Tech innovation vital to Africa’s global relevance

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

In order to foster development in the country, Pro. Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Industrialisation at the African Development Bank Group, stated that Nigeria and Africa must develop robust technological capabilities to effectively engage in global markets.

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, who also serves as a Professorial Fellow at the United Nations University in the Netherlands, made these known during his address at the third International Conference of the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences at Lead City University, Ibadan.

The theme of the conference was ‘Digital Transformations in Economic, Business, and Socio-political Outcomes in the African Continent’.

He explained that in assessing Nigeria’s readiness for digital transformation, he utilised data sets such as the Network Readiness Index and Global Innovation Index, which gauge countries’ preparedness in industrial and technological sectors.

He explained, “The Network Readiness Index ranks 134 economies across 60 variables, categorised into four pillars.”

He then elaborated, “According to the Network Readiness Index, the top 10 countries are Sweden, Denmark, Singapore, Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, United States, Germany, and United Kingdom. No African country is found among the top 60 countries in terms of NRI, nor among the top 51 countries using the Global Innovation Index. These top-performing countries in the GII include Switzerland, Sweden, the United States of America, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Singapore, Germany, and Republic of Korea.”

He further highlighted, “Nigeria does not rank among the top ten African countries due to its low scores across the four pillars: Technology (88), Knowledge (96), Governance (114), and Impact (116).”

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka added, “Clearly, meaningful participation in global markets, including the high-tech sector of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, requires a strong technological foundation capable of integrating digital technologies. Manufacturing forms the backbone of the infrastructure and systems driving the Services sector, to which digital transformation is integral. Without achieving a certain level of developmental transformation, full participation in the new knowledge economy is nearly impossible, relegating countries to peripheral roles.”

He stressed the critical importance of industrial policy, which involves government interventions to achieve outcomes that surpass what the market alone could achieve.

Governments must invest in human capital and infrastructure to foster the development of industries and advance technologies that drive economic growth,” he remarked.

He illustrated this with a recent example, stating, “President Biden’s White House has recently implemented one of the most ambitious industrial policy programs in decades. The strategic goal is to revitalize manufacturing sectors that have lagged in the US, largely due to international competition.”

Oyeyinka advised Nigeria to rather leverage its own and Africa’s vast resources to establish manufacturing plants for EVs, he further said that Nigerian and African governments were currently focused on buying electric vehicles.

In other words, there has been a shifting pathway from manufacturing to ‘smart’ manufacturing as an evolutionary strategy, not a leapfrogging strategy. African countries will do well to study how successful industrial policies adopt features of smart manufacturing activities to reboot their industrialisation processes,” he concluded.

Also speaking, Prof. Kabiru Adeyemo, the Vice-Chancellor, highlighted the significance of digital transformation in Nigeria, noting its potential to catalyse rapid economic advancement.

Adeyemo said, “However, to harness the full potential of digital transformation, we must address issues such as digital literacy, infrastructure development, and regulatory frameworks. Ensuring that our educational systems equip the next generation with the necessary digital skills is paramount. Similarly, investing in robust digital infrastructure and fostering an enabling regulatory environment will be crucial in supporting the growth of digital economies.the digital transformation of economic business governance and its impact on socio-economic outcomes in Africa is a complex yet exciting journey. It requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including governments, businesses, civil society, and academia.”

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

Popular Related

Electricity workers suspend strike for two weeks 

The leadership of the National Union of Electricty Employees (NUEE), says the union has suspended the ongoing strike, which led to total blackout in...

Nigeria ranks 7th in global mobile phone usage – NCC 

The Nigerian Communications Committee (NCC) report that Nigeria ranked seventh most used mobile phones and 11th in terms of internet penetration. Umar Danbatta, the NCC...

NCC explains why SIMs are being blocked despite NIN linkage

The Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) has explained reasons why SIMs cards are being blocked despite linking them to their National Identification Number, NIN. The explanation...

We will be on same level, rich and poor’ – Nkechi Blessing reacts to Instagram plans to start selling verification

Actress Nkechi Blessing has reacted to the new that Facebook and Instagram will start a paid subscription service starting at $11.99 a month. The feature...

Electricity workers threaten nationwide strike 

The leadership of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), on Tuesday said the union were ready to embark on another nationwide strike. In a...

Navy acquires patrol vessels to boost maritime security

It was revealed that, the Nigerian Navy has acquired two high-endurance offshore patrol vessels from Dearsan Shipyard, Turkey, to boost maritime security. Emmanuel Ogalla, the...

Sheryl Sandberg stepdown as COO of Meta

Sheryl Sandberg is Stepping down from her role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Meta, formerly known as Facebook. Sandberg joined the Company in early...

Spotify to lay off 17% of employees amid rising capital costs

Spotify, an online streaming platform says it will reduce the number of it's employees by approximately 17% in a bid to cut costs due...

Egoras to launch made-in-Nigeria electric vehicles April

Following the high cost of fuel, clean energy company, Egoras has announced plans to launch a made-in-Nigeria electric vehicle,  APEX 28, in April 2024. Ugoji...

Google to launch ChatGPT rival called Bard

Google, a technology corporation, has announced plans to launch Bard, a service that uses conversational Artificial Intelligence. Bard will be powered by an already existing...