"It is interesting that things are moving forward and it could be a good idea for Africa to have open software in vernacular language," he told AfricaNews in an exclusive interview. The ICT specialist said such software would make e-learning a possibility in the continent. “Access to information plays a vital tool in the development agenda,” he noted alongside the ongoing sixth international access conference being held in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Schoneboom said the continent also lack the capacity to effectively roll out ICT services to all its communities. Monopoly is the main cause of Africa’s setback in Information and Communication Technology, he added.

He said the biggest problem about monopoly would continue to exist if governments continue to exert strong regulatory restrictions on ICT service provider licenses. The Information and Communication Association of Malawi with support from the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA), Ubuntu Net and other local companies organized the conference which ends on Friday.