INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GROWTH IN ETHIOPIA

clpotential users.
The 1960’s witnessed the advent ofA centralized approach to building information and
information technology in Ethiopia, when the mainframecommunication technologies in Ethiopia was first
computers were introduced for the first time in Africa.proposed by donor agencies such as UNESCO and
Despite being installed in the important sectors ofIDRC as soon as microcomputers were introduced to
military, defense, finance, telecom, electricity & power,the county. In 1986 national computing and information
and railways, the mainframes had no interactivecenter was also established. However, the intended
boundaries within the sector.goals were not realized by the centre due to high
Later, microcomputers spread widely in the countrycontrol by the military government of the time,
either by direct purchase or through donorinadequate resources, high turnover, shortage of skilled
development aid. Like its predecessor, the initial use ofmanpower and insufficient knowledge of information
microcomputers was characterized by inadequatetechnology by decision makers.
literacy and patchy understanding of the technology by