AFRICA DIGITAL WEEK LAUNCHED

The Africa e-governance Academy (AfegA), in partnership with the African Institute for Development Informatics and Policy (AIDIP), UNDP and Ministry of Communications, has announced the Africa Digital Week.

The Africa Digital Week 2011, the first of its kind to be organized on the African continent in Accra, is slated from July 26-29, 2011 under the theme, 'My Dream for A Digital Africa'.

Richard Boateng, Executive Director, AIDIP, presenting an overview of the Pearl Richards Foundation, a project set up to help bring interestingly unique ideas and concepts together and turn them into sustainable projects or business enterprises for development, emphasized the use of mobile phones globally as a mediu

m to get information about developments in their

communities online.
Ama Dadson, Programme Coordinator, Africa e-governance Academy (AfegA), in a presentation, said for an e-governance programme to be sustainable, there was the need to involve all stakeholders including government, citizens, businesses and policy makers.

'There is the need for a holistic approach to e-governance at the national level and regional fronts and there is also the need for commitment and support at the highest levels of government'.

The concept and practice of innovation, driven by the application of information, knowledge, science and technology, she continued, has led to new ways and opportunities for businesses and governments to connect and interact with consumers and citizens so as to promote good governance and create socio-econ

omic value.'E-government allows government transparency. Government transparency is important because it allows the public to be informed about what the government is working on as well as the policies they are trying to implement.'

A policy dialogue for policymakers, academia and civic society will take place online from July 1-15, 2011 in Accra to explore electronic governance policies in Africa, especially with the advent of social media and mobile technologies.

Fredrick Ampiah, Partnerships Advisor, UNDP Ghana, applauded the initiative by AIDIP and AfegA and expressed gratitude to the media for supporting e-governance through information sharing.

AfegA, an independent autonomous organization with no allegiance to any government or institutions, was established to create and transfer knowledge on e-governance.

It is co-funded by the UNDP and OSIWA (OpenSociety for West Africa) with a primary geographical focus on ECOWAS countries.

In the long-term, AfegA seeks to become the leading African institution in all aspects of e-governance.

AfegA is located at the Ghana Telecom University College (GTUC).