Title: Impact of the internet in Africa. Establishing conditions for success and catalysing inclusive growth in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal
Authors: James Mwangi, Robin Miller, Daniel Tuttle, Daniel Kaplan, Kagwiria Koome, Ata Cisse, Matthew Shakhovskoy, Adam Bradlow, Modou Fall, Rachel-Diane Epoupa, Hans Uldall Poulsen, Daniel Kaplan, Pooja Bhatia, Kerry DeGale
Source: Dalberg
Date (published): 18/04/2013
Date (accessed): 19/04/2013
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: This report describes the role of the Internet on the socioeconomic development of Sub-Saharan Africa and its potential going forward. This report defines the scope of economic benefits broadly, including opportunities to drive inclusive growth and to address social and inequality goals. Although it uses a macro-economic analysis to review the underlying enabling conditions, it relies heavily on a broadbased survey of African businesses. It aims to understand the opportunities the Internet has brought these small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the barriers business owners face as they try to tap opportunities, and the Internet’s potential future impact on them. The report includes a micro-level impact analysis of the Internet’s current and potential impact on socioeconomic development across seven sectors.

Title: eGhana Project Receives Biometric Boost
Source: IT News Africa
Date (published): 09/04/2013
Date (accessed): 09/04/2013
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: Gemalto, an established provider of digital security services, has been appointed as prime contractor and turnkey supplier to provide Ghana Immigration Services (GIS) with a highly secure electronic visa and border management solution. This initiative is part of the eGhana project, an ambitious plan with backing from the World Bank to create a modern IT infrastructure that can support the country’s sustainable development plans in the years ahead.

Title: Use of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) in Tertiary Education in Ghana: A Case Study of Electronic Learning (E-Learning)
Authors: Nana Yaw Asabere, Samuel Edusah Enguah
Source: International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Research, Volume 2 No. 1, January 2012
Date (published): 15/01/2012
Date (accessed): 05/03/2013
Type of information: journal article
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: Population growth and the increasing number of people seeing the relevance of education as well as demand for tertiary education in Ghana have been on the rise yearly. Tertiary institutions in Ghana have been unpleasantly turning away large numbers of qualified applicants due to lack of facilities. To solve some of these problems in the tertiary educational sector of Ghana, the use of ICT through E-Learning have a major role to play. This paper discusses and elaborates the importance of E-Learning in the tertiary educational sector of Ghana as well as the different issues concerned in the implementation of an E-Learning System. The study also shows how ICT through E-Learning has helped or can help people access tertiary education by not necessarily being on the campus of the respective tertiary institutions. E-learning can be seen as a solution to the various factors that affect access to tertiary education such as lack of facilities to meet increasing educational demand due to population growth. It can also help workers or working people who want to attain higher education but cannot opt for residential tertiary education for one reason or the other. The researchers recommend that every tertiary institution in Ghana should make E-learning part of its structure, so as to facilitate and speed up the development of education and the country as a whole.

Title: Africa's Voices Project
Author: Aventh
Source: Democracy and Governance - Africa, IDS Knowledge Services
Date (published): 04/02/2013
Date (accessed): 25/02/2013
Type of information: online article
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: Africa's Voices is a twelve-month pilot project developed to harness the reach of radio and the spread of mobile phone use to gather citizens’ opinions on governance and development issues. Every month, partnering radio stations across Africa ask their listeners a question about local issues, to be answered through SMS. The information is collected and sent through to the project initiators, the Centre of Governance and Human Rights at the University of Cambridge, for analysis. The information is then shared with the radio stations for future programming from a continental perspective.

Title: Struggling Entrepreneurs in Rural Ghana Increase Business by Using Computers
Source: IICD
Date (published): 27/11/2012
Date (accessed): 29/11/2012
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: Entrepreneurs in Northern Ghana that were formerly struggling to make a living, are now able to earn more money by using computers in their businesses. This is one of the things that is shown in a new entrepreneurship video that IICD released.

Title: Pedagogical Integration of ICT: Successes and Challenges from 100+ African Schools - 3rd edition
Authors: Thierry Karsenti, Simon Collin and Toby Harper-Merrett
Pages: 349 pp.
ISBN: 978-2-923808-16-1
Publisher: IDRC
Date (published): 18/11/2011
Date (accessed): 19/11/2011
Type of information: research book
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"The PanAfrican Research Agenda aimed to better understand how the pedagogical integration of ICT can improve the quality of teaching and learning in Africa.
In the first project phase, national research teams gathered data on the educational use of ICT in 13 countries: Ghana, Gambia, Senegal, Central African Republic, Uganda, Mozambique, Mali, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Congo, Cameroon, and South Africa, and Zambia. Data were collected according to a mixed-method approach, using quantitative data (e.g., questionnaires) and qualitative data (e.g., interviews, observations) on how ICT were integrated into education. In all, 120 schools, 800 school administrators, 8 940 teachers, and 242 873 students participated in the project.

Phase 1 of the PanAf project primarily involved collecting 20,000 pieces of data following a rigorous indicator procedure that was determined based on the literature as well several meetings between the researchers from the participating countries. All the gathered data are available on the Observatory for the pedagogical integration of ICT at www.observatoiretic.org (briefly presented in section VI).

