The Transformational Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Africa

Abstract

captures the existing use of ICT in six sectors (agriculture, climate change, education, health, financial services, government) and two cross-cutting themes (regional trade and integration, ICT competitiveness). It further examines the immediate potential that could be realized with further attention by both the private and public sectors and makes recommendations for policy makers and development practitioners. The detailed studies carried out for this report (available at www.eTransformAfrica. org) include twenty country case studies spanning the continent and an ICT data table that showcases country data for mobile and broadband indicators. The case studies show how ICTs can help overcome government failures in different sectors.This publication is the result of a collaboration between the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the African Union, and various authoring teams and their interactions with African entrepreneurs, farmers, health workers, and civil servants -all using ICT to make better decisions in their economic and social lives. This publication not only sheds light on the path Africa is already on, but also encourages continued creative thinking in how to utilize ICTs to benefit more Africans.

In Search of Local Knowledge on ICTs in Africa

“…Mbarika and Byrd (2009), Relhan et al (2011), Yonazi et al (2012), and Hare (2007 all used surveys with experts or case studies to show how ICTs are being used for improvements in service delivery. Relhan et al (2011) presented a breakdown of the potential for ICTs in various sectors (with a focus on service delivery), including economic development, intergovernmental fiscal relations, urban poverty, urban planning, climate change, and water and sanitation.…”

“…Relhan et al (2011) presented a breakdown of the potential for ICTs in various sectors (with a focus on service delivery), including economic development, intergovernmental fiscal relations, urban poverty, urban planning, climate change, and water and sanitation. Yonazi et al (2012) described specific case studies of ICT projects in various sectors (agriculture, climate change, education, financial services, health). Finally, Hare (2007) covered the example of WoredaNet in Ethiopia, which uses cable and satellite connections to connect Ethiopia's local councils to 11 regional capitals through internet telephone and videoconferencing, and also provides connectivity to other Ethiopian ICT initiatives.…”

“…Like much of the other literature reviewed, however, Moraa and her colleagues did not provide evidence that these technologies were having an impact on service delivery. E-governance (using ICTs to improve governance outcomes), e-government (increasing efficiency of government services through creation of publicly accessible online platforms), and mobile governance (m-governance) were also major themes in the literature (Atnafu et al 2011;Crandall and Mutuku 2011;Minishi-Majanja and Ondari-Okemwa 2009;Mitullah and Waema 2011;Mutula 2008;Pathak et al 2007;Pathak et al 2012;Rorissa and Demissie 2010;Singh et al 2010;Thomas et al 2010;Waema 2011;Yonazi et al 2012). Many of the pieces in this category, however, focused on measuring the e-readiness of towns and/or countries rather than evaluating the results of e-governance initiatives.…”

Factors Inhabiting ICTs usage among Farmers: Comparative Analysis from Pakistan and China

“…Agriculture is core of Punjab's economy, as it supplies nearly 68% in national grain produce annually. Cultivated land area of province is 51 million acres and above 9 million acres are in the cultivable waste form in various regions of province [13]. The 2 nd category of population comprises of Hebei province of China selected purposively as the study province, because of its locality extremely to north of Yellow River, is situated in north China and its climate is monsoon influenced with cold and dry winter, hot and humid summer.…”

Is there a role for Mobiles to support Sustainable Agriculture in Africa

“…There have been a number of recent efforts established towards this end. This includes a series of comprehensive publications that have argued the case for ICT4D services both within and beyond the agricultural sector, such as the World Bank's Agriculture eSourcebook [27] and Maximising Mobile [28], the African Development Bank's eTransform Africa [30], the International Telecommunication Union's The Role of ICT in advancing growth in LDCs [31], and CTA's comprehensive Smart Toolkit for evaluation of information projects, products and services, which is specifically targeted at field practitioners in developing countries [32]. As trends in mobile phone usage shift towards an increasing demand for data rather than for voice calls alone, MNOs and others are beginning to focus on improving their provision of data services.…”