Development is the process of enhancing the freedoms the people can enjoy - both 'freedoms from' (e.g. hunger) and freedoms to (e.g. elect their government). For practical purposes the Commonwealth of Learning defines the aims of development as a combination of the Millennium Development Goals, the Dakar goals of Education for All, and the Commonwealth values of Peace, Democracy, Equality and Good Governance. Learning is fundamental to the achievement of all these goals, not only those directly related to education, but also those related to hunger, health and the fostering of democratic societies. Development is a massive challenge of learning but conventional methods of teaching cannot meet the scale of the challenge. Technology must be used to enhance and extend education just as it has transformed other areas of life. Using examples from Ghana the address will illustrate the use of technology, especially open and distance learning, to pursue development goals.