KIGALI - Experts have urged African governments to promote Information Communication Technology (ITC) mechanisms for rural Africans who have never seen a computer or made a telephone call have to access global digital services.

The experts are set to present a policy paper to African Information Communication Ministers today ahead of this weekend’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ‘Connect Africa’ Summit at the Serena Hotel in Kigali.

In the paper finalised on Thursday after a two-day technical workshop at Hotel Alpha Palace, experts said Governments should establish and provide mechanisms to empower communities and citizens to ensure local ownership of ICT development entities.

The paper puts particular emphasis on national ICT policies, regulations for public and community based access.

African ICT policymakers and other stakeholders from over sixteen countries said that the shift from policy development to implementation is the best way to quickly achieve such deal.

They believe that most countries have policies on ICT but remain unimplemented
ICT ministers will discuss the paper today and present it to their Heads of State meeting due October 29-30.

The ministers, whose meeting start today at Kigali Serena Hotel, will present to the ten presidents expected to attend the summit on Monday.
The summit will examine key success factors for ICT investment and development. 

It will also identify areas for collaboration to expand broadband backbone infrastructure and access networks, using innovative business and financing models like infrastructure-sharing.

State Minister for Energy and Telecommunication, Eng. Albert Butare, who presided over the official opening of the debate, said a lot would be discussed and adopted.

"We expect to take concrete issues and discuss the possible funding sources for the implementation of the activities agreed upon during the past meetings,” Butare said.

The summit is organised in collaboration with a number of stakeholders, donors, governments and the African Union (AU).

Esam Abulkhirat, the ICT senior Policy Officer in the Human Resource, Science and Technology Department of the AU Commission, said the core issue was to raise awareness among stakeholders, specifically targeting decision-makers including Heads of State and ministers.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has given full support to the initiative, spearheaded by ITU and the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID).

About 500 participants are expected at attend the meeting.

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