Africa needs to urgently adopt a unique integrative model of technological transformation, to bridge the technological divide.
The world has taken a major leap forward from the industrial revolution in many aspects apart from Africa that remains on the periphery of this transformation. Memories of the industrial revolution have been transcended by technology.
Technological advancement has become the star attraction for the whole world in every field, including agriculture, health, education, medicine, luxury, communication, every aspect of life.
The advent of drones, artificial intelligence, robots, mobile phones, virtual reality, the internet, 3D printing and blockchain are all shaking up the world.
Present day free flow of information across national boundaries and integrating the world economically and socially with popular communication apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X, formally Twitter, Telegram, among others, have been witnessed all over the world.
Developed countries are further thinking ahead of time and further advancing their technological capabilities day after day, while developing countries particularly in Africa are far from technology frontiers.
Although technology has the potential to greatly benefit these nations, there exist significant hurdles impeding their advancement, chiefly the limited access to electricity high cost as well as poor network coverage for many people on the continent. In the absence of power sources and a reliable telecommunications network, it is difficult for people to fully utilize technology, and this inadvertently hampers economic development.
Another challenge is the high cost of technology. In many African countries, the average income is low, making it difficult for individuals and businesses to access technological devices such as drones, tabs or laptops. This creates a digital divide between those who can afford and those who are unable to access and as a result, many people are unable to innovate, set up businesses, accessing information, job opportunities, and make social connections.
Cultural barriers among some African societies that clash with modern technological advancements also impede the adoption of new technologies. For example, some farmers are resistant to using new farming techniques and equipment because of the belief that they bring misfortune to the soils.
Therefore, Africa needs to urgently adopt a unique integrative model of technological transformation, to bridge the technological divide through access to technologies promoting productive and absorptive capacities that narrow the growing technological divide.
The continent should also embrace a purpose-driven approach to meeting overall objective for overall development of the African continent, to build critical developmental dimension and productive capacity.
Addressing issues such as infrastructure development, affordability, cultural barriers, are also crucial in unlocking the full potential of technology for these nations. In addition, bridging the technological divide through promoting productive and absorptive capacities to narrow the growing technological divide and structural vulnerabilities can be reduced inter alia through promoting technological change, which supports structural diversification of economic activities.
Technology should be accepted and adopted by people, the same has been witnessed in some development projects, where focus on implementing more sustainable and technologically appropriate solutions has been prioritized.
For example, projects such as safe clean water funded by Turkish government through TIKA and several other Turkish NGOs are using solar energy rather than electricity require large sums of money.
Rapid growth or spread of technology can lead to positive cultural growth; strengthen democracy, alleviation of poverty, capacity building and improved standard of living.
Adoption of technology can have profound effects on economies, such as reducing the national costs of production, establishing standards for quality, and allowing individuals to communicate from a distance.
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