Challenges of Science and Technology in Africa
Updated: Mar 19, 2019
Many developing nations in Africa are poised to reap the benefits of a growing tech sector. Countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya have made significant investments, over the past 10 years, technology and science.
In this present era, it is widely believed that science and technology are very critical in determining the development of a country.
While some western countries have made great strides in using science and technology to develop many sectors of their economies, Africa, for the most part seems to be facing several challenges to put the mechanism on track. Apparently, technological advancement is one of the secrets of the industrialized world which has led to some inventions.
Experts in this field, as well as stakeholders, agreed that the highest priority should be given to science and technology to put Africa on the world map. In the past, the perception of Africa to many in the western world is all about war, famine, and diseases. But there have been many innovative attempts of experts in the region to revolutionize the economy through technology. However, can technological development solve all problems facing Africa?
History of Technology in Africa
Africa has a long history of science and technology used by our ancestors to create tools such as stone tools found in the eastern region of the continent. Since then, the region has not been able to improve on this creativity and absolutely lagging behind. Despite many renowned scientists and technology experts of African origin presently storming the world with their exceptional academic qualifications, technology in the region can still not be compared to other parts of the world.
As a result, there should be a historical review on the application of technological innovation if Africa is more serious than ever to move a bit closer to other regions in terms of science and technology - at least. Some of the steps that need to be taken in order to explore the potential of Africa include adequate funding of the scientific and technical education, as well as research.
Can Technology Only Come from Outside Africa?
In this 21st century, Africa is trying to develop its economy using technology, even though there are many challenges facing the continent in order to compete with the rest of the world. The communication and banking industries are two important areas where countries like Nigeria and South Africa have made awesome development in recent years. Meanwhile, many people think that technology can help turn the destiny of Africa around despite the slow progress made so far.
African Technological Development in Perspective
Since 2000, Global technology has been experiencing an average growth of 18% while Africa represents just 0.3% making the region the least developed. Similarly, the continent is still trying to catch up with the rest of the world in using technology to develop some of its economic sectors like agriculture, mining, and transportation.
Over recent years, the technological advancement in Africa is gaining momentum and this can be seen in the banking and communication sectors. It is trying to harness its potentials to develop information and communication technology. There is a huge advance, but a lot still needs to be done to reap the full benefits of technology in Africa. All in all, decision makers need to work on a policy to integrate technology into the development of the continent.