International Conference on ICT for Africa

"Africa missed the industrial revolution, we can't afford to stand aside and let the communication revolution go by too" Felix Houphouet Boigny

This statement, a warning since 1987 from former Ivory Coast President Felix Houphouet Boigny, to his countrymen, points to the fundamental need for African Nations to make every effort to be part of today information age. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) and The Louisiana Board of Regents, we are pleased to announce ICT Africa 2008. This conference will bring together a fine mix of practitioners and academicians in the area of ICTs for sustainable development.

There is a growing body of research that point to the critical role of information and communication technologies(ICT) in improving the socio-economic and political status of developing nations in general and sub-Saharan Africa(SSA) in particular. Such technologies have indeed been penetrating the SSA region at an exponential rate. For example, SSA has the fastest growth rates in wireless (cellular) telephone penetration. 

Despite this apparent growth of ICTs, there appears to be lacking a coherent policy formulated to direct the growth of ICTs in such a manner as to sustain and reap the benefits of these technologies.

ICT for Africa 2008 seeks to act as an opportune forum for policy-makers, scholars and business leaders to exchange ideas about the critical role of ICTs in improving the socio-economic and political status of developing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa. This year’s conference, titled ‘Sustaining Africa's Socio-economic Renaissance’, intends to expose the attendees to the practice-oriented outcomes of current empirical research in ICT Transfer to Developing Nations. The objective is to translate such research into practical applications for policy makers and practitioners to make well-informed decisions in the context of their countries.

In this respect, I appreciate your participation to enrich the diversity of perspectives and content presented. Topics that will be covered include, but not limited to, the use of ICTs in education, healthcare delivery, business and for development in the Sub-Saharan African context. I believe that your invaluable experience, insight and comments will add to what is potentially a very important discussion for developing nations.

Prof. Victor Mbarika