Information is critical to development, thus Information communication technologies (ICT) as a means of sharing information are not simply a connection between people but a link in the chain of the development process itself. There’s no doubt that information technology the world over is a cross cutting issue in the development endeavour. However, in order to ensure that effective communication is attained as major tool for development, there’s need for policy direction to guide information technology service providers. It is in this line that the government of the republic of Zambia has indicated that it was finalising the national information policy which was formulated this year at the national IT policy symposium.
Although the country has seen a sharp rise in the number of information service providers, the vast majority of the citizens still can’t access these facilities. It is also evident that most service providers are concentrating on the line of rail. Furthermore the level of appreciation of information technology from most people is very low.
Detailed analysis of experience around the world reveals ample evidence that IT if used in the right way and for the right purposes; it can have a dramatic impact on achieving specific social and economic goals, as well as playing a key role in broader national development strategy.
ICT initiatives targeting specific development goals have proved successful and can be regionally or nationally scaled contributing to the critical mass and the threshold levels needed to ignite a virtuous cycle of development.
It continues in such circumstances, the increase use and pervasive impact of ICT can substantially enhance the ability of a nation to address the full range of development goals.

ICT is a critical enabler to sustainable socio economic growth and also a vital ingredient for effective national or regional coordination in the creation of large markets .The development of the World Wide Web and internet has further enhanced the available computing power. The result has been that information is easily transferred and transmitted instantaneously between and among individuals, organizations and their subsidiaries around the world.
This has in essence made the value of information in national development grow substantially.
Ultimately, these developments have had by far a decisive impact on most of the countries of the world, making the concept of globalization a reality. Globalization has also meant that nations have to compete for the same scarce resources wherever they may be in the world and in this process information has emerged as one of the major tools for harnessing global resources.
According to the UN, ICTs can also play a crucial role in preventing violations of human rights and inducing remedial action. ICTs have the potential to help realize and give more meaning to the rights enshrined in the universal declaration and subsequent covenants through its networking features. ICTs can help monitor the observance and implementation human rights instruments.
Women being among the less privileged people around the world are able to use computers to communicate globally taping into world wide networks. Women are talking with one another planning and strategizing as if the whole world were there own community. With the use of the internet some women in developing countries Zambia not to be left out have been able to improve their daily lives through greater access to useful, practical information on income generating activities, agricultural production methods and health. In addition women in different localities are now able to link up through national, regional and international networks. ICT enables the sharing of ideas insights and experiences among themselves and with others.

This process of electronic networking leads to the strengthening of groups and individual women’s skills and contacts facilitating the related processes of empowerment and democratization.
ICTs serve as a valuable vehicle for combating poverty and fostering economic growth. They offer untapped potential to generate access, disseminate and share knowledge at societal levels and promote a networked economy. Given these characteristics, ICTs can be powerful tools to tackle problems of poverty and can also strengthen informed decision making at all levels. ICTs can increase the capacity off governments to deal with economic and social challenges e-government is an especially promising area of ICT applications for developing countries. It permits more efficient and transparent administration at lower cost fosters broader public participation and helps give the poor improved access to government services and a greater say in public decisions.

On the other hand ICTs reduce isolation, facilitate international co-operation and provide access to vast amount of information, although serious problems of access remain. ICTs are not only the significant factor in the performance and growth of economies the importance of which is continuously growing but they also represent a novel and effective tool to help advance sustainable human development .ICTs allow faster delivering and a more adapted content of technical assistance in a variety of sectors ranging from long distance education, fare medicine, environmental management to strengthening of participating approaches and the creation of new livelihood.
Above all, ICTs open up the humankind making people enlightened. People have access to learning on time and many such opportunities. An educated person is the key to the development of any country. This is so because he/she understands the environment around and how to manipulate resources to bring about development.
It is clear that the adoption and utilization of ICTs for national development is not only a necessity but a driving force in terms of competitiveness , self - sustainability and survival overtime , it is expected that ICTs will change the whole pattern of people's lives ,as completely as broadcasting , telephony and high speed transport did in the past.
In conclusion I would like to urge the global community to make sure that access to ICTs is equal to everyone regardless of gender, age or race. Unless if access to ICT is improved it will be difficult for planet to become a global village.