With the enthusiasm that the technology plays in promoting social change and improving development results across the African continent, it is easy to forget that only 11% of Internet subscribers worldwide are African , while only 35.2% of Africans use the Internet.
I believe that for any national and international science and innovation system to be effective, a solid basic research and higher education infrastructure is required. In addition to knowledge creation, basic research infrastructures, human resources development and applications are essential.
However, during the development and management of research activities and the application of their results, both researchers and those responsible for research and innovation need information. These needs must be met for scientists and the scientific innovation system to operate correctly.
Africa is imposing itself on the development of information and communication technologies, also promoted by mobile broadband, even some Nigerian people like playing online casino games like those provided by bettingsites.ng; However, there are also worrying trends, such as the widening of the digital divide between men and women, and between rural and urban areas.
While organizations must eliminate the barriers that contribute to the digital divide, I also believe that we must support an initiative in favor of combining low-tech-based approaches with high-tech solutions to allow citizens to access fundamental information that can help improve their lives and contribute to our mission of connecting those who are not.
One of the key moments was the acceptance of the fact that technology can allow marginalized communities to access fundamental information at an unprecedented rate and scale. What we have left to do to digital ambassadors like me is to raise awareness about how this information can be used correctly and, at the same time, urge organizations to integrate technology-based approaches into their programs to maximize their benefits. However, in doing so, it is important to assess how these approaches can be combined with methodologies based on low technologies, which have already proven to be effective.
In terms of numbers and scope, mobile telephony is the predominant in the developing countries of the African continent. However, we can also reconsider the new low-cost technologies in those cases in which the use of white television band can offer an opportunity to connect the world population. Google and Microsoft are already trying to conquer the new white-band market in Africa. Since the waves can travel within a radius of up to 10 kilometers, it is a perfect solution for the most remote populations that do not have a connection.
The session on digital inclusion revived my interest in continuing to fight for the continent. There were several sessions in which the problems of Africa were discussed. Taking into account that the desire to contribute to the digital growth of my country is still alive, governments and international organizations for the development of Africa can also strengthen public-private collaboration in the investment in ICT services and infrastructure related to those services.
I believe that we also need to intensify the work on ICT training at all levels of the education system, particularly in rural areas, and with special emphasis on girls, another initiative that I will support starting with my own country, Nigeria. This is one of the problems that have been neglected, but that requires a change of focus.