Second SWOPnet FORUM
ICT for Speedy Development
By Tibuhinda Ngonzi - Lecturer SAUT
CONTEXT
The information and communication technology (ICT) revolution represents a fundamental change that no less human society in the contemporary world can avoid. It is posing a change of basis for our economies, from the traditional physical assets to one that embraces knowledge as an important asset as well. This effect extends to our culture and social institutions. It is imperative therefore that to exploit the potential of ICT in a positive way, our human resource must be developed hand in hand with any efforts to promote ICT in our country.
We need to understand that the evolution of a world-wide information infrastructure presents both opportunities and challenges. The fast moving societies to make full use of this technology can reap enormous benefits through the acquisition and exploitation of knowledge and the opportunities for wealth creation it offers. On the other hand, those societies with very limited access are greatly disadvantaged by the lack of opportunity to exploit fully the developmental opportunities offered by ITC. The resulting information and technology and technology gap further widens the disparity between and within countries.
This paper therefore, sets out to try, though in a limited space of time, to highlight on some ICT's offer for our development in the area of Mwanza and it's surroundings and St. Augustine University's effort to first enhance and then reap its benefits.BACKGROUND
It is my belief that this forum appreciates the efforts so far manifested by the Government at the national level in progressing ICT industry in Tanzania. This begins with the recognition of ICT's potential in realizing the objectives of the Tanzania Development Vision 2025, articulated in 1998, then the formulation of the ICT policy which was approved by the cabinet in March 2003. The government begun by instituting the e-Think Tank, a body that brings together brains from diverse capacities to identify the benefits of ICT and suggest on the strategies that can be undertaken to tap them. This was later followed by the formation of the e-Secretariat at the ministerial level, the organ that coordinates the e-Think Tank's activities.
Tanzania has enjoyed favor of international organs and agencies like African Information Society Initiative (AISI), SIDA, UNDP, International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) Economic Commission for Africa among many others in assisting her to adapt and assimilate Information and Communication Technologies. These organs has sponsored studies, enhanced workshops and set forward other initiatives to organize ideas, mobilize resources and provide a lot of inputs for the Government of Tanzania either to act upon or use in its ICT oriented endeavors.ICT's POTENTIAL TO FOSTER DEVELOPMENT
ICT has a potential as a sector in itself to contribute to the nation's income. Hardware and software products are already commanding a big share the GDP's of many developed and some developing countries like India. Countries with tight gates for human resource immigration like Germany are providing green card to IT professionals from other countries especially India. In turn, India now is exporting human knowledge capital.
On the other hand, ICT is a factor input to other sectors for performance and efficiency. Actually it is now perceived to be essentially important in every sector viz. education, agriculture, tourism, health care, mining, business, manufacturing, government etc, etc.
Despite its potential, it is unfortunate to see that most of the initiatives with regard to ICT are evolving from the government, NGO's and some private companies but not the public at large.
It is not even clear as to what extent does the officials in different capacities support the implementation of ICT systems in a move to create transparency and information dissemination with the intention curbing corruption and foster accountability.
Having said that, it is evident then that for ICT to bring about a speedy development in the region as the theme of the forum states, all stakeholders in the region have to work hand in hand to integrate ICT into our culture.Our obligations include:
· Identifying areas for intervention in the development process where ICT can be deployed to exploit its opportunities either to spackle or accelerate development. This calls for envisioned people.
o It is worthwhile to mention here that, we can speed up development if every member or at least majority of the community in the region are given capacity to apply ICT and are participating in development activities. The youth can be equipped with this knowledge to gain employment opportunities, or it can be indicated to them that it is possible to integrate ICT in their small economic activities including entrepreneurship· Equipping the people in the region in different walks of life and different levels of education with ICT skills
ST AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA - SAUT
SAUT 's mission with regard to ICT is to position herself as a model user and hence a catalyst for ICT progress in the region.
Currently, efforts are underway to attract sponsors of a big ICT project at SAUT and her constituent colleges. When completed, the project will offer the University a modern computing center that will be capable of acting as a base for database management, data mining, learning, research and on-line training.
The University recognizes the big gap that exists between ICT and user's know how. It has therefore let its resources to;
· Creating awareness
o SAUT is ready to take every opportunity that will read to arousing awareness of ICT's benefits among the community not only in Mwanza region but countrywide. We are therefore open for invitation to forums of the same purpose like this one.
· Integrating ICT in the university's operations
o This include administration functions, learning/teaching process where we are focusing on starting from computer assisted instruction/learning to computer based instruction/learning.
· Bridging the skills gap
o We offer training opportunities to people around and in the region to gain computer and ICT literacy. Our fees are deliberately set low at a subsidized level in the interest of the poor as a way of empowering them for gaining employment and poverty eradication.
· Sustaining ICT
o The university has partnered with CISCO systems where SAUT is CISCO's Local Networking Academy. The academy is conducting a networking program that provide the students with the skills to design, build and maintain the internet infrastructure. This way the youth are empowered to gain employment and actively participate in the global digital economy. Again the fee is set at half what is charged at the University of Dar es Salaam with the intention of enhancing low income people and positively participate as a university in poverty alleviation.LIMITATIONS
The limitations faced are:
o Overall small skilled capacity in the country
o Unreliable, slow and yet costly connectivity
o Lack of rural network infrastructure tying training and internet access to few urban centers
o Misuse of internet. The youth use the gained knowledge on internet to surf music, pornography sites and chatting instead of using it productively
o Lack of local relevant informational material on the web
o Language barrier.CHALLENGES
1. Partnership
Partnership is an important factor for enhancing ICT leverage development in a big way. This is even more prominent in the education stream. For the universities to produce competent users and professionals of ICT their inputs need to have been built on a concrete early and secondary education foundation. This means they have to be prepared in ICT right from the early stage so as to make it possible for them to participate well in on campus or distance leaning effectively. This can help to broaden the band of youth joining university and other higher level education who are currently constrained by the shortage of facilities.
2. Computer Integration
Using the computer in every role as an integral part of the process not as a laboratory specimen. Students need to perceive a computer as a helper and aid to learning while teachers should use the computer as a tool for instruction delivery and management in other words a curriculum supporter.3. Outreaching
How to get ICT services to the people in rural lake zone where 80% of the Tanzanian population live who are the main contributor to GDP in the given scenario of low level local human capacity and absence of the necessary infrastructure!CONCLUSION
In conclusion, let me use this opportunity to say that significant benefits of ICT and the growth of ICT as a sector can be realized by combining the resources of the civil society, private and public. Let every member be active in eliminating the digital divide by developing affinity for this knowledge. In schools, we can start by looking for means of activating the now passive official secondary school computer studies syllabus for forms I - IV.[Home] [Leaders] [Noticeboard] [Activities] [Membership] [Achievements] [Constitution ][Photos] [News] [Links]