Community ICT centres for Pantang, Amanfrom
Two community information centres (CICs) at Pantang Village and Ngleshie Amanfrom in the Greater Accra Region have been inaugurated.
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The two centres are part of 21 others scheduled for completion this year.
The facilities boast a library, a conference room, a computer laboratory connected to the internet, a business secretariat with computers, a scanner and a printer.
Funded by the China Exim Guarantee Bank and being executed by Huawei Technologies Ghana, the construction of the 21 CICs is part of a $150-million e-government project.
Land for the two projects was provided by the chiefs of the two communities.
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Speaking at separate events to inaugurate the project, the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, urged managers of the two facilities to adopt innovative measures to ensure that they generate some income to keep the facilities running.
What is a CIC?
The CICs function as information hubs, providing connectivity to the ministries, departments and agencies, private businesses and educational institutions, as well as individuals in the beneficiary communities.
It is also meant to bridge the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) gap in rural and urban communities.
Although ICT is a compulsory and an examinable subject at the basic school level, logistical support to enhance the teaching and learning of the subject has been inadequate, with schools in the rural communities particularly at a disadvantage.
The minister, therefore, urged the schoolchildren in the beneficiary communities to take advantage of the opportunities the centre would offer to add more value to their education.
The Huawei Technologies Managing Director in charge of Business Development, Mr Archur Zhou, observed that beyond closing the digital gap in rural and urban areas, the centres would also provide timely information on health, agriculture, education and local government.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the La-Nkwantanang-Madina Assembly, Franklin Anku, also appealed to youth in the area to put the centre to good use.
He appealed to the Ministry of Communication to establish a similar facility at Danfa, a town in the community where the chiefs had already committed land for the project.
Mr Anku gave an assurance that the management of the assembly, in conjunction with the chiefs and people of Pantang, were putting together an operation and maintenance plan to ensure smooth running of the centre for the present generation as well as generations yet unborn.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ga South, Mr Jerry Akwei Thompson, observed that the centre would give the youth in the area the opportunity to compete with their counterparts elsewhere.
The chiefs of the two communities—Nii Kwashie Gborlor IV of Ngleshie Amanfrom and Nii Okang Okuadjo I of Pantang Village—urged the government to construct roads to the community.
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