Information for our age

The IT Sector in Gambia Experiences Impressive Development


The information technology sector in The Gambia has experienced spectacular and impressive developments during the past years, highlighted Madam Chinwe Dike, UNDP Resident Cordinator, yesterday during the opening of a two-day validation workshop of the ‘Full-blown E-Government Project’, held at the Paradise Suites Hotel.

However, she pointed that this was made possible by the implementation of various innovative initiatives and programs, such as “The enactment of the Information and Communication Act and the Public utilities and regulatory Act”.
She said: “The development and adoption of the National Information Communication Policy; the development of the e-government implementation strategy and Action plan, as well as the integrated financial management information system [IFMIs], and recently the launching of the official government web-portal,” also have been instrumental.

She said after realising the importance of ICT in the socio-economic of the country and the pivotal role E-governement plays in the attainment of the MDGs and PRSP 2, UNDP supported the information communication and technology ministry to implement a project with prioritised interventions in the areas of “the design and development of a government Web portal for the first time in The Gambia, and the upgrading of the ministry LAN [Local Area Network] infrastructure to enhance its leadership and coordinating role in the formulation and implementation of e-government initiatives.
Currently through this UNDP funded project, MOICI [ministry of information communication and infrastructure] staff on Microsoft technologies such as serve 2008, Email Exchange Server, security and sharepoint to enhance the skill sets of MOICI staff to support the Data Centre infrastructure.”

“This project has contributed in assisting government to improve efficiency in its internal government operations and public service delivery. It also allows government to provide for open and transparent processes as well as greater citizen participation and involvement,” she said.

However, the e-government implementation strategy and Action plan served as the basis for the development of the e-government program 2010-2015, and it aims to provide the basis for all government ICT related interventions, with the objective of achieving effectiveness, increased productivity and cost efficiency.

Yankuba Touray who represented the Minister of Information Communication and Infrastructure commended the UNDP for what he described as “paving the way to develop this critical project proposal”. He said under the assistance of the United Nation Economic Commission for Africa [UNECA] and through their active participation last year, they were able to complete the implementation strategy and action plan of the fourth pillar of the National Information and Communication Infrastructure [NICI].

“This document [NICI] discussed general and technical specification of all components that would make up the e-government programme [physical infrastructure and platform, software including applications, human resource and systems and procedures],” he said, but adding that this document ends only with a “shopping list of programs, projects and activities”, hence it could not be used to “sell” programs and projects to donor agencies, because it “lacks the budgetary component”.