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Browsing: Digital divide in Africa
- There is urgency in halting the digital divide in Africa as this is vital in promoting inclusive growth, alleviating poverty, and generating more jobs through the digital economy.
- Kenya is setting an example by ensuring all its buildings are fiber-optic-ready.
- Digital automation in trade has proven to be a valuable asset in safeguarding Africa’s social and economic growth.
Digital Divide in Africa
Digital divide in Africa has been exacerbated over the years and, the urgency to halt it is vital in promoting inclusive growth, alleviating poverty, and generating more jobs through the digital economy.
Africa, with a population of 1.4 billion, currently has only 473 million internet users, representing a 36 per cent penetration rate and a mere 5 per cent fixed broadband penetration due to limited undersea connectivity. This leaves the continent lagging behind other regions regarding digital infrastructure, a critical component for economic growth.
African policymakers should capitalise …
- Girls remain grossly underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education courses, especially in tertiary institutions and consequently in related careers.
- The need to promote STEM education cannot be overemphasized given that over the next two decades, an estimated 20 million young people a year are expected to join the workforce in Africa.
- Research shows that an average STEM worker earns double the amount of a non-STEM worker and this trend is bound to continue.
Today, Africa joins the rest of the world in marking the 2023 International Girls in ICT Day with the overarching theme being ‘Digital Skills for Life’. The celebration could not have come at a better time as the continent dives deeper into the adoption and full realization of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), in which digital skills are key economic drivers; pertinently in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The International Girls in ICT …