Invest in Africa (digital - reduced)

FOREWORD
HE Dr Elham
Mahmoud
Ahmed Ibrahim
Commissioner for Infrastructure & Energy
African Union Commission
With the theme of the
summit being
“Harnessing the
Demographic Dividend
through Investments
in the Youth”, it is
imperative that we focus our attentions on
education. Policymakers emphasise that ICT in
education has a multiplier effect throughout
the education system, by enhancing learning
and providing students with new sets of skills;
by reaching students with poor or no access
(especially those in rural and remote regions);
by facilitating and improving the training of
teachers; and by minimising costs associated
with the delivery of traditional instruction.
A brave new world
The world has changed more over the last
50 years than it changed in the 200 years
before that, and this is largely owing to the
technological revolution we find ourselves in.
While the development of traditional networks
is needed to cover all areas, we also have to
accompany the industrial society that has
moved into an era of advanced technological
innovation, affecting the way nations run their
businesses, their institutions and lead their
lives. One of the areas in which these
technological advances are dramatically
influencing people’s lives is information
technology and telecommunications – hence
the claim that we are in a ‘digital revolution’ that
is driving us towards an ‘information society’.
It has become clear that the continent
benefits when member states work together.
A review of infrastructure-sharing experiences
found that developing countries can save
billions and speed universal
broadband access by sharing
infrastructure. These savings
can be obtained both through
sharing telecom infrastructure
(such as ducts, fibres and masts)
as well as sharing with other utility
infrastructure such as roads, power
grids, fuel pipelines and rail lines.
The Program for Infrastructure
Development in Africa (PIDA) provides a
common framework for African stakeholders
to build the infrastructure necessary for more
integrated transport, energy, ICT and transboundary
water networks to boost trade,
spark growth and create jobs. PIDA will allow
countries to be the primary beneficiaries to
meet forecast demand for infrastructure
services and boost their competitiveness by
increasing efficiencies, accelerating growth,
facilitating integration in the world economy,
improving living standards, and unleashing
intra-African trade
In addition to looking at new ways of
developing infrastructure, reinventing the
way we use energy has to be at the top of our
priority list. Renewable energy is a natural
choice for Africa given its vast available
renewable energy resources. The Sun Belt
covers most of Africa, oceans and seas
surround the whole continent and over 80%
of respondents in a survey cited Africa’s wind
and solar resources as a strong driver for
renewables deployment. Renewable energy
is also attractive especially in Africa, as it is
relatively quick and cheap to deploy on a small
scale in remote areas compared with fossil
fuels or expansion of networks. •
reinventing
the way we use
energy has to
be at the top
of our priority
list
Invest in Africa 2017 | 37