Accra, Sept. 13, GNA - The first batch of seven taxi drivers in the Accra Metropolis on Tuesday started a training programme in Information Communication and Technology (ICT) organized by the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.

The one-week training programme dubbed "Drive IT" is intended to train about hundred drivers in batches from selected union branches in basic computer skills.

Ms Dorothy Gordon, Director General of the Centre, launching the programme said taxi drivers were among the most important people in every society as they were mostly the first to share information about the country with visitors.

"Taxi drivers, normally the first point of interaction with the public and visitors to the country need to be abreast with trends in the global world."

She said the driving profession was changing and many people were using ICT to get higher returns in their work hence the need to give the drivers the needed education in basic computer. Participants would be taken through lessons, which would show them how to send e-mails and how to browse and would have a better feel for what ICT was about, Ms Gordon said.

She expressed the hope that the programme would go a long way to promote the growth of ICT among people and sensitise Ghanaian businessmen to appreciate the potentials of ICT as a modern and efficient tool for improving their productivity.