eReadiness in African Countries

British Publishers is at the forefront of debate when it comes to eStrategies around the world and our roundtable forums have fostered high-level discussion on these strategies in almost every sector, from eHealth and eGovernment, through to software development and electronic border controls.

Throughout these debates, however, one issue has been a constant backdrop to the dialogue – we've called it eReadiness and it has served as a continuous reminder to our informed discussion that you can have all the technology you want, but unless you have the structure, the policies, the education and the buy-in of the citizen in place, then it will be next to useless.

So welcome to a new series of roundtable forums British Publishers will be hosting discussing just such issues. How ready are we to adopt the technology on offer? Indeed, what does this technology offer that makes it worth our while getting ready for it in the first place?

Of course, the issue of eReadiness has different resonance depending on where you are in the world. Parts of Western Europe and the USA, for example, are further along the road to the true knowledge economy than many parts of Africa. Lessons can be learnt from these nations, however, and, through dialogue at roundtables like these, perhaps mistakes can be avoided and less developed nations can catch up and even overtake the rest of the world.

It is our aim to develop eReadiness roundtables to such an extent that they become obsolete. Soon, we hope, that it will be less a question of eReadiness that needs our attention and that we can instead begin to debate the many issues surrounding eActivity. Stay with us on this journey.