Minister Laments Impact Of Bad Internet Connectivity On Dev.

Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is unhappy about the negative impact poor internet services in Ghana and Africa on the development agenda of the country and the continent as a whole.

According to her, poor internet connectivity impedes the country’s development.

The Minister noted that a collaboration between tertiary institutions in the country was imperative for the enhancement of information and communication technology (ICT).

“Poor internet connectivity in Africa is one of the issues that is forestalling our development and widening the gap between developing and industrialized countries.
The collaboration between tertiary education institutions in Africa is imperative to make them keep players in the enhancement of information and communications technology for the development of all our society,” she said.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful who was speaking at the launch of the Ghana Academic and Research Network (GARNET) early this week praised the efforts of heads of various institutions in advancing the cause of academic research through technology.

She observed that Africa is underserved in the area of information and communication technology.

Residents of Eguafo in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region had given up on ever using an ICT Centre which was inaugurated in 2016.

The facility, with close to 50 computers, meant to serve as an IT learning center for pupils and other community members, has been abandoned for the past two years due to the lack of internet access.

Eguafo is about 10-minute drive away from Ataabadze Junction, which is on the Cape Coast-Takoradi highway, and the town boasts of some primary schools and a public Senior High School.

The ICT Centre was initially started by the Central Region Development Commission (CEDECOM), but the Commission abandoned it, and the Municipal Assembly took over and completed it.

In April, this year, Denmark has provisionally handed over the Eastern Corridor Fibre Optic Network Extension Project to the Ministry of Communications, which will be managed by the National Information Technology Agency (NITA).