Building a successful IT sector

Editor, Many thanks Alline for the interesting article (Prepare for the apps revolution by Alline Akintore, published in The New Times Monday, February 6.) I am just a little bit puzzled by the “tech hub of the continent” citation.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Editor,Many thanks Alline for the interesting article (Prepare for the apps revolution by Alline Akintore, published in The New Times Monday, February 6.) I am just a little bit puzzled by the "tech hub of the continent” citation. I recognize the importance of having such big goal before eyes and being enthusiastic about it, but how does it look like practically? Do we have a strategy at national level? (I have searched online but could not find any more acurate information). Do we have the understanding of what are the tendencies in Africa? (for instance: are we aware of what Kenya and Uganda are doing? Are we taking that into consideration?) Are we using this knowledge, or better said, do we prove that we have this knowledge? Is there any analysis and research periodically produced by any IT-Institution in Rwanda?- If we are to be a hub of Africa (EAC left apart) do we know, how and when to create a value-added that will really entitle Rwanda-IT sector with an influence on the region?

If we have the answer to all of that, then we are starting to be a hub, if not, maybe we need to lean back and look at where we are now, since the investments in IT started (big-up to the gov’t of Rwanda), and identify a particular sub-sector and concentrate to build a concrete strategy around a project, with a time-frame and awaited results. Then after we can build up on this experience to reproduce the same success sector-wide.

 

Willy Banker