Zambia still lags in ICT research, said Zambian Minister of Communications and Transport Dora Siliya, who spoke at last week's First National ICT Research Symposium in Lusaka.

There has been little research done on issues affecting the ICT sector in Zambia specifically, as researchers tend to study more general trends across Africa, Siliya said. This research from other African countries does not reflect the specific needs of Zambia's ICT sector, she said.

Limited information sharing is often blamed for the widening ICT research gap between Africa and the rest of the world. The symposium was aimed at establishing closer working relationship between Zambian researchers, academic institutions and the Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) in managing a range of problems affecting the sector.

Siliya said there is need for more research that would highlight the social, technological and economic impact of ICT in the country.

"It is clear that research in the products and services, as well as the intellectual capacity to undertake and manage research, is the cornerstone of developing the ICT sector," she said.

The CAZ, Siliya noted, has already started to identify and create partnerships with Zambian researchers as a way of increasing the provision of affordable ICT products and services in the country.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.