Will Ghana Be Able To Fully Utilise ICT

To Create Business Opportunities?

In spite of the growing adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) policies and less expensive sophisticated technology, Ghana is unable to capitalise on ICT to maximum advantage as a tool for enhancing living standards, creating new business opportunities and cross border linkages within the continent.

Those were part of the concerns of Mr. Alan Kyeremateng, one time Minister of Trade, Industry and Presidential Special Initiative in the NPP government. He expressed these concerns during the launching of the 6th Industry and Technology Exhibition (INDUTECH) in Accra, with the theme: “Transforming Ghana's Industrial Sector through ICT”. The launch was made during the NPP regime. He explained further that linkages with the global markets have been similarly constrained, although many countries in Africa have started ICT policy reforms and service penetration. However, quality and tariffs have not yet improved.

It is very evident in Ghana that poor ICT infrastructure, coupled with weak policy and regulatory framework and limited human resources, have resulted in inadequate access to affordable information gadgets such as computers, telephones and the internet.

Mr. Kyeremateng stressed in his address that the rapid advances in technology and the diminishing cost of acquiring new ICT tools have opened new windows of opportunity for Ghana and Africa as a whole to accelerate their development and economic growth. The goal of achieving common sub-regional markets (ECOWAS and AU) can benefit immensely from the revolution of information technology.

What then is ICT? It is an acronym that stands for Information and Communication Technology. ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form through personal computers, digital television, email and robots.

What should Ghana do to overcome ICT problems? My suggestion is that the government must make an effort to establish two or more centres in every region where schools can come in turns to have classes in ICT. The public schools must have equal opportunities as the private schools to partake in ICT classes

Prof. Mills and the NDC government did not rest on their oars. They continued with the promotion of ICT from where the NPP government left off. During his trips abroad, he fervently sought for ICT partners and help in that direction. The response was positive and spontaneous. A team of ICT specialists from the U.S.A calling themselves, "Gonna Go Ghana" (3Gs) received much acclamation and praise for providing computers, furniture, projectors and educational materials for an ICT centre which they built at St. Joseph Junior High school in the Talansi Nabdam District in the Upper East region. The centre was supposed to serve 18 schools and staff of government departments.

The government has also built an ICT centre at Asasetre in the Ellembelle district in the Western region at the cost of 60,000NGC. Nkoranza North Assembly is also planning to build an ICT centre and a library at Busunya in the Brong Ahafo Region. Bolgatanga Polytechnic has inaugurated an ICT centre, thanks to the contributions from students and staff of the institution.

The regional Minister of Brong Ahafo has commissioned an ICT library at Baabianeha in the region. He said the government will continue to encourage private development partners in their contribution towards educating the youth in Information and Communication Technology.

The Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr. Attuquaye Armah, has assured Ghanaians that the nation's ICT will be reviewed to bring in more government participation and strengthened to meet changing developmental objectives and priorities and also to respond to changes in the global economy and advances in technological environment.

There must be continuous ICT exhibitions to create interest and awareness for Ghanaians on the importance of ICT. Already INDUTECH attracts over 500 local companies and about 100 foreign ones. Ghana mostly targets countries with advanced technologies such as the U.S.A, Britain, and Japan and other sub-regional countries like Togo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Liberia.

Ghana is aspiring to become an internet and communication hub for West Africa and today the country's internet connectivity offers much more including instant access to messages, browsing through hypertext, links, access to news groups on thousands of subjects and even video transfers. This is an ambition that is lacking in other countries in West Africa. Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Senegal, for instance, do not have the same things that Ghana offers when it comes to connectivity.

Ghana is on the right path, but the major drawback is the duty imposed on computer components. The president of the Association of Ghana Industries, Mr. Prince Kofi Kludjeson, (perhaps the doyen of computer technology in Ghana - he set up the first private computer company in Ghana in Adabraka, Accra), has expressed serious concerns on this matter saying, "our worry is the limitation of the scope of computer assembling and the consequent effect on employment." He continued that despite some positive response to this by the Kufuor government, not enough, comprehensive promotion has been made so far, thus access to a personal computer and design of software still remains a dream to small and medium scale entrepreneurs."

Mr. Kludjeson concluded that, given the context of global economy, a strong, reliable, resilient ICT infrastructure would be critical to the realisation of the goals to Industrial Reform and Accelerated Growth Programme.

It is my view that future INDUTECH exhibitions must be marketed abroad if this has not been done in the past. This suggestion may be a departure from previous approaches, but it will underline a paradigm of economic democracy where more countries than before will be able to attend.

Marketing INDUTECH abroad will create an opportunity for ICT companies to showcase and demonstrate their potential in both soft and hard ware and the opportunities that they can offer to Ghanaian Industrialists to improve their operations.

Written by Stephen Atta Owusu

Author: Dark Faces At Crossroads

Email: stephen.owusu@email.com