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Prosper Ndlovu Business Editor
AFRICAN Union Commission chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has urged increased investment in skills, technology and innovation development among member states as a springboard for vibrant economic transformation on the continent.
Dr Zuma made the remarks while contributing during the 9th Annual African Economic Conference (AEC), which ran from Saturday and ended Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The forum drew together scores of decision makers, business executives, economists and academics from across the globe.
According to a communiqué issued at the end of the deliberations, participants discussed on how to harness knowledge and innovation to boost youth employment, foster the adoption of new technologies, and enhance Africa’s economic transformation.
Dr Zuma said increased investments in skills, technology, knowledge, and innovation “will ensure democratic and responsive governance that can deliver effective public services”.
She said such efforts would “facilitate universal access to basic services, such as food and nutrition, water and sanitation, shelter, health and education”.
Innovation is seen as an essential component for the transformation of African economies, added Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, the acting chief economist and vice-president of the African Development Bank, who emphasised the need to be proactive and address the challenges Africa is facing.
“We need to stop being lazy analysts and take our challenges for ourselves, stop wasting resources and implement our own ideas,” he said. “Africa must first understand where we are, what brought us here and then try to understand what to do differently to bring different results.”
Beyond technology and technology transfer, the role of innovation was discussed at the conference as a trigger for behaviour and social change.
“Innovation is a key determinant of the ability of economies to sustain growth, and is critical to improving socio-economic conditions. Socio-economic transformation in Africa requires both adaptation of existing technologies, and the development of home-grown innovations,” said Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Director UNDP regional bureau for Africa, UN assistant secretary general.
The continent can boost its development agenda by using technology and technology transfer creatively, participants argued.
They said this would broaden revenue opportunities for farmers, create jobs for youths in urban areas and tackling a wide diversity of challenges, from climate change adaptation to disaster risk reduction.
The meeting noted a critical skills deficit in the continent mainly among the youth and women who should derive opportunities and derive benefits from new economic activities.
“Innovation and technology-oriented education is vital for sustained economic performance and competitiveness. It gives our youths critical building blocks to secure their future,” said Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa.
Continuous investments in education, research and development, structured on-the-job training programmes, and establishments of technical training institutes were also identified by the participants as ways of engaging the youth and boosting the participation and empowerment of women.
Governments, private sector, academia and the civil society were urged to act as complimentary entities and not as competitors in the development process.
Online Reporter