GINKS Launches Northern ICT4D Series Bridging North-South ICT Disparity

The Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS) has moved a step further in its quest to promoting Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a tool for development. In this direction, GINKS has launched in Tamale, a second of its regular monthly Cyber series run in Accra, the nations capital. The Tamale launch, dubbed “Northern ICT 4D Series” or Northern Information and Communication Technologies for Development Series, was witnessed by a cross section of the academia, teachers, ICT specialists and development-oriented individuals and organizations among others.

Most participants described the launch as opportune and timely considering the fact that the north (Northern, Upper East and Upper West) continue to remain at the lowest ebb of development and as the most poverty-endemic area of the country.

In the last couple of years, efforts by individuals and organizations to bridge the yawning information gap between the north and the south has yielded little result due to myriads of justifiable and unjustifiable reasons. For instance the least said about social amenities in most parts of the largely rural three northern regions the better not to talk about road networks and lack of electricity and telephone facilities in most rural areas. A typical example is Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district where neither electricity nor telephone facility exist not to talk about poor road network especially in areas called overseas, where one has cross rivers before reaching. This ostensibly makes it almost impossible for service providers to extend ICT services to these and invariably thwarts efforts at making the people abreast of modernity.

The few ICT knowledgeable residents do not have a common platform to share and brainstorm to improve upon their knowledge, therefore the coming into effect this monthly Northern ICT 4D Series in Tamale, has been embraced by many with widely opened alms. The participants commended GINKS for such a programme, saying it would not only serve as a platform for knowledge sharing but also for knowledge improving. The participants described the launch as successful due to the number of people that attended and pledged to be part of the subsequent series.

Launching the programme, the Chairman of GINKS, Mr Jonnie Akakpo, whose ICT-based organization, CITRED, happens to be operating in Tamale and a pioneer in the north for that matter, expressed gratitude to the participants and all stakeholders who made the programme come to fruition. According to him, GINKS has been pondering over such a series in the north for some years now but could not implement it due to inadequate commitment from partners. He said GINKS has finally gotten Institute of Local government to provide venue for the programme and Fiila FM, a private radio station in Tamale for publicity as partners to start with, hence the launch. Mr Akapko urged all and sundry who have the development of the north and the country at large at heart, especially residents in Tamale and the Northern region, to put hands on deck to keep the series running unabated.

There were pledges by most participants who were non-members of GINKS to be part of the network to benefit from its exploits.

Mr Andrews Sayibu, who aptly chaired the function could not but express unwavering commendation to GINKS for the initiative and added that it would go a long way to bridging the ICT gap between the north and the south.

The Northern representative of GINKS, Mr Stephen Agbenyo announced that the first of series to take place after the launch would take place every last Thursday of every month. He disclosed “Cyber Crime” as the tentative topic for the upcoming series scheduled for 29th November, 2007.

By Osman Dawda (podMEDIA)

ICT4D series launched in Tamale

NORTHERN ICT4D SERIES LAUNCHED

The Northern ICT4D series, a monthly community ICT forum that would afford stakeholders an opportunity to interact and share ideas on various topical issues in the digital economy has been launched in Tamale.

Speaking at the launch on the topic ICTs and Teacher Training in Ghana, Mr. Rashid Tanko, head of the ICT department for Tamale Teacher Training College applauded the new reforms and the efforts of Government in deploying ICT tools, especially computers in the teacher training college. He however lamented that the one credit hour allocated for the training of trainees per week was woefully enough to give the teacher trainees the relevant skills needed to integrated ICTs in their work as teachers especially that some of them were only seeing computers even for the very first time in their colleges.

He mentioned some of the challenges facing the training of the teacher as inadequate infrastructure and E-readiness.

“The advantages of ICT improving upon the skills of the teacher cannot be quantified but the real challenges must also be tackled” he said.

Alhaji AYMB Ibrahima, an Assistant Director at the Regional Education Office and the Director of Baobab group of Businesses in Tamale led a discussion on the relationship between humans and ICT tools and the need to be value adding people and not back end users of the tools. “In 5 years time, we should make some progress by adding value to the stock of ICT infrastructure by manufacturing and developing software that we have and not only be users” he said. He urged the teacher training institutions to training institutions to train teachers who would train pupils to become value adding people and not just users.

He said the new reforms, despite the lack of preparedness and the unavailability of infrastructure provides a window and foundation for the gradual development of the country and the individual self.

Doing the launch, Mr. Jonnie Akakpo, the GINKS chairman expressed his delight about the efforts of the Northern Node of GINKS in keeping the flame of knowledge sharing burning in the north for “knowledge residing in one person is less valuable than residing in the many persons” Mr. Akakpo said.

He took participants through the genesis and the work of GINKS and expressed his delight to be present at the launch of the Northern ICT4D Series. He called for more individuals and organizations to partner GINKS in organizing the series to broaden and deepen discussions on ICT4D

Upon his call, northernghana.com pledged to partner by publicizing all activities regarding the Series on their website northernghana.com.

Participants urged GINKS to partner with the Northern Network for Educational Development (NNED) to study and track the progress of the ICT component of the new educational reform in the three northern regions.

Mr. George Nego Fugluu a teacher of St. Charles Minor seminary senior secondary school (first runner up best teacher award recipient in 2006) urged for the organization of such fora. He called for resource sharing among the well endowed schools and the less endowed schools in the regions for the sake of equity.

Participants called on government and other stake holders to ensure the existence of the enabling environment to enhance effective utilization of ICTs such as the provision and accessibility of electricity,

The Northern ICT4D Series is a joint effort between Filla FM, Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS) and the Institute for Local Government Studies to encourage knowledge sharing on ICTs for Development in the Northern Region. The series would be organized on the last Thursday of every month.