For the African continent to play a major role in the emerging global knowledge economy, there is the urgent need for governments at all levels to invest more in the development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
They said such increased investment would help to jump start the economy, fight poverty and create more jobs.
The private Guardian Newspaper Thursday quoted experts at the 14th edition of AfricaCom exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa, as saying that more investment in the sector would accelerate the development of the various economies in the continent.
“Nothing would happen in Africa unless we innovate, bring in tailor-made solutions through technology for our increasing challenges, scale up our priorities and above all ensure that government brings its support,” Ericsson’s president of sub-Saharan Africa, Lars Linden, said at the exhibition.
Linden, who spoke on “The Role of Mobile Broadband in Networking Africa”, said African governments must facilitate the growth of ICT, adding that though there has been a challenge in Africa, progress has been made in the last few decades.
Linden noted that for Africa to become a part of the emerging economy, it is imperative that it creates new businesses through technology.
Other speakers at the exhibition observed that the African continent is blessed with enormous resources to liberate itself and create sustainable economy.
However, they said the lack of political will is posing a huge challenge
