Engineer Ernest Ndukwe, chief executive officer, Nigerian communications Commission (NCC) has identified efficient and reliable public power supply and persuasive and modern information and communication technology (ICT) infrasture and service as keys to Africa’s development.

He said if Africa could get these two infrastructure components right, the other factors of economic growth and development will fall in line and the continent would firmly be on the path of major economic growth.

He spoke at the first African Telecom Hall of the Nigerian Information Technology and Telecom awards (Nitta 2009) in Lagos.

Infrastructural facilities such as roads, transportation systems, public power supply, communication and information technology were inadequate in most of the 52 countries in the continent.

Since essential infrastructure components are required for sustainable economic growth, he said the infrastructure inadequacy prevalent in the region may explain the reason why Africa hosted the highest number of the least developed countries of the world, in comparison to other regions.

Looking at the progress made in the African telecom industry which was among the least developed in the world a decade ago, he stated that the continent then accounted for two per cent of the world’s phone lines despite having 12 per cent of the world’s population.

“Africa therefore, represented a region of major concern to the international community because of her inability to industrialise and  embrace essential technology that are required to facilitate and accelerate the economic development of the region.

Ndukwe noted with respect to the ICT infrastructure component, the wave of market liberation that swept across the world in the last decade has positively impacted the continent and nearly all African countries (except Ethiopia) have opened up to private local and foreign investment in the communication sector.

They have embraced market reform and liberalisation resulting in several notable success stories, thus, providing useful examples for other developing nations to emulate. In the last eight years, several African countries have been part of this revolution that has been propelled mostly by digital mobile services.

With the licensing of competitive operators across Africa, the growth of these services has been geometric.

In Nigeria, for example, an average growth of over eight million lines per annum has been recorded from 2001 to 2009.

ICTs have been widely acknowledged as presenting copious opportunities for the creation of unprecedented economic growth for Africa.

Thankfully, most African governments have demonstrated the political will necessary to foster an environment conductive for investment in this sector.

Most African countries have therefore, progressed to a period of communications boom that have opened up new possibilities and frontiers across business, political, social and economic landscape.