, representatives of IT institutions, representatives from UN Agencies in Ethiopia (WHO and UNDP) and ECA staff. The report takes stock of recent trends with regard to extending connectivity worldwide, monitors developments in enhancing the use of ICTs among enterprises and analyses how international trade in ICT goods and in IT and ICT-enabled services is evolving..

 

"The e-SADC initiative launch meeting” opens in Gaborone, Botswana, 05-06 October 2009
05 October 2009

Opening eSADC is a joint United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) initiative. Twenty-five participants drawn from NICI National Focal Points from eight SADC member States, Southern African Postal Operators’ Association (SAPOA), Southern Africa Telecommunications Association (SATA), Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA), NEPAD e-Africa Commission, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and e-SADC consultants are attending a two-day technical meeting to launch the e-SADC initiative - a framework for the implementation of the Information Society in the sub-region at the Grand Palm Hotel in Gaborone, Botswana. The member States in attendance are Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia..

 

ECA and its partners building ICT measurement capacity in Africa
13 July 2009

ECA and its partners building ICT measurement capacity in AfricaAddis Ababa, Ethiopia - A two-week training course on “Measuring ICT Use and Access in Households and Business” opened in Addis Ababa today to build the capacity of African National Statistical Offices (NSOs) in measuring ICTs. The main objective of the training is to strengthen the capacities of the NSOs in the African region to produce national statistics on the access and use of ICT in households and by individuals, as well as on ICT use in business and the ICT sector. The ICT statistics and indicators will allow Governments to elaborate and evaluate their ICT policies for development and to take measures to bridge the digital divide within and between countries.

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codist Committee on Development Information Science and Technology (CODIST- I)

28 April to 1 May 2009

United Nations Conference Centre Addis Ababa, (UNCC-AA) Ethiopia.

The theme for CODIST-I is "Scientific Development, Innovation and the Knowledge Economy".

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tiga 2009 Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards

ECA, the Governments of Canada and Finland will announce the winners of the 2009 TIGA Awards on 30th April 2009 during the Awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

TIGA Awards aim to recognise the work of African Governments in the effective use of ICTs for public services delivery as part of ECA’s African Information Society Initiative (AISI). The Awards are aimed at African Governments and institutions based in Africa that are engaged in initiating, developing, and implementing ICTs for public services in Africa contributing to the development of the Information Society in Africa.

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Workshop on e-government development opens in Addis Ababa Tuesday
16 February 2009

A capacity development workshop for senior policy makers, practitioners and experts on e/m government initiatives opens in Addis Ababa Ethiopia on Tuesday 17 February 2009.

The workshop, which will last until Thursday 19 February 2009 is on the theme: “Electronic/mobile (e/m)-Government in Africa, Progress Made and Challenges Ahead”.


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Capacity Building Workshop on Electronic/Mobile Government in Africa

Capacity Building Workshop on Electronic/Mobile Government in AfricaThe goal of the Workshop is to explore regional knowledge into the issues and challenges of e/m-government development in Africa, further explore the concept of the development of the UN Global Knowledge Repository, develop partnerships for capacity building in the region and identify capacity building needs for e/m-government in the region.

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Announcement: 2009 Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards
Deadline for Applications: 28 February 2009

TIGA09The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Canada Fund for Africa are pleased to announce the SecondTechnology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards.

Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards aim to recognise the work of African Governments in the effective use of ICTs for public services delivery as part of ECA's African Information Society Initiative (AISI) and Canada's ICTs for development programme. The Awards are aimed at African Governments and institutions based in Africa that are engaged in initiating, developing, and implementing ICTs for public services in Africa contributing to the development of the Information Society in Africa. The aims are to:

  • Create greater awareness on the role of ICTs in the public services and the development process within the framework of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI);
  • Encourage African Governments and institutions to use ICTs for development in general and improved public/citizen's services in particular; and
  • Motivate other African stakeholders in effective utilization of ICTs for citizen's services.