Analyses of the raw data are also provided at the Observatory, and are available not only to PanAf researchers, but to all researchers in Africa and around the world. The clear advantage of these data, beyond being freely accessible at all times, is that they allow a deeper understanding of Africa's ICT policies and a greater awareness of the impacts of ICT on learners and educators. Note that these data frequently highlight gender issues and uncover inequalities throughout education systems. Last but not least, phase 1 of the PanAf project has fostered the development of research skills in the project teams."

Title: DSpace in Africa: Growing Open Access to Knowledge and Culture
Author: Carol Minton Morris
Source: Open Access Week
Date (published): 21/10/2011
Date (accessed): 25/10/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"PART ONE: Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana This is the first of a five-part series that looks at Open Access repository development in twelve African countries in celebration of Open Access Week Oct. 24-30, 2011…
…
In Africa and in many countries around the world the need to manage, preserve and create open access to formerly “locked down” knowledge and culture has become apparent. Developing countries have recognized the need to utilize knowledge resources in order to leverage economic development, research and educational opportunities. One example is Kenya Open Data (http://opendata.go.ke/) which creates greater government transparency by providing open access to original data.
“This site makes public government data accessible to the people of Kenya. High quality national census data, government expenditure, parliamentary proceedings and public service locations are just a taste of what's to come. There's something for everyone: maps to start exploring, interactive charts and tables for a deeper understanding, and raw data for technical users to build their own apps and analyses. Our information is a national asset, and it's time it was shared: this data is key to improving transparency; unlocking social and economic value; and building Government 2.0 in Kenya.”

DSpace has been a player in creating open access to information since it was launched in 2002. This open source, easy-to-use repository application has been instrumental in providing universities and institutions all over the world with a tool for getting resources online and making them accessible. In 2004 there were 9 DSpace instances in Africa. Due the work of DSpace Ambassadors and other community outreach efforts that number has increased to 46 today. For the next five days DuraSpace will offer a glimpse into what’s “in” some DSpace repositories in Africa on each day in celebration of Open Access Week 2011 (http://www.openaccessweek.org/)."

Title: Making the Most of Mobiles in Africa
Source: Africa the Good News
Date (published): 13/09/2010
Date (accessed): 21/09/2011
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"It is not often a technology guru will say, “Forget the internet!” but Ken Banks, founder of Kiwanja.net, advocates going back to basics – using mobile phones rather than the internet, and pretty basic phones at that.

While mobile phones are ubiquitous in Africa, the internet has nothing like the same penetration and is almost non-existent in rural areas. Says Banks: “For example, in Zimbabwe, there’s 2-3 percent internet penetration. If your amazing, whizzy mobile tool needs the internet, and you are looking to deploy it in Zimbabwe, you have lost 97 percent of people before you start.”

Dillon Dhanecha's company, The Change Studio, was trying to distribute management tools and training through the internet, and admits it fell into exactly the trap Banks was describing. “We were developing short YouTube clips and so on, but I was in Rwanda a few weeks ago and trying to access our site from my Smartphone, and it just wasn’t happening.”

But there are plenty of options with even a not-very-smart phone: one of the pioneers was M-Pesa, designed as a tool for repaying microfinance loans. But Kenyans found all kinds of other uses; for instance, people afraid to carry large sums of cash while travelling would send it to themselves for collection at their destination. It was also key to the recent Kenyans for Kenya drought aid funding drive."

Title: In African agriculture, information is power
Author: Ken Banks
Source: News Watch
Publisher: National Geographic
Date (published): 05/09/2011
Date (accessed): 07/09/2011
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"You don’t have to spend long in many African agricultural markets to realise the need for better information. Farmers lack prices, traders need transport and new contacts, projects and governments need a better way to reach out to people, businesses lack real-time updates on their stock and the value of their harvests. The list goes on.

In this installment of Mobile Message, Sarah Bartlett – Director of Communications and Research at Esoko - explains how African technology is being used to power agricultural markets across Africa, filling an ‘information void’ for local farmers in the process.

Mobile Message is a series of blog posts about how mobile phones are being used throughout the world to improve, enrich, and empower billions of lives."

Title: African Cashew Initiative: Cooperation to Use ICT for the Benefit of Cashew Growers
Source: ict4d Newsletter
Publisher: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Date (published): July 2011
Date (accessed): 10/08/2011
Type of information: short notice
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"We recently published, in collaboration with our colleagues from the African Cashew Initiative, a short paper “Virtual Cooperatives: ICT for African Cashew Farmers” on a development partnership with SAP Research in Ghana.
The development partnership utilizes Information and Communication Technologies to provide the means to enhance the productivity of Cashew farmers, to strengthen farmer cooperatives, and to enable them to do collaborative business with the established economy in a transparent and sustainable way.
To learn more, you can download the paper here or visit the website of the African Cashew Initiative. Also, Deutsche Welle, the German international TV channel, has produced a short video about the pilot of the project in Brong Ahafo, Ghana."
via https://twitter.com/#!/ictdev