The World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies is concerned with regulation and governance for network economies. We conduct research, facilitate online dialogue and discussion among experts, and publish and distribute papers, reports and other relevant information. The dialogue theme for the current research cycle is "Indicators and Benchmarks of Performance in ICT Development".
A word to the G8 Print E-mail
Written by Victor van Reijswoud & Amy Mahan   
Monday, 04 June 2007
Article Index
A word to the G8
Hopeton S. Dunn
Heloise Emdon
Godfred Frempong
Anders Henten
Seán Ó Siochrú
Victor van Reijswoud
John Chrysostom Alintuma Nsambu
Edward Baliddawa
Ismael Peña-López
Willie Currie
John Chrysostom Alintuma Nsambu, MP
Minister of State for ICT, Uganda Government

As Minister of State for ICT in Uganda, I insist that nothing meaningful and sustainable is going to happen in Uganda (and Africa in general) until we provide access to technology to a larger part of our population. This population is our youth in Primary, Secondary Schools and Universities. By "Access to Technology", I mean basic very things, including teaching our children how to use the keyboard and to hold the mouse.

In the past, donor countries and governments have been using the excuse of lack of electricity in the rural areas as one of the reasons why 82% of our population cannot access technology.

Now that solar/battery PCs have been "invented" and made affordable, it will be challenging for each one of us to use the same execuses.

The G8 Members need to understand that their sons and daughters learned two things during their student days: to use the keyboard and to hold the mouse.

Anybody dreaming of promoting ICT in Africa without that basic foundation amongst our children will never succeed.