ICT in Africa: Boosting Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how Africa and the international community can ad-dress the challenges presented by the current situation in Africa. The situation is characterised by its complexity and diversity. This stems from the fast developments and transformations in the dynamic field of ICT; the numerous initiatives; and the diversity of stakeholders, including the G8; the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA); the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); other UN organisations; international net-works such as the Global Knowledge Partnership; various non-governmental organisations (NGOs); research centres; bilateral donor agencies; development banks and many private sector actors. Furthermore, the situation in Africa varies significantly between the North and South as well as within countries and regions, which demands specific interventions rather than “one-size-fits-all” approaches.