Africa

More spectrum could make licensing a more transparent process in Nigeria
More spectrum could make licensing a more transparent process in Nigeria 24 January 2011 Fola Odufuwa

Nigeria is arguably one of the leading countries in Africa with respect to spectrum deregulation and licensing. However while the country follows best practices on the telecommunications side, the process for allocating broadcasting licenses and frequencies lacks transparency and is still dependant on Presidential approval. As the two regulatory bodies prepare to merge to form a single entity, Nigeria to reconsider how it allocates broadcasting licenses, says Fola Odufuwa, ICT expert and auth...

Africa Water Atlas
Africa Water Atlas 24 January 2011

This Atlas is a visual account of Africa’s endowment and use of water resources, revealed through 224 maps and 104 satellite images as well as some 500 graphics and hundreds of compelling photos. It gathers information about water in Africa and its role in the economy and development, health, food security, transboundary cooperation, capacity building and environmental change.Africa Water Atlas

GISWatcher reports from “the free Tunisia”
GISWatcher reports from “the free Tunisia” 21 January 2011 Khaled Koubaa

“For those who don't know Tunisia,” writes Khaled Koubaa, Global Information Society Watcher based in Tunis. “Tunisia is a small country but a great nation. It was the first Arab country to abolish slavery in 1848, the first Arab country to establish a constitution in 1861, the first Arab country to abolish polygamy in 1956 and legalise abortion in 1973. And now Tunisia is the first Arab ...

GenARDIS grantee wins Africa Rural Connect contest
GenARDIS grantee wins Africa Rural Connect contest 18 January 2011 LC

In 2008-2009, Ugandan organisation Toro Development Network (ToroDev) was awarded a small grant through the APC’s Gender and agriculture and rural development in the information society (GenARIDS) project. No more than a year later, the grass roots organisation has been awarded $12, 000 through the Africa Rural Connect contest, to continue its work in helping small-scale rural farmers ...

A national cyber-strategy for Congo, which integrates women
A national cyber-strategy for Congo, which integrates women 04 January 2011 LC

Azur Développement, a small NGO that works in the area of gender and ICTs in the Congo and member of APC, participated in the Communicating for Influence in Central East and West Africa project, which involved research and advocacy on national ICT policies and the telecommunications reform in various African countries. Sylvie Niombo, Executive Director, talks about the various challenges and o...

Regional ICT advocacy in Africa: Key lessons from the CICEWA project
Regional ICT advocacy in Africa: Key lessons from the CICEWA project 04 January 2011 Natasha Primo

More than a decade after the telecommunications policy reform in many African countries, there continues to be a deficit in universal affordable access to fixed telecom infrastructure. This deficit severely limits the possibility of information and communication technologies (ICTs) being used to foster social and economic development, yet, the problem persists despite the phenomenal increase in...

Policy change in Africa: Networks are key to communicating for influence
Policy change in Africa: Networks are key to communicating for influence 22 December 2010 LC

Two years ago, APC’s policy team led a project that would help strengthen African civil society to advocate for affordable broadband, adequate infrastructure, and in some cases, universal access funds which help put in place the necessary systems to achieve universal access to the internet. The Communication for Influence in Central, East and West Africa, or CICEWA, initiative was about i...

Opening up spectrum can prevent Kenya from running out
Opening up spectrum can prevent Kenya from running out 22 December 2010 LC

Currently, about 20 million Kenyans own mobile phones. Mobile phones receive their signals over electromagnetic waves that are also used for everything from home appliances like microwave ovens and remote controls, to the radio and internet. These waves are assigned different frequencies or spectrum so that they don’t interfere with each other. However Kenya is at risk of running out of spect...

Open spectrum for development: Nigeria case study
Open spectrum for development: Nigeria case study 16 December 2010 Fola Odufuwa

With hundreds of telecommunications and broadcasting licenses granted since 1992, Nigeria is arguably the leading country in Africa with respect to spectrum deregulation and licensing. There are over currently 350 licensed broadcast stations in operation in the country. With the global trend that will see two regulatory bodies merge, this report questions which regulatory body’s practice of a...

Occupying Streets to Reclaim Online Spaces - Zimbabwe
Occupying Streets to Reclaim Online Spaces - Zimbabwe 08 December 2010

Women’sNet invites you to a day filled with activities to reclaim Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) back by occupying Miriam Makeba Street in Newton, Zimbabwe to demonstrate that online spaces need to be transformed, too. This is to demonstrate that in as much as we are reclaiming other spaces, online spaces need to be transformed too. The day’s actions include blogging, SMS...

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