President Banda said the exchange of and access to information and knowledge through the use of ICTs has contributed to development of many countries in Africa .
He said ICTs have the potential to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich nations in the world, adding that it would be to the advantage of the African countries to embrace the ICTs in their quest to develop further.
He said this in a speech read on his behalf by Vice President George Kunda, at the official opening of the e-learning Africa Conference at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
This is the fifth international conference on ICT for development, education and training in Africa and is being attended by over 1,700 delegates, out of which 700 are Zambians.
President Banda said Zambia now has a better opportunity to develop because of many ICT strategies which she is employing.
He pointed out that Zambia has already adopted the e-government, e-commerce and now the e-learning among other.
He added that the laying of the optic fibre was one measure that is aimed at easing the use of ICTs in Zambia.
The President further said ICTs can help to significantly grow the economy, which is a precondition to national development.
President Banda also said the national ICT policy which government launched would help the country achieve its vision 2030 and will contribute towards attaining the Millennium Development gals by 2015.
He has since urged player in the development of ICTs to provide cheaper by reliable services that would be afforded by many citizens in developing countries.
The President also urged multilateral organizations and others participating in the conference to consider promoting e-learning further after attending the conference in Lusaka.
Earlier, Minister of Education, Dora Siliya said Zambia has scored a lot of successes in the ICT sector, citing the laying of the optic fibre as one of the main successes the country has achieved.
Ms. Siliya said the launching of the video conferencing equipment by President Banda yesterday was another milestone in the development of ICTs in Zambia.
The video conferencing equipment links he University of Zambia and the Copperbelt University.
Meanwhile, a clergyman from Gambia in West Africa, Tilewa Johnson, warned African societies that ICTs can be both a blessing and a curse depending on how it is handled.
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Quelle/Source: Lusaka Times, 27.05.2010
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