Accra: Deputy Minister for Education, Clement Abas Apaak, has called on African leaders to scale up investment in digital infrastructure to reduce the continent's dependence on foreign technology companies and strengthen its digital independence. Speaking during a ministerial roundtable discussion at the eLearning Africa Conference held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, he expressed concern about Africa's limited presence among the world's leading technology companies and the implications for the continent's technological future.
According to Ghana Web, Apaak questioned the continent's current reliance on foreign technology companies, noting that not a single African company is among the top ten global technology giants, nine of which are American. He highlighted the dependence on foreign infrastructure, with emails still needing to bounce off Europe and America, as a significant barrier to asserting Africa's technological independence. This situation, he argued, underscores the urgent need for African countries to invest in infrastructure that would allow them to take greater control of their technological future.
Apaak suggested that establishing a fund, supported by committing 1-2% of African governments' annual GDP, could lay the groundwork for building continental digital infrastructure. This could facilitate the domestication of digital technology and ensure that AI development aligns with African realities and priorities. He emphasized the importance of developing local expertise and institutions capable of driving innovation across the continent, noting that this is vital for safeguarding Africa's history, culture, and value systems.
Furthermore, Apaak questioned whether Africa could achieve genuine independence while relying on technology platforms and systems controlled outside the continent. He urged African governments to collaborate in mobilizing resources and building the necessary infrastructure to secure the continent's digital future.