ABSTRACT
International technical and development assistance organizations have played a prominent role in the introduction of information technology to the African countries. This chapter examines some of the implications of aid provided by international organisations. Aid or assistance is sometimes given for humanitarian or political reasons, but more often it serves donor interests and is a business in which large private gains can be made. The outcome of an aid project also depends on the recipient organisation which itself has an important role to play in the whole process. The investment in hardware should be balanced with that needed to develop skills in order to make the operational use and the maintenance of the equipment possible, and consequently for the aid process to be successful. The number of computers introduced through international organisation assisted projects has been growing geometrically. International organisations must also formulate technology transfer policies and guidelines that make effective transfer possible under these conditions.
