Huawei Technologies (Huawei) has signed an MoU with the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) that aims to enhance ICT capability and literacy in Africa
Under the agreement, the Chinese technology giant will share its technical know-how in order to spur ICT development on the continent. Talking on the sidelines of an ICT media training workshop in Nairobi, Dean Yu, country manager for Kenya at Huawei Technologies, said that the company will provide technical support to African states to increase their uptake of ICT.
“We will leverage our resources in order to introduce the most innovative solutions to Africa,” he said.
Huawei is present in most of the 54 African countries, and it works closely with telecom firms to expand the coverage of mobile telephony.
“Our aim is to ensure that Africa is able to bridge its digital divide. ICT can be used to improve the efficiency of all sectors of the economy. There is a positive correlation between the level of ICT use and the level of economic development,” Yu added.
ATU secretary general, Soumalia Abdoulkarim, said that broadband penetration rate stands at approximately ten per cent in Africa, which is the lowest for any region in the world. He said that Huawei will help African countries develop and implement their national broadband strategies.
African countries have set a goal of achieving universal broadband access by the year 2020. Abdoulkarim said that some countries, like Kenya, are leading the continent in broadband connectivity through national programmes. He urged governments to provide incentives to the private sector for rolling out broadband, especially in rural areas.
“Through the use of broadband, the education and health sectors can reach the level of developed countries,” he said.
