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Taking ICT to Rural FolksApr 02, 2010 (Daily Trust/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- All over the world, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is fast dictating the pace of development. From communication to banking, education to defence, oil and gas as well as health and agriculture, electronic technology has become the norm. In Nigeria, access to ICTs remains low in spite of liberalisation of the sector ten years ago. In many part of Africa where the rural population constitutes 70 percent of the entire population, people don't have interest in investing in businesses there not to mention in terms of ICT, Chief Executive Officer of the Common Wealth Telecommunications (CTO), Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbra said. The CTO where Nigeria is a member also estimate that only 10 percent (10 million) of Nigeria's 140 million population have access to the internet. In this scenario, the rural dwellers that constitute the bulk of the people are either totally cut off or under served in terms of ICT. The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), a federal government agency affiliated to the National Communications commission (NCC) says it is determined to provide ICT access for all especially the agrarian rural dwellers. The Universal Service Fund is a global phenomenon with over 50 countries as signatory to an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agreement to set aside funds to provide access to technology to the citizenry of their country. USPF is the Nigerian organ with that responsibility. It is funded by the government and a percentage of the in country telecoms operators revenue contribution. The USPF has a five- year strategic plan 2007 - 2011 which consists of five broad goals to promote the widespread availability and usage of network and applications services throughout Nigeria. Between 2007 till date under the School Access Programme (SAP), 438 secondary schools benefitted 100 units of classmate computers each along with two units of printers, one 5KVA generator and wireless internet connectivity, the USPF said. Additional 327 schools were proposed for 2009 but it was not clear if they have been delivered. Over 70 public owned tertiary institutions have also benefitted from the project. It has over the years also provided subsidy for GSM operators to build shared infrastructures in un-served communities across the country. In such areas, network operators do not considers investing in them because of low profitability from the poor. Two workshops have been held this year; the first in Ibadan, Oyo state and the second took place in Yola Adamawa state. At the Ibadan forum, a collective commitment of stakeholders and the USPF was made that 10 million people would be trained in ICT by the USPF. This would be done using the train-the-trainers technique. USPF Director/Secretary, Mr Funsho Fayomi said in Ibadan that the forums were "bottom up" approach to establish the ICT needs of the locals in the regions. Tailor made projects would then be fashioned to address them as it relate to their environment. The consultative meeting was attended by community and opinion leaders, union and cooperative leaders in the South West geopolitical zone. A replica of the consultative forum was also held in Yola for the North East geopolitical zone. Same would be repeated in other four regions, USPF said. Head of the information Technology unit of the USPF, Engr. Bako Wakil said the agency has embarked on ICT intervention across the country since 2007. Challenges however stare the organisation in the face. The greatest challenges of achieving the goal of ICT for all in Nigeria bother on security, bandwidth, training, management, and power. The USPF said it is working on a partnership to deal with these issues. Teachers in schools especially in rural areas are mostly not ICT trained. The USPF intervention only offer training to two teachers in each school to superintend the facilities. These teachers are subject to transfer to other schools rendering the ICT equipment underutilized. One year cost of bandwidth connectivity is paid for by the USPF along side with a 5KVA power generator. The school management is hardly able to afford the fuel and bandwidth cost for sustainability. Participants from Taraba state had disputed USPF claims that ICT centers have been established across all states. They said they had never seen on in their state. Daily Trust however leant that much of the projects in the North-East were not concluded on schedule due to the failure of contractors. The contracts were later revoked by the USPF board. They are to be implemented soon, Daily Trust learnt. "Protection of the ICT infrastructure already deployed across the country. We have cases where the infrastructure installed in schools have been either stolen or vandalized or carelessly handled and destroyed," Fayomi had said. Daily Trust findings show that a secondary school in Edo state had 100 computers stolen within months of installation. The school's name is Iheivbe Secondary School, Iheivbe located in Owan East Local government of the state. Months later, a letter from the school's principal came to the USPF, intimating the management that all 100 class mate laptop computers have been stolen including a five KVA power generator and a broadband wireless internet connectivity facility. Daily Trust also learnt that a senator requested the USPF to extend the ICT project to a particular school in his constituency. Few weeks later, the school's principal told the USPF he could not guarantee the safety of the equipment. Instead, he recommended another school. That put a final stop to the school benefiting. To have sustainability, community ownership need to be incorporated into rural ICT connectivity, Mr Ekwow had advocated. It could be a 25%/75% arrangement to be able to fight off "government property is no body's property," syndrome. By so, doing the community knowing they have a stake in terms of profit returns would be given to collective care and protection of the facilities. This was the collective resolve at both forums. Potential of African telecoms is quite recognised. The CTO Chief Executive Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah believes that danger signs do not put off those who believe in the future profitability of the African ICT sector and the continents untapped markets. Speaking on "Financing models for rural connectivity: Examples from around the world," Garbrah said critical investments in African infrastructure has been led by the private Sector and this is projected to hit $50 billion from GSM Operators by 2012. International Community backing includes EU Trust Fund for Africa - a100 million in grants plus a260 million for loans for 2007 - 2008. World Bank - Doubling Commitment to African ICT to billion by 2012, African Development Bank - increase its financing of infrastructure by 60% over the next three years. A total of $308.6 million has been spent by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Commonwealth Africa for investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector development in the last five years. The expenditure was through its Global ICTs Department (GICT) on the continent, which has benefited countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, among others. Nigeria led the pack with $135m through MTN Nigeria, followed by Ghana via Areba with $40m and Cameroon's Orange network receiving $13.6m, while multi-nation beneficiaries came through Celtel, now Zain, between 1994 and 2008. According to 2003 statistics by the ITU, a total of 972 people used the internet per 1, 000 globally. Internet is only an aspect of ICT. Africa recorded the least of all- 100 whereas North America recorded the highest-5, 322. Developed countries put together averaged 3, 330 per 1000. This clearly shows that Africa has a lot of working to do in terms of ICT penetration of the populace to be able to catch up with the rest of the world. If properly harnessed, the creativity and entrepreneurship of Nigerians could be used to make ICTs an engine for economic and social development. There are immense opportunities derivable from e -education, e-health, e-commerce, e-security, e-government e-socials etcetera. |