Promoting widespread diffusion of ICTs to speed up achievements of the MDGs in Africa: A case for the MDG 2 in Uganda

Abstract

The paper discusses the crucial role of ICTs to leap-frog the status of the African countries to achieve the full status of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the UN by 2015. Uganda is a typical show case of a sub-Saharan African country. The objectives are to: assess the status of the MDG 2 in Uganda, the challenges encountered, and the diffusion of ICTs in Africa. In this review we collated published evidence on the performance of Uganda in implementing the MDG 2 since its inception in 1997 in the county. Information was accessed using internet search engines and libraries. There is a wide rural-urban digital gap, weak ICT infrastructures, and low awareness at the expense of quality Universal Primary Education (UPE). There is limited access to ICTs, ICT illiteracy, poor quality education, lack of e- books or ICT instructional materials to cut the costs of school administration like communication.