Many experts have said that trade is the solution for Africa to develop.

I could not agree more.

The biggest challenge facing Uganda and Africa as a whole is engaging their people in the global marketplace and thereby unlocking their true potential.

Furthermore, there is no doubt that the ability to transfer and process information quickly, conveniently and cost-effectively has become a prerequisite for economic growth and global competitiveness. That trade now depends solely on the adoption and integration of modern forms of communication and information.

With developed nations dominating ICT and Uganda lagging behind, this leaves the country at a huge disadvantage.

Home to 26 million people, Uganda has just 200,000 computers, around 1.2 million have access to phones, according to a recent report from Makerere University.

And these numbers are concentrated in the capital city, Kampala.

For the rural population living on less than $1 a day, the information revolution has completely bypassed them.

No country can avoid embracing the information age if it wants to be competitive.

within the international arena.

I have heard people argue that ICTs are expensive, a luxury in Africa. Issues such as food security, clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education continue to loom. Is it realistic to talk about ICT in these circumstances?

Kathy Foley of Nua Internet Surveys summed up the dilemma pretty well:

“The problems of the developing world are not one-dimensional… For these countries, it should not be a choice between food, housing and education on the one hand and access to communication technologies on the other. If they only get the technology, they will pass hunger. If they only manage to feed and house their citizens without developing adequate communications infrastructure, these countries will always be “Third World” as they will never be able to compete fairly with industrialized countries. A holistic approach is needed.”

Holistic obviously sounds good, but how will it work in practice?

Here are some suggestions

Information kiosks with posters, videos and literature in local languages ​​can be set up where people can access information that is relevant to them.

Public phones could be installed in shopping malls: farmers could use the phones to get information from a local businessman about prices at various local farmers’ markets, rather than relying, as they do, on the word of the middleman.

Rural hospitals can connect to the Internet and the few doctors there can email X-rays and lab results to their counterparts in larger hospitals for consultation.

In all these cases it is important that the private sector extend its services to these areas, and the government should give it incentives to do so.

The role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and civil society should also help raise ICT awareness in rural Africa.

Now the hard questions…

How exactly will digital infrastructure help African economies grow? What will make water pumps or good roads can’t?

Where will the skills (technical and managerial) to operate an improved digital infrastructure come from?

How will African economies grow to enable them to service the digital infrastructure? Why is it going to be different this time? Why don’t they say that a billion dollars invested in ICT becomes the digital equivalent of bumpy roads?

How will African governments and external funders prevent a large “scoop” of funds from “wandering” into the hands of corrupt officials or politicians?

We want it to work, but we’re still haunted by these questions. If you can provide them with answers, please go to [http://www.pushaz.com] and leave your answers. A prize (still to be effective) will be awarded to the best contribution.