How African Governments Can Harness New Technology to Achieve Their Growth and Development Goals in 2024 and beyond.

Introduction

Technology has become integral to our society. It forms the backbone of our society, underpins critical infrastructure, powers the global economy, and addresses various challenges. It is the architect of our contemporary civilization, influencing the way we live, work, and interact with one another. Its impact extends to all aspects of our lives, from how we entertain ourselves to how we tackle our most pressing global issues.

This is also true for Africa, home to over 1.4 billion people, 54 countries, diverse cultures, languages, and ecosystems. Africa is a continent endowed with abundant natural resources that can support its economic growth and development. According to the UN, it has 30% of the world’s remaining mineral resources, including metals, minerals, oil, and gas. It also has vast potential in renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal. These resources offer Africa an opportunity to diversify its economy, create jobs, and increase its competitiveness in the global market.

However, Africa is faced with its share of challenges, including poverty, inequality, conflict, corruption, climate change, and health crises, which require urgent and effective solutions. To achieve the continent’s growth and development goals in 2024 and beyond, it is crucial to harness the power of technology to address these issues while also celebrating and promoting the many strengths and opportunities that Africa possesses.

Technological transformation in Africa

In the financial world, Africa is witnessing a technological transformation. In a recent report by PwC, 87% of African CEOs acknowledge significant disruptions to their business models. These wheels of change were accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic when digital transformation became a necessity, not a luxury. As the world raced to adapt, African organizations embraced technology with open arms, compelled by a shift in customer behaviour toward digital solutions. The investments in technology are not merely a response to necessity but a recognition of the pivotal role data and cloud computing now play in the financial services ecosystem.

Technological development was also witnessed in industries like transportation, telecommunication, health etc. However, the big question remains: can African governments leverage the potential of technology for the overall growth and development of the African populace in 2024?

Did you know that Africa is the fastest-growing region in terms of internet users? According to Statista, Africa had over 570 million internet users in 2022, an increase of over 100% from 2015. This means that more and more Africans are accessing information, communication, education, entertainment, and opportunities online. It also means that more and more Africans are creating content, sharing ideas, expressing opinions, and participating in digital communities online.

This is a huge opportunity for African governments to connect with their citizens, deliver services, collect data, and solicit feedback online. It is also a huge challenge for African governments to protect their citizens’ privacy, security, rights, and interests online. Technology can help African governments improve public services, enhance governance, increase transparency, foster innovation, and address social and environmental challenges. However, technology also poses new risks and challenges, such as cyberattacks, digital divide, ethical dilemmas, and regulatory gaps.

In this article, we will explore some ways African governments can harness new technology to achieve their growth and development goals in 2024. We will also look at examples of how African governments are already using technology to improve their performance and impact.

Blockchain

One of the key technologies that African governments can leverage to achieve both these objectives is blockchain. Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that records and verifies transactions without the need for a central authority or intermediary. Blockchain can help African governments enhance trust, transparency, accountability, and efficiency. For example:

• In Sierra Leone, the government has used blockchain to conduct the first-ever verifiable and transparent presidential election in 2018. Blockchain technology enabled the electoral commission to record and verify the votes in a secure and tamper-proof manner.
• In South Africa, the government has supported Sun Exchange, a local company that uses blockchain to facilitate solar energy projects. Blockchain technology enables investors to buy and sell solar cells and receive payments in cryptocurrency or local currency.
• In Nigeria, the government has partnered with Wicrypt to provide affordable and accessible internet connectivity to millions of Nigerians while also earning cryptocurrencies and creating job opportunities, especially in rural areas lacking internet infrastructure.

Blockchain can also facilitate other use cases like:

• Improve public service delivery and outcomes using blockchain-powered identity management, digital certificates, e-government, and e-health.
• Enhance fiscal management and governance using blockchain-powered taxation, budgeting, auditing, and anti-corruption.
• Boost trade and commerce using blockchain-powered cross-border payments, remittances, supply chain management, and e-commerce.
• Strengthen democracy and human rights using blockchain-powered voting, civil society, humanitarian aid, and social impact.

