Professor Manoj Maharaj, who teaches information systems and technology at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa, has pleaded with stakeholders in Ghana's telecommunications sector to speak with one voice and work together to address the shared goal of providing open and accessible internet in developing countries.
He reiterated the necessity for society as a whole to be digitally integrated, noting that having access to the internet is the only way to benefit from it.
The only option for poor nations to stay current, he added, "is to be information aged, and we cannot do that traditionally because we are already behind." This is a decision that, in his opinion, policymakers need to make.
He argued that the abundance of natural resources the nation enjoys will never enable it to advance; rather, what would be necessary "is when every person can virtualize themselves and become a part of this Information Age, which includes having access to the internet," he said.
He contends that quick access to the internet and its affordability for simple purchase are prerequisites before every resident of a nation may become digitally savvy.
"I know data is expensive, so people buy it for their phones in lesser amounts, use it as needed, then turn it off since it's expensive, but I'm arguing it shouldn't be expensive," the author claims.
Every individual in Ghana must have access to information if the country wants its people to participate in the Information Age. The only way to have that access, he continued, is to have high-speed wireless internet that is also reasonably priced.
This statement was given at the School of Graduate Studies and Research's 23rd Prestigious Lecture, which was presented in collaboration with University Relations and the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) - GCTU.
The topic of this year's Prestigious Lecture, "Digital Transformation in Higher Educational Institutions in the 21st Century," provided an insightful look at the opportunities, difficulties, and lessons learned relating to this highly relevant area of Higher Education in our region of the world and beyond.
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