The race to position the country as Africa’s ICT hub kicks off in Nairobi on Tuesday. Over 500 public and private sector policy and decision makers will hold a one-day national ICT conference to strategise on the way forward for the sector.
Information and Communications PS, Dr Bitange Ndemo, on Monday said the meeting would seek ways of utilising the country’s strategic time zone and skilled labour to develop a strong ICT industry."The conference will act as a clarion call to all individuals and organisations to work together to unlock the country’s ICT potential," said Ndemo. He said participants would explore public and private sector collaborations to promote outsourcing ventures that would generate jobs for the youth and create wealth for investors.
President Kibaki is expected to open the event, during which key international speakers and consultants will give a road map on the critical success factors that must be addressed before the country can enjoy ICT outsourcing.
These success factors include opening up the country for outsourcing by allowing entry to local and international players with minimum barriers. They also include providing incentives to all players to compete in the global market.
Ndemo said the participants would discuss the requisite institutional capacity development for ICT outsourcing.
High on the priority list is policy development, public sector reform, legal and regulatory frameworks, incentive structures, strategic planning and change management. Experts say Kenya enjoys qualities that can easily make it the natural ICT destination. The country has a highly educated ICT human resource base that is also affordable.
Source: The Standard
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