Artificial Intelligence

Another key technology that African governments can leverage is Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is the ability of machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, decision-making, and natural language processing. AI can help African governments automate processes, optimize resources, analyze data, generate insights, and provide personalized services. For example:

• In Rwanda, the government has partnered with Zipline, a US-based company that uses drones to deliver blood and medical supplies to remote areas. The drones are powered by AI which enables them to navigate autonomously and efficiently.
• In Nigeria, the government has supported Ubenwa Health, a Montréal-based MedTech startup developing the first technology to rapidly detect neurological conditions in infants using their cry sounds. The smartphone app uses AI to analyze the acoustic features of a baby’s cry and diagnose birth asphyxia, a condition that causes brain damage or death due to lack of oxygen at birth. Ubenwa Health is partnering with leading children’s hospitals in Nigeria to test and validate their technology.

Artificial Intelligence can also facilitate other use cases like:

• Improve healthcare delivery and outcomes using AI-powered diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research.
• Enhance education quality and access using AI-powered learning platforms, adaptive curriculum, personalized feedback, and assessment.
• Boost economic growth and productivity using AI-powered innovation, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, agriculture, and trade.
• Strengthen security and justice using AI-powered surveillance, crime prevention, law enforcement, and judicial systems.
• Advance environmental sustainability using AI-powered monitoring, prediction, mitigation, and adaptation of climate change and natural disasters.

Internet of Things

A third key technology that African governments can leverage is the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is the network of physical objects embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies that enable them to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet. IoT can help African governments collect real-time data, monitor performance, control operations, and optimize efficiency. For example:

• In South Africa, the government has implemented a smart water metering system that uses IoT devices to measure water consumption and leakage in households and businesses. The system has reduced water losses by 25% and saved over $2 million annually.
• In Nigeria, the government has collaborated with ColdHubs, a company that uses solar-powered refrigerators to preserve perishable food items in rural markets. The refrigerators are equipped with IoT sensors that track temperature, humidity, and power consumption. The data is transmitted to a cloud platform that enables the company to monitor and optimize the performance and efficiency of the refrigerators.

The Internet of Things can also facilitate other use cases like:

• Improve urban management and livability using IoT-powered smart city solutions, such as smart lighting, smart parking, smart waste management, smart traffic management, and smart public safety.
• Enhance rural development and inclusion using IoT-powered smart village solutions, such as smart agriculture, smart irrigation, smart health care, smart education, and smart energy.
• Boost infrastructure quality and resilience using IoT-powered smart infrastructure solutions, such as smart bridges, smart roads, smart railways, smart airports, and smart grids.
• Advance disaster risk reduction and response using IoT-powered early warning systems, emergency communication, disaster management, and recovery.
• Foster social cohesion and participation using IoT-powered civic engagement, public consultation, feedback, and voting.

Key strategies

These are some ways African governments can harness new technology to achieve their growth and development goals in 2024. However, these technologies also require careful planning, implementation, regulation, and evaluation to ensure that they are used ethically, responsibly, and inclusively. As Africa charts its course towards achieving growth and development in 2024, governments need to consider several key strategies:

1. Inclusive Technology Policies: To ensure equitable technology access and adoption, governments should implement policies focused on digital literacy, infrastructure development, and data privacy.

2. Strengthened Cybersecurity: As connectivity increases, governments must bolster their cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure and sensitive data from evolving cyber threats.

3. Public-Private Collaboration: Collaboration with tech companies and fostering an environment conducive to innovation is essential for driving progress in the tech sector.

4. Sustainable Tech: African nations should utilize technology to address environmental challenges, including clean energy, resource conservation, and sustainable development.

5. Global Partnerships: Collaborative efforts with international partners can provide Africa with the knowledge, resources, and expertise needed to expedite growth and development.

Conclusion

African governments need to adopt a holistic and strategic approach to technology governance involving multiple stakeholders, such as citizens, businesses, civil society, academia, and international organizations.

Blache is committed to the vision of a brighter Africa built on technology, innovation, and empowerment. We are the leading solutions company with a mission to provide technologies that can modernize and empower businesses to reach their full potential and enhance Africa’s tech capacity in skill and infrastructure.

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