Information and Communication Technology for Development: Empowering Egypt's Youth

Emerging information and communication technology (ICT) is setting the pace for a changing, competitive and dynamic global marketplace, representing an invaluable vehicle for socioeconomic development and introducing new forms and structures of organizations that are no longer affected by geographical or time barriers. The government of Egypt in collaboration with different stakeholders has implemented a number of projects to diffuse ICT for development with implications that varied across different sectors and communities. The author of this paper aims to evaluate the ICT sectors' development in Egypt over the last two decades. The paper will examine the efforts exerted with respect to strategy development, policy implementation, ICT deployment and their implications for wider socioeconomic development. It will also discuss some of the best practice examples of the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) to generate youth employment. Particular attention is paid to best practice examples from low and middle-income countries. The final part of the paper offers recommendations aimed at promoting ICT-related opportunities for young people. This paper seeks to balance optimism about ICT's potential with an awareness of the constraints and obstacles that obviously exists. The author is expected to reflect where possible the sector-specific concerns and aspirations of youth regarding the above.