Africans have to learn to manage their own institutions if the people are to achieve significant development. Postponing the process, especially one in which experience counts, merely extends the real period of sleepwalking through development. For Africans, the reciprocal capacity to buy networks in industrial economies is presently non-existent. For example, given the number of Telkom Malaysia seats on the boards of African PTTs from South Africa and Ghana to Guinea, one or two Africans should be on the board of directors of Telkom Malaysia. This will not only promote mutual understanding and trust, but is standard practice outside Africa.
Apprenticeship is a major tool for capacity-building.
The simple truth is that the technology gap between Africa and the industrial world in the information and telecoms field is getting wider by the day. This is the reality which Africans in the industry must address. To do so, they must first take responsibility for the condition of telecoms in Africa, and then find the resolve to take charge of devising a bold development initiative in this strategic and critical sector. They must find the political will amongst the leadership to provide the fullest support for an innovative, long-term strategy for building global competitiveness. Trade cannot be said to be equitable if one side sets the rules, and the other side is compelled to obey them, or risk alienation.