About
70 participants drawn from sectors ministries, departments,
agencies, NGOs, media, civil society representatives attended
the National Information & Communication Infrastructure
(NICI) Policy validation workshop organized by the NICI
core group in collaboration with the Economic Commission
for Africa (ECA) on 30 June - 2 July 2006 in Freetown, Sierra
Leone.
This workshop
presented participants with an opportunity to discuss and
adopt a draft NICI Policy and Plan for Sierra Leone. The
process was initiated by the Ministry of Development and
Economic Planning (MODEP) and ECA provided the necessary
support and technical assistance with support from the Government
of Finland. The NICI process in Sierra Leone focused on
recognizing the areas where ICT would contribute to attaining
the overall objective of the PRSP, Vision 2025 and MDGs
in the country.
The inaugural
session of the workshop was presided over by the Director
of Planning Mr. Solomon Scott, and was also attended by
the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communication,
Mr. Abdul Rahman Wune, the Presidential spokesperson, Hhaji
Kanji Daranny and the Deputy Development Secretary, Mr.
John Simwala. The guest of honour was the Acting Minister
of Development and Economic Planning and the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting was also represented.
In his opening
remarks, the Acting Minister of Development and Economic
Planning thanked the ECA for their support in the policy
development process and expressed the hope that the policy
would realise the appropriate intervention of ICT in the
various Government enunciated post-war development activities.
The presidential
spokesperson, Mr. Haji Kanji Daranny alluded to the importance
of ICT for development and pledged the Government’s
support at the highest level.
The Regional
Adviser for ECA, Mr. Sizo Mhlanga took the opportunity to
brief the audience on the NICI philosophy with special emphasis
on the Sierra Leone process.
During the workshop,
a baseline study on the ICT status of the country conducted
by the Department of Statistics was discussed in light of
the proposed NICI policy and plans. The participants worked
on the ten NICI pillars or strategic areas, namely, Business
and Industry; Job-Creation / Employment; Health; Education;
Natural Resources/Environment; Agriculture & Food Security;
ICT Infrastructure, Legal/Regulatory Framework; Good Governance
(ICT leadership in Government); Gender; Media and Civil
Society.
In an official
communiqué, Dr Konah C Koroma, the Development Secretary
of the Republic of Sierra Leone reiterated that the government
will work closely with the stakeholders to endorse the NICI
Policy and Plans at the highest level of political leadership.
She further said:
“As we
stand now, half way into the first decade of the new millennium,
with our ongoing public service reforms, with our economic
growth and poverty reduction strategies, with our Millennium
Development Goals, and with our overarching Vision 2025,
it is no longer a matter of choice as to whether or not
to attempt using ICT for development. It is, in fact, simply
a matter of survival by rapidly adapting to the evolving
expectations of our own populations about their transformation
into the information society”.
The follow-up
activities agreed upon by the stakeholders during the workshop
included presentation of the validated NICI policy plans
to the highest authority for its endorsement as a national
policy document. The participants also agreed to ensure
political support for the endorsement of the NICI Policy
and its implementation through collaboration among academia,
media and civil society organizations seeking international
and national partnerships and networking.
The workshop
proposed a national institutional mechanism to coordinate
NICI activities under the Office of the President to ensure
the highest priority given to the NICI activities by all
concerned.
More:
www.uneca.org/disd
