Africans have been called upon to assist in developing solutions to meet challenges in the mobile communication industry, in order to boost economies.
Osei Darkwa, president of Ghana Technology University (GTUC), used the Applications of Mobile Communications in Africa: Prospects and Challenges conference last week in Accra, Ghana, to appeal to Africans to reverse the history of reliance on Europe.
The growth of mobile-driven services on the continent was a prevalent theme at the conference, pointing to the value it added to sectors such as education, banking and health industries.
Afua Amankwa Sarkodie, head of public relations of GTUC, said: “Today, the mobile phone is used to send text messages, transfer money, promote health services and provide access to education,”Ghana News Agency reported.
Sarkodie explained the need for European collaboration in consulting and research, among other subjects, to address demands.
A statement issued at the conference said: “In a continent where people have more access to mobile phones than to clean water, it is important for academics and experts to find innovative ways of using the mobile phone to solve some of Africa’s problems”.
Acknowledging progress made so far in the ICT sector, further improvement was encouraged because of rapid market expansion.
