MESSAGE BY MRS. RODAH A. MASAVIRU, THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE PAN AFRICAN POSTAL UNION ON THE OCCASION OF THE PAPU DAY, JANUARY 18, 2010
It is with profound joy and pride that we celebrate the 2010 Pan African Post Day, a very special day indeed as PAPU marks its 30th anniversary. Thirty years in the life of an individual or an organization is neither a simple mater, nor a mere statistic. For the Postal fraternity in Africa, t represents enduring memories of challenges and opportunities; of hope and growth; of great promise and determination to succeed against all odds. It is against this background that we mark 18th January 210, he PAPU Day, with pomp and celebration at the PAPU headquarters in Arusha Tanzania, around the theme: “The Post, a veritable means to bridge the digital gap.”
The postal sub-sector and the post in Africa in particular, embraces this theme with passion in line with PAPU’s vision, mission and strategic objectives. Our primary objective is to have an efficient postal network in Africa that effectively inter-links with the rest of the world and guarantees a wide range of quality ICT based products and services to meet and even exceed customer expectations.
This can only be achieved with reform and modernization, by putting in place appropriate electronic and physical infrastructure and policies to stimulate sustainable development of the postal sector, in line with the African Union Study recommendations. It is emphasized that a truly integrated information society can only be a reality if the rural and urban, as well as the information-rich and information poor communities are connected through modern communication infrastructure. Ultimately, member countries of PAPU and the UPU are committed to the development of a strong and competitive physical, electronic and financial postal network.
The 21st century is increasingly being defined by phenomenal growth in the ICT sector, driven by what is referred to as the “internet explosion,” which has created new ways of communicating and doing business.
This technological progress, although it generates high economic growth, it also creates new forms of exclusion that is commonly referred to as the digital gap or divide. This is where our concern as communication service provider, and in particular universal service providers within the postal sector, begin.
This expression refers to the socio-economic gap between those who are using the opportunities offered by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for their personal and professional needs and those who cannot use them because they do not have access to the equipment for various reasons, including knowledge and skills.
According to a UN study conducted in 2008, internet users were 5 times less in Africa than in North America, i.e. 51 million in Africa compared to 248 million, whereas the African continent is three times more populated (955 million inhabitants) than North America (338 million).
One should note that the digital divide is not only measured between Northern industrialized countries and Southern countries but also within continents and rural areas. On the African continent, more than half of the internet users are in Northern African countries and in the Republic of South Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, only 3% of the populations are connected to the internet. At national levels, there are glaring disparities between rural and urban populations and even within urban populations in the under-served areas.
The digital gap negates the building of a fully integrated, harmonious and equitable information society. Whereas the digital gap cannot be totally eliminated, it is imperative that stakeholders in the communications industry take measures to mitigate the effects of the phenomenon.
In this process, the Post in general and the African Post in particular, can play a leading role through its traditional grass-root presence and as a catalyst for social-economic and cultural development in our countries. Indeed, of all the public enterprises, the Post is the one that has the largest contact network in the world. At world level, the Post has about 660.000 Post Offices spread in urban and well as rural and remote areas. Depending on this large and widespread network and embracing new information and communication technologies in its reform policy, the Post can effectively facilitate access of populations to ICT-based products and services thereby significantly contributing towards bridging the digital divide. The availability of the internet through cybercafés in the Post offices with indeed offer users services and opportunities such as:
- E-mail;
- Hybrid mail
- E-commerce;
- Electronic money transfer;
- Online financial services and
- E-learning.
Conscious of the necessity for PAPU member countries to better meet the growing and changed needs of customers by modernizing their network and fully embracing new ICTs, the PAPU General Secretariat, in partnership with the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), and Regional African Satellite Communication Organization (RASCOM) is implementing a project known as the E-Post Africa Project. Through this initiative whose aim is to bridge the digital divide between Africa and the Industrialized world and within Africa itself, PAPU and its partners’ ultimate aim is to install multimedia terminals in all post offices on the continent, at an affordable cost.
I wish to seize this occasion of the celebration of the 30 years of PAPU, to once again call upon all member countries to support the E-post Africa Project and embrace new technologies and innovations, in order to collectively and successfully embrace digital integration on the African continent.
We at the PAPU Secretariat are totally committed to bridge the digital divide and count on all members countries’ support to see this great dream come true.
I wish you all very successful celebrations of the Pan African Postal Union 30th Anniversary.
MRS. RODAH A. MASAVIRU
SECRETARY GENERAL
