Spotlight: Africa eyes robust infrastructure to revolutionise industrialization

Africa to fully achieve fourth industrial revolution will require strong infrastructural development to drive the growth of the continent's digital economy, says panelists at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa 2016.

Panelists speaking at a special session dubbed "Africa's Fourth Industrial Revolution"- emphasized the need for good and strong infrastructure to enable Africa establish a competitive industrial sector and promote greater industrial linkages.

"The development of infrastructure should be made a priority at national, regional and continental levels. With required infrastructure in place, Africa will be able to move a step ahead in fourth industrial revolution," said Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda.

Rwanda hosts a three-day high level meeting which has attracted more than 1,500 delegates from Africa and beyond under the theme "Connecting Africa's Resources through Digital Transformation."

Kagame said that Rwanda laid close to 4,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable across the country, to enable Rwandans access internet.

"Our hopes and ambitions for the future must be built on a foundation of clear-headed realism. Africa can only claim its place at the table, by earning it," Kagame emphasized.

He further said: "Development is about more than money, or machines, or good policies - it's about real people and the lives they lead. Women must be at the same level as men in Africa, differentiated only by their talent."

According to expert panelists, regional cooperation and integration in the development of infrastructure would lower transaction costs, enhance regional markets and make production and exports more competitive.

Fourth Industrial Revolution which is building on the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century, is collective term for technologies and concepts of value chain organization' which draws together Cyber-Physical Systems, the Internet of Things and the Internet of Services.

Grace Machel, Founder, Foundation for Community Development (FDC), and widow of former South African president Nelson Mandela said that women shouldn't be left behind if Africa was to focus on achieving fourth industrial revolution.

"If we are to revolutionize Africa, participation of women should be at the centre stage. Where women in the technology and infrastructure are talk? Inclusion is an imperative, "she noted.

Machel also called for education system reforms in Africa because it was still far behind compared to global industrialization.

However Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank(AfDB) said that the ability of African countries to establish a competitive industrial sector has been hindered by poor infrastructure (energy, transport, communication) which has resulted in high production and transaction costs.

"Without electricity, digital transformation will not take place. Africa is tired of being in the dark; we cannot industries without universal access to electricity. If you talk about fourth industrial revolution, about the required infrastructure to make it happen," he noted.

AfDB report indicates that the poor state of infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa - its electricity, water, roads and information and communications technology (ICT) reduces productivity by as much as 40 percent every year.

In 2011, the AfDB approved 184 operations totaling 9 billion U.S. dollars and infrastructure accounted for 3.4 billion U.S. dollars as part of the operations.

According to the World Bank statics, only 38 percent of the African population has access to electricity, the penetration rate for internet is less than 10 percent while only a quarter of Africa's road network is paved. Endit