Experts urge tech talents to solve Africa’s problems

Stakeholders in the technology sector have said unity and collaboration can help accelerate economic growth, improve living standards, and increase innovation on the continent.

Speaking during a session hosted by TekNexus Africa in its Tech Summit, the Founder, Glory Olamigoke, urged African tech talents to rise and develop ways to solve Africa’s biggest problems through tech. 

He further emphasised that the power of more collaboration among tech talents is an important key to developing critical solutions, and unity among African countries, as a foundation that will propel the rapid development of our tech economy. 

Partnership Lead at Techbuild Africa, Emmanuel Amogu, said collaboration among African countries was essential in leveraging each other’s strengths and expertise to overcome common challenges.

Noting that for Africans to become solution providers, they must understand the needs of the people, build on existing infrastructure and create solutions that are relevant and impactful.

The Keynote Speaker /Founder, Heelsandtech, Bisola Alabi, said the continent’s future leaders must seize every opportunity to develop their skills and abilities so that they could meet the innovation challenges required for African development. 

Alabi emphasised that the current landscape had changed, and “it is time for African tech professionals to take a bold step forward.” 

She stressed that Africans have a unique perspective and understanding of the challenges facing the continent, and it is time to use this insight to create innovative solutions through skill development

“We don’t have people advocating for us in Africa, we need to take charge of our own destiny and position ourselves as leaders in the tech industry. We need to stop waiting for others to recognise our potential and start recognisng it ourselves.”

However, Africa is rapidly becoming a hub for tech innovation. With countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa already making significant strides in the industry, there is no doubt that African tech talent has the potential to make a significant impact globally.

Founder of Web3 Ladies,  Oluchi Enebeli, also acknowledged that there are still many challenges facing African tech professionals. From limited access to tools and resources like laptops, to a lack of adequate digital training, mentorship and support, many Africans face significant barriers to success.

Despite these challenges, Enebeli believes that Africa has the potential to become a major player in the global tech industry.

Gbemisola Abijo, a product designer at Checkout. com, said it is crucial for Africans to identify the issues affecting their communities and implement policies to address them.

“Africans need to sit back and identify the issues we have, implement policies and maintain it. We can’t just sit back and wait for others to do it for us, we need to take ownership of our problems and work towards finding solutions.”

On his part, Favour Martins-Leye, a product manager at Reliance Health, highlighted the significant advancements made in technology in Africa, but also acknowledged the challenges that still exist. 

According to him, internet speed and electricity remain major obstacles to progress.

“We have made a lot of advancements as regards technology in Africa, however, we still face significant challenges, particularly with regards to internet speed and electricity. We need to find ways to overcome these hurdles if we are going to drive tech growth on the continent.”

To address the skill gap in Africa, Martins-Leye emphasised the importance of incorporating recent technological developments into school curricula which will enable young people to become solution providers and drive innovation in various sectors.

“In Nigeria, for instance, we need to adopt technology in the health space. Telemedicine is an area that has huge potential to reduce healthcare costs, especially in primary healthcare. It may not be widespread yet, but it is an area that is going to grow and become more mainstream in the future.”

He added that through the adoption of telemedicine to provide remote healthcare services, Nigerians and Africa at large can access quality medical care more easily and at a lower cost.

The TekNexus Africa tech summit gathered some of the finest African tech leaders to discuss the growth of Africas tech economy in terms of skills, talent and venture. It featured exciting conversations propelling the growth of Africa through technology development and advancement.