Can the Internet in tertiary education in Africa contribute to social and economic development ?

Poor Internet connectivity is one of the serious underlying causes of the digital divide between developing and industrialized countries, and is hampering the transition to the global information society. The recent emergence of national and regional research and education data communication networks in parts of the developing world have shown large benefits arising from collaboration amongst tertiary education institutes. Africa is currently the most underserved continent in terms of information and communication technologies. Collaboration amongst tertiary education institutes in Africa is essential to make them key players in the enhancement of information and communication technologies for society.