10 December 2003
“Information Society Needs Leadership”, says Amoako
“Information Society Needs Leadership”, says Amoako
Mkpe ABANG of IT and Telecom Digest of Nigeria, interview the ECA Executive Secretary Mr. Y.K. AMOAKO in Geneva during WSIS, who says “Africa has done well, but still needs to do more to catch up”………………..
Q: In your capacity as the Executive Secretary of the ECA, do you think WSIS will be beneficial to African countries?
A: Very much so, because for us at the ECA we
pioneered the African Information Society Initiative(AISI) in 1996. We had the African Development Forum (ADF), also on ICT in 1999. And there has been a strong evolution with respect to information society and ICT in Africa. Now, many countries are connected to the Internet; and are now developing their own plans, policies, national strategies for the use of ICT in education and health. So we’ve seen a quantum jump in the use of ICT. But in 1996, we were worried that if we were not careful the whole information revolution would bypass Africa. The good news is that it hasn’t. Africa has a lot to catch up with; but we’ve made tremendous progress. So, I think for us to come and be a part of this world information society initiative, is good because it allows us to showcase how far we’ve come. It also allows us to learn and understand from other regions of the world about what’s happening so that we can adapt and be able to use some of the new technologies. So I think this is very timely for Africa; and I’m very, very pleased. I am very proud that we as ECA as far back as 1996 helped Africa develop its own strategy for the information society. In fact if you look at the Action Plan that’s going to come out of this WSIS, you will see that the Action Plan that Africa developed in 1996 has got many of these same issues.
Q: African leaders often come to events such as this; they hear a lot, see a lot about what needs to be done, but when they go back to their countries, they do not implement the plans of action that are often agreed on. Do you think African leaders at this summit, will take ICT seriously and implement what is expected at the global level?
A: Already many of our leaders are doing very well in this area. Some countries in Africa that we’ve been working with have some best practices – Rwanda, Mozambique, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, South Africa – just to mention a few. And in all these countries, the African leaders themselves have really shown great interest… have really shown leadership. One thing that is very clear about the information society is that it needs leadership. And where the leadership itself at the very top is involved – and we have some very, very good examples. The more African leaders see their peers taking the lead in this, I think the multiplier effect is great.
Q: Do you really think that decisions that will be reached here after WSIS will really be to the benefit of Africa as a continent?
A: Well, this is a worldwide event, and I think it’s a cause about ICT for development. Africa is the one that has to mostly benefit. So we must focus on these issues that affect Africa – just like all the other UN conferences, like Monterrey, like Copenhagen and also focus on all the issues that have been deliberated upon from other UN conferences, such as the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals). These are very much related to the challenges of Africa. I think whatever comes out of this conference, even the nature of the issues themselves, using ICT for development, for poverty reduction, or meeting the MDGs is a clear indication that Africa stands to benefit.
Q: What, in your capacity as the ES of the ECA are you looking forward to carrying away from this summit?
A: What I look forward to carrying away is a consensus; a worldwide consensus about the importance of ICT, about the progress that has been made, about the remaining challenges, strategies, and action plans and the resolve of the international community. And also, I think ICT is not just about government; it is about the private sector. The private sector must be more involved. For instance, there is the need to go domestically with international investment into the area of telecoms, integrating infrastructure into Africa and generating content for education and for health. The Action Plan touched upon all these areas, and I think it’s good for Africa. Of course when we go we have to implement; there is no panacea, there is no end-cure; there is no magic bullet unless we ourselves get on the driving seat. And that was why I talked about the leadership dimension. I think if we can build upon those successes, then this summit would have been worth it.
Information:
aisi@uneca.org
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