Our monthly series of quotes on African technology and progress continues with a variety of insights from entrepreneurs, political leaders, and everyday citizens. Most speakers are African, but all are actively involved in ICT or IT development.

We now have a vibrant ecosystem and people with very innovative ideas.” – Simon Ouattara, Microsoft general manager for Francophone west and central Africa on the region’s IT industry

Information technology has opened a path for achieving remarkable improvements in transparency and also in governance.” – World Bank Country Director for Kenya Johannes Zutt

At least three or four” – Libyan Communications Minister Anwar El-Feitori, on the number of foreign operators that have expressed interest in entering the Libyan telecoms industry

We want to make sure that there is sufficient and affordable internet capacity on the Rwandan market so that we get to a point where internet bandwidth is a commodity.” – Patrick Nyirishema, Head of Information and Communication Technology department at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) upon signing a contract with Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited to provide international internet bandwidth

Let us not wait another century to recognise that broadband was another missed opportunity for Africa.” – Rwandan President Paul Kagame at a recent ITU meeting

I see my son and his friends using the MXit but I don’t know what they do there. They are always on their phones. I don’t have time for that, to be always on the phone… I use my phone to make and receive phone calls and SMS.” – Paul, a typical 49 year-old South African from a semi-rural area, highlighting the lack of connectivity outside of cities

This is not a viable alternative to paid-for Internet services.” – MXit CEO Alan Knott-Craig, on Stellenbosch, South Africa, the first African city to boast free wireless for all citizens

Our results suggest that the internet can’t plant the seed of democracy in a country. However, the internet may help democracy flourish if it has already started to grow.” – Erik Nisbet, lead author of an Ohio State University study on the role of the Internet promoting fundamental political change

Capital is a big problem here, but nobody’s really talking about it.” – Mark Davies, British entrepreneur working in Ghana for the past 12 years on the innovative Ghanaian spirit despite lack of funding

Kenyan prices are ridiculously high, if the relative cost were the same in the US, 1mbps would cost 37,000 Euro per year.” – Nikolai Barnwell of 88mph and Startup Garage Nairobi, on decent broadband pricing

We want Kenya to be among the top 10 ICT hubs in the world.” – Kenya ICT Board chief executive Paul Kukubo

Mettez le drapeau du Mali sur votre profil pour soutenir son unicité” – Oumar Maigar, member of the Facebook group of ‘Collectif des Ressortissants du Nord’ in Mali, on urging members to change their profile pictures as a sign of solidarity

Submarine cables and terrestrial fibre will fuel the demand for satellite rather than the other way around.” – Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou, GM for Africa at satellite services company SES

I try to send sometimes 60 pages. That might take you anything up to 18, 20 hours, which means that sometimes at night you set it up and you keep your fingers crossed that sometime in the middle of the night it will not just stop working.” – Patricia Oben, a consultant in Douala, Cameroon, on slow Internet connections

A negative image of Ethiopia still prevails in different countries and in the minds of potential tourists. We hope that this website will provide accurate and useful information and contribute to the closing of the information gap.” – Bedilu Shegen, Chief of Party of the Ethiopian Sustainable Tourism Alliance (ESTA)

There is something about the internet that gives people boldness to speak their mind – people are connecting, sharing stories and ideas. Others who have suffered in silence speak out.” – Frederick Bvalani, co-founder of Malawi Fuel Watch Facebook group

We are being left seriously behind by Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria in terms of attracting investment and industry with technology. They will become the economic engines of the continent.” – Adrian Schofield, president of the Computer Society South Africa, on the lack of a national South African ICT policy

I believe we have only scratched the surface of what IXPN will be able to do for the growth of the Internet in Africa.”– Muhammed Rudman, chief executive officer of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) on the potential for IXPs to boost affordable access

Note: All quotations include a link to the source that originally cited the speaker.