UNION INTERNATIONALE DES TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION UNIÓN INTERNACIONAL DE TELECOMUNICACIONES Conference of African Ministers of Transport, Communications and Planning Abuja, Nigeria 7 February 1991 Statement by Pekka Tarjanne Secretary-General International Telecommunication Union Mr. Vice-President, Honourable Ministers, Dear friends, In 1982, the Nairobi Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union established an Independent Commission to examine world-wide telecommunication development. That Commission, which was composed of eminent personalities from around the world, produced a remarkable report which was aptly called the "The Missing Link". The Commission's findings revealed in very clear terms that telecommunications was indeed a tool for development and not, as is sometimes mistakenly believed, a luxury for the affluent. The first World Telecommunication Development Conference that was held in Arusha, Tanzania in 1985, endorsed the Independent Commission's Report and declared that "... telecommunications should be brought within easy reach of mankind by the early part of the next century". It also observed that the gap of telecommunication service availability between the industrialized and the developing world should be bridged in the interest of both parties. The situation to date is unfortunately going in the reverse direction, i.e. the gap is ever growing. That is why we need to resolve once again to stop this tendency, for telecommunications has now more than ever, become a critical element in all walks of life. The essence of telecommunication is the passing of information from one point to another at relatively little cost and very rapidly. We all agree that information and hence, knowledge is a key ingredient to all activities of man. Considering that the great majority of the population and at the same time the bulk of the source of national revenue is located in the rural areas of the African continent, it is, in particular, these regions of each country that need to be provided with the right tool for development. It is of course true that the rural areas need roads, education, water, primary health etc. It is also true that you, Ministers responsible for planning, do your utmost to provide all of the above and more. And yet you are faced with not only limited but alas, even diminishing resources to be allocated for development. That is why the responsible official of each of the sectors of the economy calls on you to give a higher priority to one than the other. You will therefore not be surprised when I as the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union suggest to you that priority of priorities be given to telecommunications. There are indeed objective reasons to justify such a course of action. Why is telecommunications becoming more and more important? - First of all, thanks to modern technology even the remotest of areas can now be given good telecommunication service at a relatively low cost. - Secondly, telecommunication services enhance and support more and more in our information society other sectors of the economy such as transport, agriculture, commerce, etc. There will be no economic growth, no social, cultural or political growth without telecommunications. It is for these and similar other reasons that the feasibility study on the Regional African Satellite System (RASCOM) was conducted and the conclusions presented to the special Conference of Ministers of Telecommunications in the course of this week, here in Abuja. As I told the Ministers of Telecommunications, despite its name, RASCOM is a comprehensive integrated telecommunication and broadcasting network study, and not simply a satellite system study. The RASCOM feasibility study had as its cornerstone the requirement to evaluate appropriate modern technologies in terms of cost, revenue and social benefits in the interest of the totality of the population of each country. That was why with the active participation of the national committees we were able to identify the number of villages or population centres in each country and their distances from the nearest telecommunication access point. This analysis will enable you to plan how close you can bring the telephone service to your population! May I therefore urge the distinguished Ministers of Planning to include telecommunications in their check list of development plans. No rural or other integrated development plan should be launched without an appropriate component of telecommunications. Should this be so, I am confident, it will enable your countries to "leap frog" some stages of the development process thanks to an adequate flow of information as a result of a small timely investment in an appropriate telecommunication technology. Since you will shortly be receiving the report of your fellow Ministers of Telecommunications on how they foresee the implementation of the RASCOM Project, I need add no more at this stage. However, let me say that as Africa proceeds on the way towards economic integration, it is absolutely essential that the member countries launch an active programme harmonizing their telecommunication policy. Indeed, the African Regional Telecommunication Development Conference held in Harare, Zimbabwe, last December has already produced a detailed recommendation on telecommunication policy and I earnestly commend it to your attention. Finally, allow me to thank you Mr. Vice-President, the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Executive Secretary of ECA, Professor Adedeji, for the opportunity offered to me to speak to you on this important occasion. At the same time I would like to thank you for the effective support that your country, Nigeria, continues to give to the ITU. I can only respond by pledging the full support of the ITU to the noble goal of improving communications in Africa and thus the economic growth of African countries and the standard of living, well-being and happiness of all the people of Africa. Thank you. -----