Why Smart Africa Is Smart Policy

In 2013, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the secretary general of the International Telecommunication Union at that time organized a summit to address Africa’s need for information communication technology, or ICT, an endeavor they called “Transform Africa.” More than 1,200 delegates from different countries, corporations and civil society groups discussed how to bring ICT to Africa. They focused on the need for a private sector and making Africa a producer, not just consumer of such services, and created a framework to implement these changes. Africa’s 53 countries signed on. Analysts see this initiative as an opportunity for private businesses to expand their consumer base while making meaningful social change. While some in the developed world regard business and for-profit ventures with suspicion, such private-public partnerships can deliver social good. – YaleGlobal