Africa’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deficit is a major brake on its
development prospects. Africa lags behind the rest of the world in the reach and quality of
its ICT penetration. Investment in the order of $3 billion a year will be required to address
this. The private sector has served the continent well in providing ICT infrastructure and this
should be further encouraged. However, the limited incentives to invest in rural areas call for
innovative thinking. Smaller, local initiatives may be of use in this respect. Africa also faces
the problem of affordability – as much as ICT infrastructure may become available, it will
count for little if Africa’s population is unable to use it. This calls for strategic and prudent
policy interventions.
