Best Practices

Newsletter 16

ICT Instrumental for Development

The world economy is experiencing the effects of rapid globalization and liberalization as well as the impact of the emerging information age.  The prediction in this will bring about a new global economic order to be dominated by information and information age knowledge - based economies.

Like other developing countries, Ethiopia is facing new challenges to her socio-economic development as a result of the emerging information age characterized by information and communication technologies /ICTs/.

The crucial role that ICTs can play in facilitating and accelerating socio-economic development has been reorganized world wide.  And Ethiopia like other countries is equally placed to  take  advantage  of  these technologies to facilitate   its socio-economic development process.

With a per capita income of 100 dollars, Ethiopia stands amongst the poorest countries in the world.  The Government of Ethiopia has therefore placed poverty alleviation on top of the development agenda and is determined to make use of information and communications technologies /ICTs/ as a tool in its fight against poverty.  This is mainly because ICTs can directly or indirectly benefit the poor by providing ready accessibility to knowledge and information that is critical for combating poverty including hunger, malnutrition, ignorance, unemployment, ill-health, and regional disparities, among others.  

Not only does Ethiopia consider ICTs as an indispensable means to alleviate poverty but also considers it as a major tool for facilitating the on-going state transformation which is aimed at effective and efficient service delivery and consolidating democratic values, good governance and democracy.

The government has taken steps to address some of the challenges it faces in rolling out its ICT for development agenda.  For instance, the government is taking measures to prepare the general public for the information communication revolution which is swarming the whole world.

To be part of the net-worked world, which is turned out to be a village Ethiopia has taken various major steps to build an ICT driven economy and information and knowledge based society.

Up until recently ICT has little or no impact in the lives of Ethiopians.  Therefore, the first measure taken to harness the benefits of ICT to transform the economy form an agriculture-based to a knowledge-based economy, and for the country to take part in an internet-based global economy. The National ICTs for Development /ICT4D/ policy was prepared          to facilitate socio-economic development process as well as serve as a guide for comprehensive development of the sector.  Further institutional framework has taken place with the foundation of Information and Communications Technology Development Agency /EICTDA/ in 2003.  The government of Ethiopia as part of its ICT4D process is currently implementing a number of major projects and initiatives including the Public Sector Capacity Building /PSCAP/, the Ethiopian school net project, woreda-net project and E-government programs, among others.

The government attaches major importance to a broad ICT program in achieving its socio-economic development goals and objectives as well as for efficient and effective service delivery to the public. 

In the public sector capacity building /PSCAP/ the government is moving towards computerization and expansion of ICT - based solution and application across all sectors.  In this aspect the government gears towards networking each and every institution and the implementation is undergoing.

These initiatives are all aimed at capacity building at federal and regional levels with focus on institutional transformation and human resource development.  Indeed, PSCAP is contributing to the realization of capacity building using ICT as a tool targeting institutional and human resources development.

The government in its effort to bridge digital gap between urban and rural communities, provides knowledge and information to every citizen and give the lowest level of government with accurate and timely woreda - net project which is under implementation.   According to Asefa Alemayehu, Public Relations Section Head, with the Agency so far 611 rural Woredas are beneficiaries of internet.  

Text Box: Asefa Alemayehu

 This terrestrial and satellite-based network has made easier video conferencing, internet connectivity, voice services among others at the federal, regional and the grassroots level.  Wereda-net has made time consuming and laborious way of correspondence between the central government and Weredas and Kebeles history. Now professional, government officials and the general public are not expected to come to Addis Ababa for a routine duty.  Video conferencing has made communication faster and easier.

The school net project is also one of the activities that are undertaken by the agency.  The broad objectives of the initiative are to:Text Box: Asefa Alemayehu  

  • effectively develop and utilize ICT to facilitate teaching and learning in Ethiopian schools,

  • ensure ICT and other educational delivery technologies are developed to manage the teaching-learning process,

  • promote and facilitate access to educational services and resources. 

In collaboration with the Ministry of Education the Agency has enabled nearly 570 secondary schools all over the nation to have access to school net.

A full fledged school net program is expected to support the teaching learning process using the internet in additional 200 schools.

The ability of the state to perform effectively is central to the challenging demands of the private sector and civil society, as well as that of a networked world.  At present the quality of public services in Ethiopia is extremely poor.  It is characterized by cumbersome procedures, long delays in service delivery to clients.

To improve administrative efficiency, effectiveness and productivity as well as information provision, reduce administrative costs of federal and regional governments to serve citizens to obtain services and interact better with the government machinery the ongoing ICTs networking plays crucial role. 

To synergies between these various ongoing national ICTs initiatives and others the coordination of ICT4D intervention and initiatives aimed at implementing its policy besides the governments efforts every stakeholder has to contribute in achieving the final goal.  It is then that ICTs contribute to the multifaceted capacity building program and for development, good governance and democratization process of Ethiopia.