Www.uneca.org/aisi IFAD Panel Eradicating rural poverty by connecting rural communities Eradicating...

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IFAD Panel

Eradicating rural poverty by connecting rural Eradicating rural poverty by connecting rural communitiescommunities"

Elements of good policies + strategies to ensure Elements of good policies + strategies to ensure meaningful use of ICTs in rural areas: The role of meaningful use of ICTs in rural areas: The role of

Governments and Private SectorGovernments and Private Sector

17 November 2005

Aida Opoku-Mensah

OIC, DISD

Economic Commission for Africa


Content

1. Policies and Strategies2. Building Capacity for Policy Implementation3. Developing Tools for Policy Implementation4. Main Challenges5. Rural Development + MDG Challenge


Policies and Strategies

E-strategy process known as the National Information and Communication Infrastructure plan (NICI) is based on ECA’sAfrican Information Society Initiative (AISI) to leverage thebenefits of ICT for a people-centered, free market based andexport-oriented socio-economic development.

Mission:To achieve higher growth rates in all spheres of socio-economic activities using ICT as a platform to implement applications and provide services.



E-strategies increasingly have to address povertyE-strategies increasingly have to address povertyreduction and rural development concerns and calls forreduction and rural development concerns and calls for- Mainstreaming strategies in the PRSP processes- Strengthening pro-poor approaches and linkages

with MDGsSome countries established the linkagesSome countries established the linkages: - Comoros: reflecting PRSP concerns in national e-

strategy- The Gambia: PRSP focus areas integrated- Niger: HIV/AIDS/Poverty reduction – some of the

key areas



• E-Strategies and Rural Focus: Role of E-Strategies and Rural Focus: Role of GovernmentsGovernments

Adopt policies and strategies to increase access to information and communication facilities, prioritizing rural areas, grass-roots society and other disenfranchised groups, in particular, women and youth

Emphasis on public access issues; rural development in Comoros, Ghana, Niger, Mali, Swaziland



Policy objectives• Enabling EnvironmentEnabling Environment:

Ghana e-strategy focus on Deployment and Spread of ICTs in the Community to: promote equal and universal access to information and communications technologies services and resources to all communities, emphasis to ensure and facilitate equal access for women, the disadvantaged, the disabled, and rural and under-served communities

Initiatives include Community Information Centres, E-Agriculture strategy of Ministry of Agriculture; E-commerce initiatives



Enabling EnvironmentEnabling Environment:

Niger e-strategy focus: ICTs in the poverty reduction Strategy to: support economic growth using ICTs in

productive Sectors

Initiatives include ICTs in the development of agriculture and livestock; fight desertification and the management of natural resources; creating an information and communication system between rural producers and market centers using ICTs

Network of local radios now regional centers of information for development – RURANET – Key instruments in Policy Implementation



Enabling EnvironmentEnabling Environment:

Democratizing Policy @ Community Level through Village Information and Communication Infrastructure policy

process: Ghana and Swaziland based on MDGs+PRSs

To promote Integrated rural development - Shared rural public access telecentres, kiosks, mobile computing and telecommunication resources

Creating the necessary conditions for private sector involvement in rural areas

Support for ICT development at local level examining connectivity and content issues

• Developing appropriate technologies – broadcasting/SMS


Building Capacity for Policy Building Capacity for Policy ImplementationImplementation

• ActivitiesActivities ECA’s ITCA has been building the capacity of women

Entrepreneurs from Francophone and Anglophone Africa. 45 Women trained with support from CISCO/InfoDev/Govt. of Japan


Developing Tools for Policy Implementation

• Applications + ToolsApplications + ToolsIn local languages for accessibilityIn local languages for accessibility

Touchscreen kiosks for land management information in Amharic, the national language in Ethiopia for an Addis Ababa Municipality to improve service delivery, e.g. the provision of information about required documents or service charges of land administration.


Main Challenges

• Infrastructurenfrastructure: still limited in rural Africa• InvestmentsInvestments: Governments need to do more and budget

allocations should factor ICTs in rural development concerns

• PoliciesPolicies: should be implemented more vigorously to ensure rural and community access (legal/institutional/regulatory frameworks)

• Integration of ICTs in sectors that support rural development: agriculture, forestry, etc

• Private Sector involvement still limited – incentives needed Supporting R&D: more support needed for innovation and appls

• Building e-rural economy: using ICTs to open up the rural economy and introduce new wealth creation opportunities especially for women and youth

• Stronger lobbyStronger lobby on ICT and Rural development issues• More applications/local content + use of local languages


Rural Development + MDG Challenges

ICTs + Rural Dev. Impact

ICTs in rural economy

Economic empowerment (trade/commerce, agric produce, and handicrafts, increase livelihoods)

MDG 1

ICTs in rural education

Address knowledge deficit in rural areas

MDG 2

ICT & Rural Women

Rural women can benefit from ICTs for economic empowerment and education

MDG 3


Rural Development + MDG Challenges

ICTs + Rural Dev. Impact

ICTs/Health

Access to healthcare, diagnosis, health management, tracking for epidemics and disease control, etc.

MDG 4, 5,6

ICTs + Natural Resource management

Greater opportunities for better management of community resources also avoid environmental degradation and natural disasters using GIS tools

MDG 7


Thank-You !Thank-You !

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