This pioneering African programme will publicly recognise the innovation, excellence, and leadership in Africa's public sector e-government development. It will be recognised as an honour to be nominated for TIGA Awards, and a significant public sector career achievement for the team members to be selected as an Award Winner. The TIGA Award is intended to be a biannual event to honour African Governments and institutions.

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ECA and Finland partner to strengthen ICT policy implementation in AfricaECA and Finland partner to strengthen ICT policy implementation in Africa
ECA Press Release No. 41/2008

Addis Ababa 4 December (ECA) – The UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Abdoulie Janneh and H. E. Ms. Kirsti Aarnio, the Ambassador of Finland to Ethiopia, representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland signed today a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for three million, seven hundred fifty thousand Euros (€ 3, 750 000) to support cooperation between the ICT, Science and Technology Division of ECA and Finland on ICT development in Africa during the period 2008-2010.

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Impact of Global Information Society Agenda on ICT Policy in Africa

This PhD thesis by Sarah Chiumbu seeks to find the extent to which the global information society agenda has shaped and influenced the African Information Society Initiative (AISI).

The AISI, the first African regional information society framework, was adopted in May 1996 by Conference of African Ministers of Economic and Social Development and African Heads of State and Governments. Using international political economy and policy analysis theories, this thesis seeks to critically examine the policy-making process that led to the adoption of the AISI. In addition it seeks to study the ideas, interests and priorities that have advanced the African ICT policy reform agenda.

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PICTA Bulletin, Number 70, July - September 2008!

The 2009 Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards announced .....GKP Executive Committee and Membership Committee/Regional Coordinators meet jointly in Paris .......Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Access to Learning Award (ATLA) 2009 .......Stakeholders adopt The Gambia NICI Plan ........Sixth African Development Forum to Focus on Gender Issues ........East African States discuss ICT policy harmonization .......Africa Still Hampered by Lack of Geographical Data ......Internet penetration has become a key factor in financial well-being .....Rwanda: Broadband rollout to improve healthcare .......Botswana backs Eassy project with $100m investment ....... Africa investor launches SRI Index with NEPAD and the UN .......Kagame talks innovation & technology for Africa .......Ericsson to launch mobile Innovation Centre in Africa .....Zambia puts IT to use in October presidential election .....Uganda government will launch Web portal ....Mobile health to expand to 22 sub-Saharan countries ....Mobile banking revolutionising the livelihood of the poor and rural people in Kenya.

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PICTA Bulletin, Number 69, April - June 2008!

Second African ICT Best Practices Forum .....New task group on measuring ICT impact.......GKP engages 5 UN Regional Commissions at Addis Ababa meeting.......IICD enters new Global Teenager Project partnership......The Africa E-Governance Academy Validation Meeting......ECA Moves from Ideas to Action to Promote Scientific Research and Development in Africa........Third Meeting of the Fifth African Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC V)......eLearning Africa 2008.....Empowering Zambia Parliamentarians for their new Role in the Information Society........ African education ministers call for more collaboration in the continent on ICTs in education........

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NEW PUBLICATION !

THE AFRICAN INFORMATION SOCIETY INITIATIVE (AISI): A DECADE’S PERSPECTIVE

This publication serves to assess the 10 years of the existence of AISI, which was adopted by ECA as its work programme, and highlights the opportunities and challenges of the implementation of this framework within the context of African development. Apart from assisting member States to formulate national strategies, other aspects of the implementation of the AISI include information and knowledge development, an outreach and communication programme, and networking and partnerships.

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ECA Moves from Ideas to Action to Promote Scientific Research and Development in Africa
09 June 2008

The Information, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) of the Economic Commission for Africa organized a workshop last week in Addis Ababa in collaboration with the African Union Commission and Brainstore to devise strategies and set a timeframe for the implementation of innovative ideas, which the Science with Africa Conference generated last March. Government officials, ECA and AU experts as well as the African Diaspora representatives who attended this roadmap workshop identified potential lead institutions and possible partners for each core idea. They also discussed funding constraints and reviewed fiscal systems in place to ensure a thorough assessment of the costs involved.

