photo source RDB Website
By Collins Mwai
The World Economic Forum for Africa, scheduled to
kick off in Kigali tomorrow, will be an opportunity to create awareness about
the anticipated Fourth Industrial Revolution, which technology enthusiasts term
as 'disruptive.'
Organisers say the forum will be a platform to
discuss the changes expected in economies, corporations and societies courtesy
of the industrial era, as well as deliberate on opportunities within and
emerging risks.
The forum will run under the theme,
"Connecting Africa's Resources through Digital Transformation."
In essence, the theme according to officials, seeks
to open up discussions such as how African economies can use digital
technologies to facilitate development as well as build resilience in an
increasingly competitive global market place.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is expected to see
a transition from the current digital technologies era into the industrial
revolution which experts have said will influence production, consumption and
interactions, significantly impacting economies
In his book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Prof. Klaus Schwab,
the executive chair of the World Economic Forum, defines the era as one to be
characterised by intelligent robots, 3D printing, artificial intelligence,
self-driving cars, neuro-technological brain enhancements, genetic editing,
among other disruptive changes.
Prof. Schwab's book explains that
previous industrial revolutions have seen mankind move from dependence on
animal power to digital technology, enabling mass production.
New technologies
The anticipated era, however,
will see a range of new technologies that will combine the physical, digital
and biological aspects, impacting all disciplines, economies and industries,
according to the book.
In a pre-forum media conference
in Kigali, yesterday, Elsie Kanza, the head of WEF Africa division and member
of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum, said the meet will not
only focus on what needs to be done to prepare the continent for the digital
era but also highlight how it can be done.
This will involve aspects like
change of polices as well as re-prioritisation of resources, she said.
"Right now, only about 20
per cent of Africans are connected to the internet which is a core
infrastructure for the fourth industrial revolution. We need to look at the
challenge of the inequality gap to ensure no one is locked out," Kanza
said.
This will also inform and influence new business models that require to be put
in place to facilitate trade.
The forum will also address the
skills gap being experienced in a number of countries on the continent to
ensure that a huge section of Africans are digitally literate to participate in
the fourth industrial revolution.
The energy deficit across the
continent will also be up for review at the forum as the digital technologies
largely rely on energy solutions.
On the relevance of the theme at
a time when countries are dealing with far more 'pressing' challenges such as
food security, security, poor education systems and insufficient health care,
Kanza said the digital era would connect Africa's resources to address
underlying issues.
"The agenda is feasible
because if we accept that we are living in this new reality, then we can
consider how we engage with it. This is looking at how we can drive digital
transformation by connecting all of our resources and not just some of them.
This will also be through sharing stories of those that have been connected and
have been transformed as well as the development story of Rwanda and how it can
be scaled up," Kanza said.
Fruits of the forum
Over the years, the forum has
served the continent's development through the launch of a number of
initiatives such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations in 2000
and the launch of the NEPAD agency, a partnership for Africa's development.
The Investment Climate Facility for Africa, which is another
facility for Africa that works to help governments to improve their
environments for doing business, was also borne of the forum.
From Rwanda's perspective, the
forum will serve multiple purposes, including showcasing the opportunities in
the country, sharing progress attributed to digital transformation and
networking with potential partners.
The Minister for Finance and
Economic Planning, Amb. Claver Gatete, said the choice of the theme and agenda
resonate well with the path taken by Rwanda in development outlined in Vision
2020.
The vision, among other targets,
aims at positioning Rwanda as a middle income country by 2020 and transforming
it into a service-led economy.
Gatete said information
technology and digital transformation was a key pillar in the much sought
growth and development.
He said already, the IT sector
was responsible for about 3 per cent of the gross domestic product, and was
responsible for supporting multiple other sectors, including provision of
public services.
"That is why we believe that
the Fourth Industrial Revolution is going to become a big pillar in our
development path," Gatete said.
More than 1,500 delegates from
across the world are expected to participate at the forum.
About 10 heads of state and
government have confirmed attendance as well as numerous business leaders
representing corporations from all across the world
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