Ghana's ICT policy under review

The policy known as Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) Policy represents the Vision for Ghana in the information age.

It is based on the Policy Framework Document: "An Integrated ICT-led Socio-economic Development Policy and Plan Development Framework for Ghana" was released in 2003.

The development of this policy framework document was based on a nation-wide consultative process involving all key stakeholders in the public sector, private sector and civil society.

The Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) Policy Statement fully takes into account the aspirations and the provisions of key socio-economic development framework documents including: the Vision 2020 - The First Steps; the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) (2002 -2004) and the Co-ordinated Programme for Economic and Social Development of Ghana (2003-2012) .

The director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Aida Opoku-Mensah hinted: "There are four components and one of them is Geo information. We want this to be part and parcel of the national ICT framework so that it can be integrated into every aspect of development."

Though she did not disclose the number of officials from UNECA, Opoku-Mensah pointed out that UNECA had assisted Ghana to "acquire up-to-date satellite images of Accra" to help with the street naming initiative.

Geospatial technology or geomatics is the use of technology for the gathering, storing, processing and delivering geographic or spatial information.

She however said that the technology was not being utilised to its full potential on the African continent.