National information and communication infrastriucture (NICI): best practices and lesson learnt

Abstract

The publication attempts to capture the lessons learnt by the Commission as a result of almost a decade of national and sub-regional ICT policy-making. The decision for ECA support to national e-policies came as a result of AISI implementation, which called for countries to develop guiding policy and infrastructural frameworks to optimize the use of ICTs in carrying out their socio-economic development agenda. Later, the WSIS process and Action Plans from Geneva and Tunis reinforced this thinking (chapter 1). How policies are formulated, based on a nation’s development priorities and goals, are critical factors for the sustainability of any e-strategy. Having assisted countries in their formulation of NICI policies, an assessment of the process is undertaken for Rwanda (chapter 2), and also for Ghana, Malawi and Nigeria (chapter 3).