The importance of information in the development agenda

NEWS COMMENTARY ON WORLD INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY.

Monday, 17 May, is World Information Society Day. Celebrated to alert people on how information and communication could help improve societies worldwide. Information Society is a community in which the creation, distribution, and manipulation of information have become the most significant economic and cultural activity. History has it that the origins of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day date back to the signing of the First International Telegraph Convention on 17th May 1865, which marked the establishment of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) but the day was not officially observed until it was instituted by the UN General Assembly and was first held in 1969. This was after the World Summit on Information Society was called upon by the UN General Assembly to declare 17th May, World Information Society Day to focus on the importance of ICT and the wide range of issues to information and communication-related development in societies around the globe.

The urgent need to promote people’s awareness on the power of information and communication to help build societies where people can create, access, use and share information and knowledge to achieve their full potential has been critical now than ever. This shared global vision where information and communication through vibrant telecommunications to propel an accelerated socio-economic and environmental sustainable growth and development for everyone has become more imperitive. This is against the backdrop of the global emergence of the novel and deadly coronavirus that has severely hit the world’s societies and economies. The COVID-19 crisis underscores the critical nature of digital connectivity and digital services in supporting societal resilience and business continuity—these are founded on a robust and well-functioning digital infrastructure. Since then.

The UN Education and Scientific and Cultural Organisation has taken a lead role by actively engaging societies of the world through educational programmes to promote campaigns on the need to use information and communication through technology to improve the environment and economy. One of the key indicators for the evolution towards information society is ICT readiness, which translates into a strong ICT infrastructure that will then provide the people with facilities for economic growth.

Ghana has, over the years worked hard to compete favorably in the world of information communication technology realising that achieving the level of the information society is not only based on the availability of ICT infrastructure and services Successive governments and the current one, in particular, has made adequate infrastructure to ensure growth of the economy through information and communications In the country today, accessing the news, sending and receiving emails, making Internet phone calls using ICT for corporate, business and educational purposes, online banking, chatting and exchanging messages. Other factors such as paying bills online, using credit cards, researching, medical access, accessing local government services online, among others, as well as the almighty interoperability initiated by government, have prominently situated themselves in the socio-economic development of the country.

The digital economy in Africa is expected to grow to over 300 billion dollars by 2025. Ghana must therefore work hard to be part of the feat of the continent. Digital infrastructure must be continuously expanded to provide the way for people and businesses, to get online and link with local and global digital services – thus connecting them to the global digital economy.

The Ministries of Communications and Information, the National Information Technology Agency and the National Communications Authority must sustain the nation’s gains in its quest for a sustainable digital economy through effective information society.

 BY: DR. NANA SIFA TWUM MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT.