In 2019, global internet adoption has surpassed 50 per cent of the world’s population.According to ITU, the strongest growth of the percentage of population using the Internet was reported in Africa, where it increased from 2.1 per cent in 2005 to 24.4 per cent in 2018.
According to Digital 2019 Report overview from January 2019, Africa has a population over 1.3 billion with 43 per cent living in urban areas; over one billion mobile users representing a mobile penetration of 80 per cent; and Africa has over 216 million Internet users which represents only 16 per cent of the African population. And more than half of urban African adults owned Internet-capable devices (McKinsey Global Institute 2013).
There is a need for a moonshot!!
The World Bank has launched 'Moonshot Africa', an ambitious initiative to connect individuals, firms, and governments in Africa to boost broadband penetration between 2021-2030.
The World Bank estimates large investment needs: about 20 billion US Dollars would be needed to double connectivity by 2021 in Africa and Middle East, and about 51 billion US Dollars would be needed to achieve Universal Access to broadband by 2030 in Africa and Middle East.
The World Bank estimates large investment needs: about 20 billion US Dollars would be needed to double connectivity by 2021 in Africa and Middle East, and about 51 billion US Dollars would be needed to achieve Universal Access to broadband by 2030 in Africa and Middle East.
Doubling connectivity by 2021 and expanding coverage by 2030 requires more than infrastructure investment, it requires a renewed focus on securing enabling policy frameworks and investment in digital skills and content.
Will Moonshot Africa create jobs on a continent where job creation is needed for Africa’s working-age population projected to rise by 70% in the next twenty years?
A recent paper by Jonas Hjort and Jonas Poulsen, “The Arrival of Fast Internet and Employment in Africa,” published in the American Economic Review in March 2019, gives technology optimists reason for hope. Using household survey data from 12 African countries with a combined population of roughly half a billion people, the authors document a large positive effect on employment.There will still be concerns about a disruptive effect of technology (robots and algorithms replacing human labor) -when increasing digital transformation in a continent that needs jobs creation-, despite economists studies. But Africa cannot stay behind any longer.
Digital transformation will certainly create opportunities for Africa to grow its economy, create jobs, and transform people’s lives. With the aim to digitally connect every individual, business and government in Africa the “moonshot” will help countries accelerate progress, inclusion, bring high-speed connectivity to all, and lay the foundations for a digital economy.
An ecosystem approach beyond broadband deploymentSome have suggested that the new initiative should go beyond broadband connectivity to also cover “e-government , Fintech, investment in human capital and digital literacy, innovation-friendly policies that foster entrepreneurship.This digital transformation requires an ecosystem approach.
An impactful digital transformation must be inclusive
Others, have called for a digital transformation agenda prioritizing digital inclusion, including with a focus on women. If implemented with the appropriate policies and business incentives, a perspective on inclusion could help “mitigate the possible negative effects of the digital transformation.
Sustainable development
I would add that all investment should take into account impacts on environment and climate already in the beginning.
Africa must get the latest energy-efficient innovations and technologies to create a sustainable Africa that will support mitigate climate change effects on the planet.
In September 2019 at the UN General Assembly in New York, The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development will release its report together with the report of the Moonshot Working group, we hope to have a good idea about the plans, ambitions and most of all the commitments of the donors.
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