At the Connected Africa Summit 2024, key figures in African technology and governance voiced a unified call for collaboration to advance digital transformation across the continent. The summit, attended by notable figures including Zambia's Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati, and Kenya's President William Ruto, underscored the need for collective action to propel Africa's technological evolution.
President Ruto of Kenya, renowned for his country's strides in digital innovation, urged IT leaders from across Africa to join forces in driving technological progress.
"Kenya is one of the leading nations in the continent in terms of digital transformation and technology adoption. However, the continent needs to move forward in unison to promote the growth of technology in Africa," President Ruto emphasized.
Echoing President Ruto's sentiment, Minister Mutati of Zambia stressed the significance of cooperation among African nations in harnessing the continent's burgeoning opportunities.
"The president talked about a unified Africa. Sharing opportunities and lowering barriers such as Power. Lowering barriers is important to foster collaborations here in the continent. We need a connected Africa without leaving anyone behind," Mutati remarked, highlighting the importance of dismantling barriers to collaboration, such as power constraints.
Minister Mutati affirmed the imperative of learning from Kenya's digital advancements while advocating for an open-minded approach among African tech leaders.
"I have seen the digital investment and transformation that Kenya has done and it is truly one of the key leaders in Africa. My call to the other tech leaders in the continent is that let’s be open minded, learn from each other and collaborate with each other," Mutati urged, accentuating the urgency of seizing existing opportunities to accelerate technological growth.
Addressing the need for immediate action, Mutati underscored the limited time available for experimentation and research, emphasizing the importance of building upon existing progress to minimize additional investment costs. “We don’t have enough time to invest in experiments and in research, people have already moved on from that level. Let’s pick it up from where they are so that we minimize the cost of additional investment,” Mutati said.
During his visit to Kenya, Minister Mutati explored avenues for technology investment, including a tour of Africa Data Centers in Nairobi. Recognizing the pivotal role of digital infrastructure in Africa's transformation, Mutati accentuate the importance of creating a competitive environment through robust digital infrastructure solutions.
“We need to create a competitive Africa hence we need digital infrastructure that delivers solutions. Data Centers are important because they are a part of the digital infrastructure that we are talking about,” he said.
As African leaders unite in their commitment to collaboration and innovation, the continent stands poised to harness its technological potential and emerge as a global leader in the digital age.
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