Technology is the touchstone of development. Acquiring advanced technologies helped boot-strap China and India out of the economic doldrums in a generation. Across Europe and North America, it’s maintained the West’s econ ... read full comment
Technology is the touchstone of development. Acquiring advanced technologies helped boot-strap China and India out of the economic doldrums in a generation. Across Europe and North America, it’s maintained the West’s economic, social, cultural, political, and military leadership. Yet for decades, Africa was perceived as having been left behind. Now, as mobile technology spreads across Africa, innovative ways of using technology are transforming almost every sector of life..t is a mistake to think that donor-funded projects are the only solution. Technology’s central role in Africa’s transformation suggests an economic model that will drive its dissemination through private business. As the middle class continues to grow and demand high quality health services, we will see an enhanced opportunity for private sector actors to drive technological innovation in the health sector in Africa. The demand for consumer health applications from health insurance companies and health-savvy consumers will increase, creating opportunities to leverage mobile technology to meet consumer health needs. We have started seeing this trend in developed markets and in African markets with large populations and growing middle classes, such as in Nigeria and South Africa.
By Kaakpema Yelpaala, a Ghanaian-American social entrepreneur, founded access.mobile, a mobile technology company in Kampala, Uganda and Denver, Colorado.
Mobile learning will play a central role in Africa’s educational development, providing equal access to quality learning regardless of place, gender, and age. It help the population to overcome urban/rural education gaps by allowing teaching materials, resources, and student communication to travel long distances, creating an environment of interactive learning. Mobile learning will also help Africa move toward “Education for All”—a key UN Millennium Development Goal—offering 24/7 access to materials and extending learning outside the school building.
Many African countries suffer from high unemployment and a dysfunctional education sector. Mobile learning can fill this void by delivering high quality and reliable content for learners and teachers—empowering low income learners to access high quality education and to aspire for a brighter future.
Riitta Vänskä, project manager of Nokia’s Mobile Mathematics initiative, is a senior manager for mobile and learning solutions in sustainability operations, based in Helsinki.
UNMISGUIDED AFRICAN CHILD 9 years ago
..Our lack of it created The Third World..it has placed us in the back-burner of Global development and advancement.
"When the Affluent White world found Black Afica as the dumping grounds for their surplus goods,they mad ... read full comment
..Our lack of it created The Third World..it has placed us in the back-burner of Global development and advancement.
"When the Affluent White world found Black Afica as the dumping grounds for their surplus goods,they made it a policy NOT to transfer or share Technology with us."Kwame N.
The Atomic Energy Commission,The Akosombo Dam,The Tema Oil Refinery and it's Motorway, The Kwame Nkrumah's University of Science and Technology and all the medium scale Industries that Kwame sought to use
to transform Ghana into a Technological society were all cut short by the very same White Institution:The CIA...in 1966.
Salvation has never been so badly needed than now.Yes, Black Africa NEEDS
the transfer of Technology to be able to catch up with the rest of the world...
Oh Kwame,where art Thou? THE DREAM LIVES ON. THE CAUSE ENDURES !!!
THE HOPE SHALL RISE AGAIN....and Akuffo -Addo has the odacity to "Forgive Nkrumah's familiy in 21st Century.That's like the yankees forgiving Osama.
"the opponents of Kwame still don't want to hear the message"...but "The Dream Shall Never Die"
Now is the time for Transfer of Technology to Africa.
I am
nana-yaw
still-in the struggle
Military Man 9 years ago
'TECHNOLGY'....that's the buzzword I've been waiting to hear someone say for the longest time that that's what Africa needs to get herself out of the funk we've been in for the longest time... and this coming from someone wit ... read full comment
'TECHNOLGY'....that's the buzzword I've been waiting to hear someone say for the longest time that that's what Africa needs to get herself out of the funk we've been in for the longest time... and this coming from someone with a bit of 'power' makes it all the more worthwhile.
What would have made it even more worthwhile would have been to hear the twin words "SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY" because in my honest opinion, I think the two are tied at the hip and one cannot move without the other.
Having said that, what Caroline made mention in her article is just a tip of the iceberg. Cellphones are just a means to communicate so when we really delve into the "nitty gritty" of science and technology, one should ask himself or herself what is involved here and therein lies the most herculean task or hurdle Africa has not been able to overcome. I'm talking about investment in science and technology on the part of our leaders.
This involves very effective educational systems which can partner with well-established industries to get into serious research in the health sciences to help eradicate some of the simple treatable diseases that bedevil the continent and also improve on simple technological things to better our lives.
Since most of our leaders lack foresight and are unbelievably corrupt, not to mention selfish, there will be nothing better for us until our leaders have a shift in attitude and stop stealing instead of using the riches of our continent to invest in the necessary things like education, healthcare, housing, job creation and of course, science & technology.
Science & Technology is arguably the best way to go if our leaders can use the riches of our land to invest in them.
So attitude adjustments on the part of our leaders to invest in SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY will be the biggest hurdle to overcome if Africa is to move forward and NOT when we become "VERBATIM CHRISTIANS" as some writers on here have been saying in the last month or so.
Good job, Caroline but please next time, don't lay all the emphasis on just communications. Other areas like investment in better educational systems and research will go a long way in putting science & technology on a good footing in Africa.
Prof Lungu 9 years ago
YOUR: "...attitude adjustments on the part of our leaders to invest in SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY will be the biggest hurdle to overcome if Africa is to move forward and NOT when we become "VERBATIM CHRISTIANS" as some writers on h ... read full comment
YOUR: "...attitude adjustments on the part of our leaders to invest in SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY will be the biggest hurdle to overcome if Africa is to move forward and NOT when we become "VERBATIM CHRISTIANS" as some writers on here have been saying in the last month or so..."
OUR COMMENT: Agree! Those are "material improvers", so to speak.
It is about the here and now - saving lives/improving lives on earth using commonsense, energy, TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE!
That said, we especially like Caroline's approach - detailing how one African country (Kenya) is making strides in one area.
We detest the approach where everything is about "Africa," neglecting the efforts of many individual "countries."
This is one of the biggest areas affecting the marketability of individual African countries, in our humble opinion.
Technology is the touchstone of development. Acquiring advanced technologies helped boot-strap China and India out of the economic doldrums in a generation. Across Europe and North America, it’s maintained the West’s econ ...
read full comment
..Our lack of it created The Third World..it has placed us in the back-burner of Global development and advancement.
"When the Affluent White world found Black Afica as the dumping grounds for their surplus goods,they mad ...
read full comment
'TECHNOLGY'....that's the buzzword I've been waiting to hear someone say for the longest time that that's what Africa needs to get herself out of the funk we've been in for the longest time... and this coming from someone wit ...
read full comment
YOUR: "...attitude adjustments on the part of our leaders to invest in SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY will be the biggest hurdle to overcome if Africa is to move forward and NOT when we become "VERBATIM CHRISTIANS" as some writers on h ...
read full comment
Nice article and great insight