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Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema on Thursday ( 3rd October) urged African states to use technology in combatting common challenges on the continent, including illegal migration and climate change.
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema on Thursday ( 3rd October) urged African states to use technology in combatting common challenges on the continent, including illegal migration and climate change. He was officially opening the second annual Digital Government Africa Summit in the capital Lusaka, Hichilema said leveraging technology would also help the continent trade more within itself. However, he also cautioned that abuse of technology had the potential to destabilise continental peace and security.
It is better to leave it up to the experts to help Africa make technology deliver the development needed for its people in the continent; the greater population out there, the youth. The continent is grappling with illegal migration, ‘the boat people’ as they are called. Southern Africa is facing the worst-ever drought in living memory but only two hours away in East Africa; it is floods: both a threat to food security, stated President Hichilema.
Illegal migration continues to be prominent in modern-day Africa as habitants seek ‘greener pastures’ abroad, particularly Europe across the Mediterranean. Apart from citing smart farming to avert the threat of climate change, Hichilema also indicated that technology was key for Africa to produce skilled labour to make its population competitive on the job market.
With technology, one can also operate non-stop borders which will make trade within the continent much easier and seamless. By trading more amongst within enables spending more resources locally within the continent,” he added.
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VISA Inc senior vice president and group head for Africa, Aida Diarra, said there was a need of about USD 300 billion to make sure that Africa was internet connected and that Visa had made a commitment to invest around USD 1 billion to sustain infrastructure and build technology to drive financial inclusion.
The summit is running under the theme “Building resilient and secure digital governments for sustainable development” and has attracted over 500 local and foreign delegates to find ways of enhancing the continent’s digital future.
