CCRC - TIGA

Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards were presented for the first time in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on May 1, 2007 recognizing achievements made by African governments in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in improving socio-economic conditions throughout the continent. Organized in conjunction with the ECA’s Fifth Committee on Development Information (CODI V) Conference, the TIGA Awards acknowledged the tremendous efforts made by the 12 winning project teams.

From left to right: Mr. Girma Wake, CEO, Ethiopian Airlines; Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary, UNECA; H.E. Yves Boulanger, Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia; Ms. Wendy Ace, Director, CePRC.

As significant as the ceremony was, it is apparent that the TIGA Awards are a long overdue recognition of the successes achieved by African governments in dealing with challenges in innovative and efficient ways. They are a reminder that ICTs are and should be regarded as a tool to reach development goals. Finally, to echo the words of one of the winners, the TIGA Awards are an affirmation that Africa is moving in the right direction, as far as the use of ICTs is concerned.

Mame Ousmane Kane, ORBUS Project, Senegal

In the midst of the numerous challenges Africa faces, accompanied by the remedies to resolve them, ICTs do not necessarily emerge on top as a potential remedy. The use of ICTs as a tool in international development is likely to gain more importance as the TIGA projects attract attention throughout Africa.

Accountability and transparency in the way the services are delivered emerged as a common thread among a number of winning projects. As exemplified by the Kenyan Online Exam Result Delivery Project, the Egyptian Education Initiative Project and the Ethiopian Court Administration Reform, the accessibility of the information to all citizens promotes transparency, and in return advances the notion of good governance.

Dr. Driss Kettani, eFez Project, Morocco (left); H.E. Yves Boulanger, Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia (right)

Additionally, as the Instant Money Transfer (IMT) Service Project from Ghana demonstrates, the project truly serves the citizens, addressing issues from poverty alleviation, security of the citizens, and even the reduction in the number of accidents. The convenience of using a phone to make money transfers from the nearest post office eliminates the lengthy and dangerous trips from rural to urban areas, where people could be targeted if suspected of carrying large amounts of money. The project even aids in poverty reduction in the region, with people employed in the cities sending money to relatives in rural areas.

The TIGA Awards are a well deserved acknowledgement for the many public servants involved in the projects themselves. The overwhelming feeling of gratitude matched the hard work of employees. Just as ICTs are a powerful enabler in achieving other development goals, it was clear that the TIGA Awards achieve even more than the project had set out to do.

In addition to the positive impact that the winning projects have on the citizens they serve, they also encourage knowledge sharing among African governments. In fact, all of the TIGA Award winners will have an opportunity to do exactly that when they participate at the upcoming Microsoft ICT Best Practices Forum in Burkina Faso on June 7-9, and the Government Technology Exhibition and Conference (GTEC) in Ottawa, to be held October 15-18, 2007. Moreover, all of the recognition and rewards garnered by winning a TIGA Award encourages submissions of many other worthy projects throughout Africa, who will no doubt take center stage at the next year’s TIGA Awards ceremony.

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TIGA Awards – a step in the right direction