Accra, May 12, GNA - The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA), a South African-based Information Communication Technology (ICT) consultancy firm, would hold its fourth international conference in Ghana.

The event which would be held for more than 500 participants, to be drawn from across the world, at Ghana- India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, starts from May 17 to 21, under the theme: "Developing with Ownership."

Mr. John Dramani Mahama, Vice President would address the opening session.

The conference is to bring consumers of ICT products in direct contact with the technology experts, for them to

raise questions bothering them. Addressing a pre-event press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, Madam Nnenna Nwakanma, Council Chairperson

for FOSSFA, said that group focused on a key technology to drive innovation, add local value and create sustainable

and affordable ICT solutions. She said FOSSFA was software, which could be freely used, modified and distributed. Madam Nwakanma said that developers were able to customise, change or add FOSSFA technology and join in

the global open production processes. She explained that this would help stimulate local innovation and growth in the ICT sector. Madam Nwakanma reiterated that FOSSFA technologies offered opportunities for small and medium sized ICT

Enterprises to provide ICT services for local ICT markets since many ITC-SME might not be aware of how to use

FOSSFA in their business models. She said the software would help IT experts to track information such as when it would rain, to enable farmers

plan adequately and plant their crops to increase production. Madam Nwakanma said that the software could track data on disaster zones, and for surveying. She said the conference fee for foreign participants was 500 dollars and 100 dollars for Ghanaians and 50 dollars

for students. Mrs. Dorothy Gordon, Director General of Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, said most

successful people in the ICT business were the youth and called on young people, especially girls to go into ICT-

related courses. She said the conventional notion that professional competence was the preserve of those with long service was

now a thing of the past.