African Countries Urged to Utilize ICT Opportunities

APA-Accra (Ghana) Africa has continued to be poor because it has failed to utilize opportunities in technological development, the president of Ghana Telecom University in Accra said on Thursday.

Osei Danquah was speaking at the opening of the third e-Learning Africa Conference in Accra.

He called on African countries to marshall their forces to promote the use of information communication technology (ICT) to reduce poverty on the continent.

The time has come for Africa to explore the full potentials of ICT to enable it compete favourably on the international market to move its people out of poverty, he said.

"We need to re-consider the ancient way of providing education and turn attention to modern ones where technology plays pivotal role," he said.

Danquah said for Africa to take her rightful role in the world economy its youth must be computer literate and abreast of the current technologies.

He expressed the hope that education ministries in Africa will promote the e-Learning programme to enhance access to education for all through wide area networks to help reduce poverty in Africa.

e-Learning Africa targets universities, scientific institutions, higher education institutions, schools, as well as small scale and medium enterprises in the development of ICT.

Posted to the site on 30th May 2008