The 14th African Union (AU) Summit opened in Addis Ababa with a call on African leaders to increase investment in the ICT sector. In his opening remarks at the Summit being held under the theme, Information and Communications Technologies in Africa: Challenges and prospects for development, AU Commission chairman Jean Ping acknowledged that the African continent continues to face challenges, notably in the ICT sector and appealed to the leaders to step up investment in the sector in order to bridge the digital divide.“The AU is concerned over the slow growth of the ICT sector. However, we are confident that these challenges can be tackled if we invest more in the sector and continue mobilizing support from our development partners”, said Ping.He cited the recently completed Ethiopian telemedicine project which was supported by India, as a case study of effective partnerships could help Africa bridge the digital divide.

The Ethiopian telemedicine project aims at ensuring access to affordable and clinically acceptable primary care telemedicine for the underserved rural population. The project was pioneered in 1998 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), working in close collaboration with the Ethiopian Telecommunication and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, AU’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture also reiterated the need for technological transfer to Africa to help the continent bridge the digital divide.

“If our rural areas are to develop, we need adequate and adaptable technological transfer, investments in renewable energies and access to ICTs to link our rural backyards to the world”, said Tumusiime.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said the future of Africa depends on the growth of the ICT sector, which is a key pillar to economic development and commended the Summit for choosing the theme on ICTs.

“Africa’s future is one of my key priorities as the UN Secretary General. If poverty is to be reduced in this continent, the ICT sector must be given priority. This calls for concerted efforts among key stakeholders in order to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We must fully harness the potential of ICTs to achieve these goals”.

He noted that since African nations remain susceptible to climate change, development partners need to scale up their assistance to see the continent fully embracing green energy.

Spanish President Jose Luis Zapatero noted that investment in infrastructure would promote the growth of the ICT sector and help overcome the problem of digital divide.

“No growth and development takes place in a vacuum. Adequate infrastructure must be put in place for this to happen. I therefore urge for continued cooperation between the European Union and the AU to help Africa bridge the digital divide”, said Zapatero.

The Summit—which opened on January 25 and comes to a close on February 2—also discussed issues of food security and peace on the continent.