African states told to up investment in tech to bridge skills gap

Principal Secretary, State Department of Innovation, Jerome Ochieng addressing guests at the stakeholders forum held at the Sarova Stanley Hotel on Wednesday 3rd October 2018. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

African countries have been urged to invest more in technology and science to help bridge the skills gap on the continent.

Participants at the 58th annual  African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI) Governing Council in Mombasa yesterday were told that despite recent advances in adoption of modern technologies, the continent lacks skills needed to spur industrialisation to match the West. ICT Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng (pictured) said that Africa’s skills gap has become more acute with the rapid transformation of the global economy.

“New technologies and services are emerging over the horizon with digital technologies dominating our daily activities, not only in the context of governments and businesses but also as individuals. Therein lies the opportunity for AFRALTI whose core mission is capacity building,” said Ochieng in a speech read on his behalf by the Communications Authority of Kenya Chairman Ngene Gituku. “As new technologies emerge, new sets of skills are also required for companies to turn them into business opportunities and create new jobs,” he added.

The PS said Africa requires 4.3 million new scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and agriculture in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2063.

He said Africans must invest in new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things to effectively compete in the rapidly changing global digital economy.