IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The leaders' session began with a demonstration of the difference in speed between 4G LTE and a 3G network; the 4G reached 90mbps while the 3G was still at 0.5mpbs. The difference, according to Rwanda's Minister of Youth and ICT, would allow students to livestream classes therefore being directly beneficial to students education and countries' development.

President Kagame speaking to participants and those watching live from across Africa and the world, said that in Rwanda, ICT was viewed as an utility like water or electricity and investing in ICT had led to tangible gains in all sectors.

"ICT has the potential to boost our economy and to improve the living standards of our people. We want to equip the African youth with these technologies and accelerate our development because we believe that success belongs to those who can innovate and those who seize the available opportunities. We are here from all sectors to forge partnerships that will benefit all our people. Let us expound on specific ways that we can leverage ICTs and work together to transform our continent during this interaction."

President Ali Bongo that although Africa has many priorities, ICT is a top priority now:

"ICT can make us take the biggest jump into the twenty first century. ICT makes information not only available but also affordable, and presents opportunities, among them e-government, e-education, e-health. I think the starting point should be education, if we are to transform the lives of Africans. That's why in my point of view, the One Laptop per Child program is very important and should be extended to all African countries and made one of the priorities of the African union."

President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan said by partnering with neighbouring countries, his country which is the newest nation in Africa, would strive to catch up with others in the endeavor to transform the lives of the citizens of South Sudan.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta of Mali underscored the importance of Africans embracing ICT as a tool for transformation. "We are lucid, not asleep when it comes to what ICT can do for our lives."

President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso emphasised that with the enthusiasm and will of African leaders like President Kagame, this transformation led by ICT was possible.

President Uhuru Kenyatta congratulated Rwanda for the tremendous advancement in the ICT sector and said:

"The true and single driver that will propel us from a developing to a developed world in the shortest time possible is to recognise that the railway lines and seaways of yesterday, is broadband today. Broadband gives us the ability to leapfrog and catch up with the rest of the world. Broadband gives us the capacity to bring minds, innovation and create opportunity for our people."

President Museveni said for ICT to be useful to people, it has to be relevant to their lives:

"ICT must help agriculture and other fundamental sectors like industry and services for it to be a relevant tool. ICT is not only a facilitator but also a sector in itself. If we have to avoid problems, we have to integrate ICT in the entire economy, because making it a standalone sector would lead to problems."

Speaking before the leaders' session, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) pointed out that only Africans can transform Africa and that this is what the Transform Africa Summit was about:

"The leaders here today dared to dream, shared their dreams with their people and it became a vision. It is time to move from mobile revolution to broadband revolution."

Jean Philippe Prosper, Vice President of the International Finance Corporation for Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean said IFC was committed to partnering with Africa to invest in ICT as one of the key economic drivers. He cited ICT as one of the reasons Rwanda is ranked by the World Bank as one of the best places to do business in the world; Rwanda jumped from 54 to 32 in the world in 2014 rankings.

Lee Suk-chae, the Chairman of Korea Technology, said that for Africa to finance the broadband revolution, public-private partnerships were key. "These partnerships are beneficial to everyone and will make Africa competitive at a global level."

In 2007, Rwanda and the ITU hosted "Connect Africa", a conference that aimed to champion broadband connectivity. Since then, broadband connectivity has greatly increased and global ICT trends are now driven by innovation that is largely boosted by Internet and mobile technology. The Transform Africa Summit aims to bring together all stakeholders to answer two key questions concerning where Africa is today in regard to resolutions set during Connect Africa in 2007 and how Africa can leverage broadband to transform communities, governments and the private sector.

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Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 29.10.2013

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