African govts urged to embrace technology
African governments have been challenged to embrace the use of science and other technologies to come up with solutions to their unique problems.
“We need to make the digital identities of individuals and businesses portable across borders while using technology to reduce barriers to trade. All of these items are within our power to achieve,” said President Paul Kagame, during the 6th Transform Africa Summit (TAS) 2023 in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
He spoke about artificial intelligence applications, calling for its adoption.
“It is already possible to see that Africa actually has the most to gain, because of how these applications can narrow productivity gaps between African firms and our competitors on other continents. We should therefore move quickly to embrace artificial intelligence and make it work for us,” said Kagame.
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa said partnerships are essential for Africa to leap forward and build capabilities in science and technologies equally.
“We must integrate the frontier of science and technology with the unique means in strategic, social economic development goals of the continent and our respective jurisdictions,” he said while opening the summit.
“The modernization and industrialization of our great continent urgently requires the adoption of science, technology and innovation.
"We must look inwards with regard to resources before we begin to seek global economic support and that support must come to benefit other domestic priorities. It is a misnomer that we continue to rely on generic off the shelf software packages availed to us at exorbitant prices.”
Zambia’s President, Hakainde Hichilema told the summit that Africans must set high ambitions towards the development of the continent.
"We must set our ambitions high on everything, as Africans we are lagging behind. So digital market development is a very important one, we must also raise our ambitions on social and economic development," Hichilema said.
TAS is an annual continental forum that brings together global and regional leaders from government, business and international organizations to collaborate on new ways of accelerating and sustaining Africa’s on-going digital revolution.