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New Publication: Global Information Society: a Statistical View launched
04 June 2008

A new report on "Global Information Society: a Statistical View" was launched at the 2008 Global Event on Measuring the Information Society, held from 27 - 29 May 2008 at the Palais des Nations under the direction of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development, whose members include UNECA.

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African education ministers call for more collaboration in the continent on ICTs in education
29 May 2008, Accra , Ghana

UNECA and the Global eSchools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI) co-organised a Ministerial meeting on ICTs in education on Wednesday, 28 May 2008 at the Conference Center in Accra , Ghana . The meeting took place as a pre-conference event prior to eLearning Africa 2008 Conference, taking place from 29 – 30 May 2008 on the theme ICTs for development, education and training.

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Empowering Zambia Parliamentarians for their new Role in the Information Society
05 May 2008

In collaboration with the Parliament of Zambia, the ICT, Science and technology Division (ISTD) and ECA Sub-regional Office of Southern Africa, facilitated a 2-day MPs workshop on "The role of Parliament in promoting an inclusive Information Society in the Zambia" from 19-20 April 2008. More than twenty Members of Parliaments and Staff participated in the vent. The workshop was organized in the context of ECA's e-Policy Resource Network for Africa, which was set up with support from the Government of Canada to provide expertise, guidance and advice to African countries implementing national e-strategies.

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Gender and e-Government worshop opens at ECA
21 March 2008

A one-day workshop on Gender and E-government was opened today, 21 March 2008 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Over forty participants are in attendance at the workshop drawn from Ministries of Information and Communication Technologies, National Gender Machineries and representatives of Regional Economic Communities.

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PICTA Bulletin, Number 68, January - March 2008!

"Science With Africa" Conference: Science and technological innovation critical for Africa's economic growth ......20 Ideas selected during "Science With Africa" Idea Factory .......GKP AFRICA 2008: Powering Africa with ICT & Entrepreneurship .....NOVATECH 2008. NOVATECH 2008 .....ICT for Health Network launched in Tanzania .....Introducing mobile phones to a farming project in Ghana ....Nokia launches recycling initiative in East Africa ....Nigeria's ICT Infrastructure Plan validated by Stakeholders .....Gambia Scan-ICT report released .....Fifth Annual General Meeting of the Association of Regulators of Information and Communication for Eastern and Southern Africa (ARICEA) .....Gender and e-Government workshop ......

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NEW PUBLICATION !

e-Strategies: National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI): Best Practices and Lessons Learnt, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), 2007

The publication captures the lessons learnt as a result of a decade of national and sub regional ICT policy-making. The ECA decision for support to national e-policies development came as a result of Africa Information Society Initiative (AISI) implementation, which called for countries to develop guiding policy and infrastructural frameworks to optimize the use of ICTs in carrying out their socio-economic development agenda. From the global context, the WSIS process and Action Plans from Geneva and Tunis later reinforced this thinking.

The publication also assesses how NICI policies are formulated using case studies from Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi and Nigeria, which indicate the critical importance of the nation’s development priorities and goals for the sustainability of any e-strategy. In line with AISI, the assistance being accorded to Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to implement their Information Society programmes and initiatives is extensively discussed, citing the various activities being undertaken by the RECs in using ICTs for regional integration objectives. The status of NICI policies and plans in member States is analyzed in terms of the progress made and challenges encountered is presented, capping this, with the process critical success factors.

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Nigeria's ICT Infrastructure Plan validated by Stakeholders

23 January 2008 (ECA) - Following a workshop held in Lagos on 17 January 2008, over 100 experts from various stakeholder groups, comprised of Government ministries, private sector, non-government organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), academia, women and youth groups endorsed Nigeria's Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) Plan.

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Gambia Scan-ICT report

The Scan-ICT project for the Gambia marks another milestone in the development of the ICT sector, measuring access, usage and exploitation of ICTs in the Country. This study was coordinated by the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, the Department of State for Communications and Information and Technology and the Gambia Bureau of Statistics. Henceforth the exercise will be integrated in the regular data collection mechanism of the Statistical Bureau.

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