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Africa Industry 'Prone to Shocks'May 04, 2011 (Nairobi Star/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- For Africa to overcome its weak technological and industrial base it has to reduce her vulnerability to external shocks, a top UN official said yesterday. The UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa Abdoulie Janneh said Africa has to be careful if it has to overcome its weak technological and industrial base. In a press release from ECA Information and Communication Centre, Addis Ababa, Janneh reminded 500 delegates attending the opening of the second session of Committee on Development Information Science and Technology Africa is still way behind other regions of the world in ITC and that action is needed now. "While primary commodities make up about 80% of Africa's merchandise exports, the ratio is 54% and 24% in the Latin America and Caribbean region and Asia respectively. Yet, we know for a fact that Africa is unlikely to transform this situation without significant investment in science, technology and innovation," he said. He alluded to the impact of the global economic and financial crisis which posed a threat to overall development gains in Africa, especially those made towards achieving Millennium Development Goals, and said that the "outlook remains quite uncertain as food prices are again approaching the record highs of 2008, which means that many poor people, for whom food bills make up to 80% of income, will be seriously and negatively affected". In an in-depth analysis of the way in which science, technology and innovation is changing our lives, the UN Under-Secretary General said that its role was central in "recent developments in North Africa where ICTs were used innovatively to propel demands for democracy, freedom and human rights". He also mentioned the pivotal role of ICTs in bringing about change, especially as regards the so-called Wikileaks whistle-blowers that have "changed the nature of diplomacy", or that of social networks being used to mobilize popular movements."To significantly increase the benefits from these impressive developments, African countries need to reorient their ICT policies and strategies to generate employment and wealth for their people", he explained. "Countries like Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa and interesting enough, Egypt and Tunisia, are good illustrations of the vision to exploit new and emerging technologies to promote development aspirations", Mr. Janneh argued.. Striking a more satisfactory note, he said that it is "heartwarming that African leaders are becoming increasingly conscious of the need to expand the continent's industrial capability for rapid socio-economic development", citing "Rwanda's Vision 2020 plan, which aims to increase the contribution of ICT to the services and industrial sector to 80% by 2020 up from 10% in 2000. "Similarly, Ghana's review of its current ICT policy, commencing this month, builds on the achievements made so far and focuses on employment generation through the diffusion of ICTs throughout the society and economy", he said. Earlier, Mrs. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Ghana painted a rather positive balance sheet of what has been achieved in Africa within the last decade, thanks to advancements in science and technology."Mobile telephone penetration in Africa has experienced cumulative average growth rate of about 50% in the past 10 years and represent more than 90% of total telephone subscription on the continent". But she regretted the shortfall in high speed internet connection to which less than 1% of Africans have access because of its high cost. The Ethiopian Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Mr. Debretsion G. Michael, who officially opened the Committee meeting, harped on the same theme, announcing that his government "has formulated a national science and technology policy that includes heavy investments in the telecommunication and ICTs infrastructure. Over 500 delegates from member States, private sector and exhibitors are attending CODIST II to discuss and explore the extent to which African countries have harnessed innovation to enhance industrial development on the continent. They will then advise the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in these areas according to ECA's Information and Communication Service. CODIST II seeks to generate recommendations that aim to help member States create globally competitive industries as well as viable businesses which can generate millions of jobs in Africa. The event is being attended by several Speakers and Members of Parliaments and representatives of the African Union. Later on in the evening the 2011 Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Award ceremony was held at the Addis Ababa Sheraton Hotel. |