Why Zambia is desperate for ICT

Communication underpins democracy and economic growth. The problem with the world economies today is ignorance. People prefer cooking up figures and projections that can be supported by an academic formula as opposed to acquiring truth. That is “by the way". However, truth, transparency, freedom of expression, knowledge, conversation, information, communication and technology today is vital to economic growth and to democracy.

Now therefore what role does mobile phone technology and internet play in economic growth? Zambia is a great democratic example to the world. But it is still an economic pity. After improving our credit rating to lower middle income, and after recording year after year statistical economic growth, and after holding the inflation rate in single digits, why is it that these positive achievements do not seem to trickle down to people either in the streets and worse still in the rural areas.

The problem with Zambia is basically communication. Successive governments have failed to put up policy that would exploit the economic potential of the ICT sector. ICT is the critical vehicle of creating, communicating, delivering, and harnessing economic development.

There will be several reasons that economists and academic analysts will point to, but with careful consideration, we can safely say that the wider maximization of ICT would largely answer those questions. For example, ignorance and lack of education can be answered by delivering world class education to children in the rural that is accessed by any child anywhere else in the most developed world using ICT.

Lack of tertiary and skills training due to lack of financing can be solved by delivering training in remote places using technology. Small businesses that cannot afford large marketing budgets can use ICT platforms such social media to grow their brand and be well on their well to growth and profitability.

There are very few questions that information technology will not be able to answer positively today. It is still shocking that the Government does not have a clear ICT policy. Particularly the PF government does not have any real plans to exploit ICT for education and business.

Even though people are now not too sure if President Michael Sata is really allergic to corruption, the people of Zambia have long enough been disadvantaged by corruption at all levels. Corruption will not be dealt with effectively unless we employ technology in ensuring transparency, accuracy, and standard.

Zambia development capacity will move considerably and significantly the moment we have ICT policies in place.