Ghana’s Community Information Centres Project On Course

Dr Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu, Member of the NASA Mars Rover Mission, US (Source: AP Photo/NASA, Bill Ingralls

By Mawutodzi K. Abissath

Shall we refresh our memory with this simple but tricky African proverb which says: “If your hair is dirty and you do not submit your head to a Barber, nobody will cut the hair for you.” To wit: “No initiative, no end result.”

Information and Communication Technology ICT has not only succeeded in transforming the world into a miniature community but has made it possible for mankind to be developing another dwelling place beyond the moon besides the planet Earth. But it seems to this author that the rate at which other continents are scrambling for space in the space, and the pace at which Africa is crawling scientifically and technologically, it may take another two centuries, that is, perhaps in the 23^rd century before Africa can book a place in the space.

Fortunately for Africa, however, even though the Continent itself seems to be hopeless technologically, there are abundant individual African citizens dotted in all corners of the globe who are contributing technologically to advancement of mankind into the space. This author can cite at least one citizen of Africa – a Ghanaian to be precise by name Dr Ashitey Trebi-Ollenu who is a Member of the NASA Mars Rover Mission in America. So, therefore, there is hope for Africa scientifically and technologically.

In 2003, Ghana Government completed the formulation of a comprehensive ICT Policy for the nation. It is known as Ghana Information and Communication Technology for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD). It was spearheaded by the Ministry of Communications. It may, however, be of historical interest to state in passing that the work on the ICT Policy for Ghana actually started in October 1998 by the then NDC Government. A National Communications Policy Conference dubbed, COMPOL ‘98 involving all stakeholders in the ICT sector was held at the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra. The policy document was finalised in October 2000 at Akosombe for the approval of Cabinet. However, due to bureaucracy the then Cabinet could not pass the Communications Bill before elections 2000.

Then in September 2001, the NPP Government also organised another National Communications Policy Conference, held at GIMPA to review and update the Communication Policy Document formulated by the previous Government. The result is what is today referred to as GHANA ICT POLICY FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT. It is commendable to observe that when one Government initiates a project or programme which is in the national interest, another Government will take it up, review it, update and improve upon it instead of throwing it out altogether. And it is recalled that it was on that fateful Tuesday of September 11, 2001 when the communication conference was opened at GIMPA that the tragic news of terrorist bombing of the World Trade Centre flashed across the globe.

Within the frame work of ICT4AD, Ghana Government has embarked upon several projects including E-Ghana Project to transform Ghana into an information enabled society for knowledge based economic development. But the focus of this piece is on the Community Information Centres (CICs) project which is not only human-centered but underprivileged rural dweller-centered as well.

As a matter of fact, the CICs project also falls within the framework of World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), where all nations are enjoined to attain certain targets, including the provision of ICT access and skills to the underprivileged and rural dwellers globally. And one concrete strategy Ghana Government adopted to attain this target was to establish Community Information Centres in all the 230 constituencies throughout the country. Beyond WSIS’s broad objective for all nations, Ghana Government set its own clear cut and specific objectives to use the CICs project to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural dwellers in the country.

Government aims at demystifying that xenophobic aura surrounding Computers by taking ICT to the doorsteps of deprived and neglected brothers and sisters in remote rural areas through the Community Information Centres in about 170 districts in Ghana. The CICs are to serve as training centres where acquisition of ICT skills and knowledge are provided for underprivileged people. The CICs are to bring government services online closer to the people at the grassroots. Rural school pupils and students can access online library facilities from top educational institutions in any part of world. In fact the CICs are to serve as a hub in the provision of Wide Area Network for various district offices of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies as well as private business entities, NGOs and Community Based Organisations, Women Groups operating in rural zones of the country. Government is financing the CICs project through HIPC funds with support of the Country office of the UNDP in Accra.

Ghana Investment Fund for Telecommunications (GIFTEL) under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications is facilitating the provision of connectivity and infrastructure to the CICs that have been constructed at underserved/un-served and remote areas. The Project is being implemented jointly with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation (MINO) in terms of content development of the CICs nation wide with technical and administrative support from UNDP with particular reference to ICT capacity building for Information Officers throughout the country. For instance, between May 2007 and April 2008, MINO was able to provide basic ICT capacity building to over 100 of its District Information Officers, Public Relations Officers and Journalists. Some of the areas covered through workshops and seminars include Computer Literacy, Online-Journalism, Content Development and Information Technology Management, thanks to UNDP.

As of December 2007, GIFTEL was also able to provide training for over 300 persons from decentralised organisations in twenty-two beneficiary districts in the country. These are the people trained specifically to manage the CICs. Records also show that Wide Area Network had been completed to extend internet connectivity to tweny-six (26) CICs. Further, thirty-seven (37) CICs are currently said to be operational with full compliment of computers, Local Area Network and Wide Area Network. According to Mr. Samuel Mensah, Director of Administration at GIFTEL, a total of one hundred and ten (110) computers had been deployed at twenty-two (22) new CICs in some selected districts in the country.

It is important to clarity the point that more CICs are reported to be at various stages of development which an ICT technical person will be in a better position to explain or comment upon. But it is gratifying to note that slowly but steadily, Ghana’s Community Information Centres project is on course. And all things being equal, as this author was assured, H.E. President J.A. Kufuor will officially commission some selected CICs nation wide before the end of the year 2008.