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African ICT job opportunities high, skills lacking

A new survey published on Tuesday reveals that as telecom jobs in Africa booms, the continent still lacks skilled workers, calling on universities and governments to do more to boost the output of telecom and IT specialists in Africa.

Landelahni CEO Sandra Burmeister. (image: creamermedia.co.za)

The 2012 Telecommunications Survey, carried out by global Amrop executive search group member, Landelahni Business Leaders, highlights the skills gaps in the African ICT sector.

“Information and communications technology is a pre-condition for socio-economic development and national competitiveness. However, a shortage of key skills is a huge constraint,” Landelahni CEO Sandra Burmeister said in the report.

“Opportunities abound throughout Africa, despite the challenges of poor infrastructure, disparate regulatory environments and ferocious competition. Spending on ICT infrastructure is expected to total more than US$23 billion a year over the next few years. South Africa and the rest of the continent need to skill up to maximise this opportunity.

“(South African) minister of science and technology Naledi Pandor has acknowledged that the telecommunications industry holds promise as the backbone of this country’s economic, industrial and innovative advancement. Similarly, the Green Paper for Post School Education and Training released in January (2012) states that ‘ICT is increasingly becoming a critical ingredient for participation in a globalised world’.”

It also called on governments to do more to boost young people’s ability to enter the fast-paced ICT world with the skills needed to bring Africa into the global technology world.

Joseph Mayton

March 29, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Orange Kenya needs $120m bailout

Telecom operator Orange Kenya has asked the government for a KES 10 billion ($120 million) bailout, news reports revealed on Wednesday. The move comes as the company continues to incur massive debts following its 2007 buyout by France Telecom.

Orange Kenya CEO Mickael Ghossein. (image: file)

Orange made a record loss of KES 18.2 billion in 2011 and needs to raise KES 5.8 billion in order to repay bank loans by the end of the month.

According to documents published online, Orange Kenya’s management said it has hit a “brick wall”. They warn the Kenyan Treasury and France Telecom, that if the emergency cash injection failed to arrive, the operator would be unable to meet its immediate commitments (about KES 1.6 billion) to Standard Chartered Bank.

According to analysts this, “will trigger a chain reaction that could see bank loans worth KES 12.5 billion from Standard Chartered and KCB called in”.

The company added that they would only be able to cover basics like electricity, water, security and salaries.

Orange Kenya CEO Mickael Ghossein said in a statement yesterday, that the total amount of shareholder loans being requested “was still under discussion”.

Joseph Mayton

March 23, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Rwanda launches next stage of their ICT development plan

Rwanda on Tuesday said it had officially launched the third phase of their National Information and Communication Infrastructure Policy aimed at increasing the country’s IT infrastructure and offering new services to its citizens which were established during the first two phases.

Minister in the Presidency managing ICT Ignace Gatare. (image: biztechafrica.com)

The government’s 2000 national ICT plan was created using the four five-year cycle idea in order to gauge where the country was heading and what could be created and established. The first cycle, which ended in 2005, laid the groundwork for the last five years ICT initiatives to be established.

The government said that the second cycle, from 2006 to 2010, placed emphasis on the development of key ICT infrastructure such as fiber optic cable layout.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday evening, the Minister in the Presidency managing ICT Ignace Gatare said, the third phase has been “broadly divided into five areas, ICT skills development, private sector development, ICT for community development, e-Government and cyber security,” which the country hopes will propel the nation into the technological age to compete with other East African nations.

“Under this plan we are looking at improving formal and non-formal education. With the use of fiber optic cable, we want to ensure that there is much of open distance learning in the country,” said Gatare.

He said that the private sector will be instrumental in the third phase, and that government hopes to unveil an electronic payment system to improve mobile finance.

“We also want to take the ICT facilities down to the people by digitalizing all the government programs, increase the tele-centers in the country as well as use of tele-medicine,” Gatare added.

Joseph Mayton

March 21, 2012/by actualize

Anti-corruption, Democracy & Governance, Governances, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

New Ekiti state website enhances transparency

Kayode Fayemi, Governor Nigeria’s Ekiti state, has declared yesterday his administration is ready to integrate fully Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Kayode Fayemi, Governor Nigeria's Ekiti state with a big smile

Kayode Fayemi, Governor Nigeria's Ekiti state, is happy about future the preliminary success of the Ekiti state's website. (image: file)

He even launched a new official website for the state. The new website will enhance accountability and transparency in governance he believes. The website is also expected to be interactive, easing access to government by providing diverse information on government activities.

The website also linked to Social Media sites like Facebook, Slideshare, Google Plus, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, as well as mobile applications for Android and Blackberry devices, while Nokia and iPhone versions will be released within a month. Since its’ launch, the website has become the second most visited in Nigeria.

Ekiti is said to be the first state to have Quick Reference (QR) Codes integrated into its website. Fayemi also disclosed that his administration was providing laptops for students in public secondary schools.

While, the Ekiti State University (EKSU) is expected to be fully connected to the internet in two months time to allow students access to e-library. The site is expected to serve as an interactive platform between the people of the State and the government to get feedback and as means of engaging the younger generation.

Segun Adekoye

March 1, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

National ICT plan for Nigeria

Nigeria’s federal government has stated interest in developing a local national holistic ICT plan yesterday. The government promised that following the aggregation of comments and suggestions on the draft Information and Communication Technology policy have been discussed, they would embark on the process.

Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology, aiming for a March launch of the master ICT plan. (image: leadership.ng)

The master plan will include details on timelines, activities, hitches and funding requirements and the options available for ICT sector.

Arrangement has however been concluded by the Ministry of Communication Technology to hold a stakeholder’s forum on the country’s draft ICT policy in March in Lagos.

According to the ministry’s statement, since unveiling policy, it has received suggestions, comments and inputs from various industry groups, ICT companies and other ICT industry stakeholders home and abroad.

The collated comments and suggestions and the forum will be expected to provide a veritable platform for the ministry to engage stakeholders in robust discussions on the suggestions and comments received regarding the policy.

The ministry, ahead of the March stakeholder’s forum, met with industry associations a few weeks ago such as the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Nigerian Computer Society, Information Technology Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Internet Group, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria and the National Association Telecoms Subscribers.

The statement also revealed associations sent their inputs through on the draft ICT policy to discuss the comments and suggestions on the policy sent to the ministry by the associations.

Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology, recently said the ministry set up a committee to harmonise the existing policies, reflect new realities where necessary in order to provide a working document and a take off point that could elicit robust debate and discussion by stakeholders.

She further commented that the country had various policies covering the IT and the communications industry, adding that the alliance of technologies and the industry have impose on us the need for an integrated policy document.

Segun Adekoye

March 1, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Democracy & Governance, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Kenya opens government data portal

Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki

Kenya has launched Africa’s first government open data portal. President Mwai Kibaki announced the new portal at the Kenyatta International Conference Center in Nairobi, Kenya.

The new portal will enable Kenya to release data for research purposes, which the government hopes will empower the nation’s information economy. According to the ministry of communications, the data in digitized electronic format will be available through the web address opendata.go.ke

Kibaki says this portal contains data in a flexible and user-friendly format that will allow users to view and compare information at national, province and county level.

The Open data portal provides information on six main categories: education, energy, health, population, poverty as well as water and sanitation.

“I call upon Kenyans to make use of this Government data portal to enhance accountability and improve governance in our country,” says Kibaki.

Janan Yussif