By Gordon Graylish
One interesting theme
took centre stage during panel discussions at the recently concluded World
Economic Forum on Africa in Rwanda; that what the continent needs as much as
roads, dams, power plants (although there is still more development required)
is a way to embrace technology and infuse digital transformation in all
sectors.
It was interesting
because when questions such as “how can we diversify our economies” and “how
can we improve efficiency” or “how do we prepare our young generations to have
jobs” were asked, the answer from a lot of different players including
politicians, think tanks, investment organisations and the private sector was
the same; embrace the “3rd industrial revolution”; the digital transformation
revolution.
With a 350-million
strong middle and upper class currently expected to jump to 430 million by
2020, in
a 1.3 billion continent by that time, the private and public sector strongly
concurred that technology will have a significant impact in modernising African
governments in effect creating what I call the next-generation governments.
It’s encouraging that this revolution is already being stirred in small offices
and houses across Africa that have wholly
embraced mobile communications. Thanks to Kenya ’s
pioneering M-Pesa, Africa is leading the
mobile money revolution and this has already had a noticeable impact on the
continent in expanding financial inclusivity.
But mobile technology
alone is not enough. The next logical step should be to harness technology for
industrialisation, agriculture and social transformation. The world is entering
one of the most exciting eras of technology. Everyday objects are
becoming part of an integrated system of smart devices that are changing the
way we live. Opportunities are endless in smart energy power grids, smart
cities, smart agriculture, building secure government services and developing a
vibrant globally competitive technology industry. These opportunities have the
ability to fuel GDP, create new jobs, and boost economies.
I was encouraged to see
that the political will to use ICT for economic and social growth abounds in Africa . For instance, over the last decade, Kenya has
experienced substantial growth in the ICT sector that is now worth Sh138
billion in GDP. In addition, Kenya ’s
public service outlets, Huduma Centres, anchored on e-government, have
increased efficiency and even won Kenya a United Nations award.
The Rwanda
government on the other hand saw a 20 per cent increase in VAT collections from
2014 to 2015 after introducing e-fiscal devices while the Nigerian government
saved more than $1B through the introduction of digital IDs for public
servants. As governments continue to use ICT, they will gather a lot of data
and in the modern world, data is the new oil. The next big thing after the big
thing will be for governments to analyse this data, which will then help in
detecting trends, increasing efficiency, reducing costing and, as it were,
opening new business opportunities in transportation, power supply,
agriculture, social welfare or even security provision.
The private sector is
ready to help governments digitise operations. Indeed, there are already
efforts towards this. Smart Africa, African Development Bank and Intel
Corporation, for instance, are finalising a This is a framework that will
provide guidance and systematic steps for governments to tap the power of ICT
and build digital infrastructure that will help transform how they operate and
deliver service to their citizens.
With such a blueprint,
there will be no room for guess work. It will enable governments to develop a
National ICT policy aligned to the national priorities of the country and
provide a measurable plan to enable everyone to participate in the digital
economy and reap its benefits.
The best starting point
is automating internal government, whether external services or internal
operations. Second is developing an electronic ID system at the national level,
which provides the foundation for securing identities, protecting privacy, and
enabling trusted e-services.
The other critical area
thing is having an interactive government portal with open application
programme interface (API). Here, a government can partner with private sector
to develop additional secure services through an open API.
The government should
then create cashless societies through digital payments to reduce the cost of
doing business and increase revenues by having visibility of all transactions.
The Nairobi County Government in Kenya has successfully digitised
payments for parking and licences. This has not only increased collections, but
also reduced physical interactions that encourage corruption.
Last but not least are
e-government services like e-tax, licences and registrations, e-parking, smart
city services, digital signatures, and more. The e-government portal will
provide high quality, timely and accurate data and services in a secure yet
transparent and accountable manner.
It was not surprising that the recent AfDB annual general meeting in Lusaka would also amplify
ICT. In fact, Africa Development Bank and World Bank Africa have changed their
priorities into transformation through ICT, as a catalyst of economic growth,
sustainability and equality and created special funds to invest in the digital
transformation of Africa .
AfDB announced a $5
billion fund focused on opening opportunities for 50 million young people in Africa . With the current political goodwill, I believe a
smart Africa can be achieved by harnessing the
ICT revolution.
*Gordon Graylish is
vice president of the Sales and Marketing Group and General Manager of the Enterprise Solution Sales
division at Intel Corporation
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