Cameroon delegation ended a 5 days ICT study tour in Rwanda

The Cameroon delegation comprised of Mayors, university lecturers and managers of community multimedia centers ended a 5 days study tour in Rwanda. The objective of the study tour was to learn from Rwanda Telecentre Network (RTN) specifically on how the latter has been able to scale up and sustain ICT access points (Telecentres) in Rwanda. Currently, RTN has 1,800 telecentres providing government to citizens (G2C) and Business to citizens (B2C) services.
The delegation visited RTN head office in Nyamata-Bugesera, in order to get acquainted with operational mode of the e-government platform (Irembo platform). Also the delegates visited selected telecentres to experience how citizens are accessing online services through a network of Telecentres.
The Cameroon Ministry of Post and Telecommunication (MINPOSTEL) initiated the telecentres project in Cameroon in the early 2000s, with the objective of reducing the digital divide and supporting the development of rural areas through the facilitation of access to ICT tools and services at affordable prices. In this framework, 231 telecentres consisting mainly of MCT were put in place.
Over the time, the management model of telecentres in Cameroon has shown numerous limits which include the management structure and lack of local content. This has been a hinderance not only to scalability and sustainability but also led to the complete shutdown of some telecentres.
As noted by the delegates during a desk research on best practices of telecentre projects in Africa, the Rwanda Telecentre Network (RTN) has leveraged many aspects which the Support Program for Municipal Development (PROMUD) will consider in supporting telecentre projects in Cameroon. The results achieved by RTN so far are regarded as inspiring and can therefore be helpful in developing strategy to revitalize pilot telecentres in Cameroon.
RTN was initiated in 2006 following the launch of NICI II (The Rwanda ICT policy) as private initiative to support massive deployment of entrepreneur-based Telecentres in Rwanda. So far RTN has around 1,800 ICT access points countrywide and around 5,000 people are visiting them every day to access a number of online services. It is paramount to remind that RTN’s performance was enhanced by partnering with different institutions both public and private.