Africa is now at development crossroads.

In our world today, Africa is a technological development laggard. We are no longer a pioneer in technology. Most of our activities, products, services, and operations are not carried out with the help of modern technology. Nevertheless, in some areas, Africa is effectively using modern technology. However, most of the diffusion of technology in Africa occurs by happenstance and not by a well-thought-out and diligently enforced plan or strategy.

Thus, Africa’s technological ecosystem is growing, attracting investors and leading people to change their perceptions of the continent as stagnant, fragile, and poor. In 2021, mobile technology generated 1.7 million jobs and raked in $144 billion, or nearly 8.5% of the continent’s GDP (Muthui, 2022). By 2030, Africa will likely have almost equal internet connectivity to the rest of the world.

According to research, the fast expansion of 3G and 4G internet across Africa has considerably increased peoples’ financial stability and economic growth. However, many low-income Africans residing in rural areas could not access the internet without cheap internet and consistent electricity. Countries that fail to address internet connectivity concerns risk restricting their residents’ potential and aggravating inequality. If technology development and diffusion in Africa were rigorously planned with intentionality, there would be synergy between available infrastructure and needed technology products. Unfortunately, this has not been the case as development has not been taken seriously.

In fact, given where we are today, Africa is at development crossroads, and many African countries have an unparalleled opportunity for structural transformation, sustainable growth, and rapid development. However, there won’t be a single recipe for success since every country must deal with various social, political, economic, and technological variables.

With this in mind, what should Africa do? Which development recipe should an African country adopt now? Should Africa return to the past for ideas, philosophical re-orientations, and motivations? Some say that doing this would not be retrogressive but progressive. So, like the Sankofa bird, Africa needs to look back to its antiquity to fetch those energies, zeal, and fire it had, to rekindle its quest for pioneering Science and Technology (S & T), as all that is still part of their genetic archetypes. But, should it remain a technology and development laggard? Or should it strive to be a pioneer once again? Which model of development should it adopt? Is it the Eurocentric model of development, a model that has decimated the world with unprecedented climatic or ecological change and calamities, dehumanised humans by kicking off their spiritual props, and left humans with a constant threat of nuclear annihilation? Or, should it try to take the best it can from the S&Ts of today and the development models or ethos of today and leave out those elements that are detrimental to the health of individuals, nations, our continent, and the world, for a more balanced, healthy, and self-sustaining model of development? I believe that this latter model is the best for Africa. It would mean that Africa would embrace new technologies and use them for rapid growth while ensuring that we develop sustainably, not just for us but also for the environment. Africa cannot risk continuing to be a laggard while the US, Europe, and other developed countries continue with their present mode of development. With new technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and bio-engineering, and journeys to the Moon and Mars, Africa might be committing existential suicide if that is the case, for these countries might return to exploit and control Africa further, taking away sovereignty and enslaving Africans once again, even beyond their present neo-colonialist grip on Africa.

The impending burden of employment generation for the continent’s rising population heightens the importance of the task at hand. Every year, an estimated 12 million young Africans join the labour force, and without significantly increased prospects in agriculture and manufacturing, governments will experience rising and potentially disruptive pressures from a disillusioned and underemployed populace.

Africa has no option but to embark on a comprehensive scientific and technological development model. African governments now have a substantial obligation to ensure that the gains of technological advancement are appropriately distributed and that they translate into better well-being for people, particularly the most vulnerable. This would need legislation and enforcement to guarantee that private-sector actors conform to fair labour practices, integrity, resource conservation, and accountability norms. An all-inclusive model where the private sector plays a key role and the government provides the enabling environment to foster technological growth is imperative. In addition, a model where young techpreneurs are encouraged to discover new ways technology can further improve our daily lives is highly desirable. With this model in place, I am sure that in no time, Africa will begin gliding further up the development ladder. The dye is cast for Africa!

 

Reference

Muthui, K. (2022, April 1). Accelerating Africa’s digital transformation – The Exchange. The Exchange. https://theexchange.africa/tech-business/accelerating-africas-digital-transformation/

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