About FOSSWAY
FOSSFA, in collaboration with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), has recently launched FOSSWAY - FOSS Advocacy in West Africa and Beyond, a 3 year advocacy project to increase the awareness and use of the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in the Western part of the African continent at all levels, including academia, educational institutions, the media, NGOs and associations, SMEs, and governments.
The project will also advocate for consideration of FOSS issues in the formulation of policies and standards in the subregion. It will establish researched and accurate data on ICT use, software needs and expenditure, FOSS implementation total cost of ownership, opportunity costs, expectations and emerging trends in West African countries.
Over the past years, the issue of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) for development has received increasing attention. Research into FOSS and Developing Countries has focussed on the potentialities of FOSS to blend technological innovation with societal development, emphasising the fact that FOSS offers Developing Countries the opportunity to adapt, localise and shape software according to their own needs and context.
Philosophy, economy and software development model of FOSS have made an ineradicable impact on how information technology is conceptualised, used and developed and may have positive implications for development projects, especially in a developing context.
Introducing FOSS in West Africa is not about adopting software free of charge, but rather about acquiring software that can be modified and developed to meet local needs and participate in the innovation process.