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THE World is to double its commitment for ICT infrastructure in Africa to USD 2 billion over the next five years to support the lagging continent catch up with the rest of the world in broadband connectivity, Rwanda News Agency reports.
"I am happy to announce here today that in order to achieve the goals for the Connect Africa Summit, the World Bank is prepared to double that (previous financing) commitment over the next five years and provide up to $2billion for ICT infrastructure development in Africa", Dr. Hartwig Schafer, WB Director of Operations - Africa Region told the high-powered summit in Kigali.
Up to 900 delegates including six African Presidents, 53 ICT ministers and 19 IT companies were in Rwanda for the prized summit that the International Telecommunications Union has labelled as the 'Marshall Plan for ICT infrastructure development in Africa'.
Mr. Schafer said the World Bank has availed $1 billion for the past years supporting governments and the private sector to put up various infrastructures. The Bank is financing part of the cost for the $253 million EASSy cable and a host of other connectivity initiatives.
He said the Bank would also partner with Universities, regional regulatory associations, and IT institutions to offer training and capacity development for regulatory staff across Africa.
Meanwhile, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade said Africa needs to reform itself to eradicate the barriers that have left it with no tangible development despite billions of dollars invested by the donor community.
Mr. Wade caused a stir when he said, "with the $2 billion and no reform in our systems", he may be at the next summit saying the same words because there risked to be no tangible development.
Rwanda President Paul Kagame, who opened the summit, expressed concern that African broadband projects have remained on the "drawing board for much too long" and it was time to make them a reality.
Mr. Kagame said Africa needs to harmonise its IT regulatory framework to attract mega investments, build capacity and ICT related training and make high speed broadband connectivity reach out to all African communities.
Africa is living a contradiction that must be corrected, Mr. Kagame said, because despite quick cell phone propagation and availability of roaming services, cheap broadband internet was taking to long to reach African consumers.
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