NEPAD Council ICT Department

The global e-commerce revenue reached more than $10 trillion in 2006!
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are shrinking the world, making it possible for people from one part of the world to work for companies in other parts of the world without leaving their own countries. Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is significantly reducing the cost of voice communications for businesses and residences all over the world. Professional and academic courses can now be offered through electronic enabled distance learning and web casts. Educational institutions separated by thousands of kilometers can now share resources and offer common courses through video conferencing and e-lab programs. As an example, Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed an e-Labs program where Institutions from anywhere in the world may join the program and run laboratory sessions remotely. In many parts of the world, the cost and quality of research has been lowered through the use of the Internet as a research tool and the use of less expensive and easily accessible electronic journals.  

Unfortunately, these fast paced developments require high speed or broadband Internet access which is still out of reach of most Africans. Internet penetration, including traditional dial-up access, is only about 2% in Africa – the lowest in the world. There are only about 10 Internet exchange points which are isolated from one another. Only a handful of African countries have been able to deploy broadband access networks, which include mostly digital subscriber lines (DSL) and wireless broadband.

The NEPAD Council ICT Department is responsible for initiating projects to help accelerate the development of ICTs in Africa.