Africa behind developed world in ICT fields

A new report by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which measures and compares levels of advancement in information and communications technologies in different countries, puts most developing nations – specifically in Africa – significantly behind their developed counterparts.

The report entitled “Measuring the Information Society” uses an index to measure the performance of different countries – based on data gathered in 2007 – on several criteria, including access of the population to computers and fixed line, mobile and internet services. It also takes into account various educational and ICT skill factors, such as literacy rates and levels of education.

Key to the findings of the report are measurements of development and advancement in the ITC sector for countries measured over a 5 year period, as results are compared to a similar benchmark report done in 2002.

According to the ITU report, Mauritius at no. 62 is the highest ranking African country in the report, with mobile cellular penetration of nearly 75% and fixed broadband penetration of 5%.

The continent’s largest economy – South Africa – slipped ten places from its 2002 position to no. 87, with little headway being made in providing wider internet access to its broader population. At the time of the survey in 2007, only 4.8% of South African households had internet access.

Other African countries covered by the report include Egypt (ranked no. 94), Gabon (no. 107), Botswana (no. 109), Ghana (no. 114), Kenya (no. 116), and Nigeria (no. 130).

Nine of the top 10 ranked countries are in the European region, with Korea bucking the trend in the no. 2 spot.

The fact that the poorest countries in the world all occupy the lowest rank positions in the index highlights a few key issues worth noting:

Firstly, there seems to be a direct correlation between the size and robustness of a country’s economy and its advancements in information and communications technology fields.

Second, this situation is likely to deteriorate further over time, as the opposite also holds true – advanced ICT infrastructure improves productivity, competitiveness and global and trade, and therefore bolsters a country’s economy.

Thirdly, education levels in a country and advances made in ICT fields are directly related.

It is therefore clear that if Africa is to close the digital divide gap, it needs a greater focus on infrastructure development and education. This cannot happen in a vacuum, and will require the developed world to step in with assistance in the forms of sharing of knowledge and technologies, and support for infrastructure development in the form of direct foreign investment.

— All statistical data provided by the International Telecommunications Union. Usage of this data is subject to copyright and unauthorized use by third parties is prohibited. For more information on the report “Measuring the Information Society” and the ITU, please visit www.itu.int.