Building e-skills in Africa

This chapter discusses what kind of strategies are needed to improve people's e-skills in Africa. A hybrid between technological and organizational skills, e-skills are becoming the cornerstone of human development in the 21 st century. They allow ICT to be used to its full extent-fostering economic growth, social inclusion, health and education services, and poverty reduction. Hence, significant progress in e-skills development is possible in Africa, but it will require system-wide changes. Small-scale programs and local reforms often fail to achieve the desired large-scale effects. More equitable access, quality, relevance, and effectiveness of e-skills development cannot depend solely on scaling up "best practices." Attention needs to be paid to the governance environment in which e-skills programs take place.