Technology investment in Africa beyond infrastructure

• Broadband connectivity and technology in general, are regarded as possible pathways to economic empowerment for Africans.

• The current education system in Africa is inadequate to produce the skilled workers needed to compete on the global stage and run its technology ecosystem to achieve empowerment goals.

• Policymakers need to assess alternatives such as the dual system for Vocational Education and Training (VET) model practised in Germany and other countries, as an option to produce skilled graduates.

• Stakeholders investing in Africa’s technology infrastructure need to engage policymakers to reimagine technology education to complement investment in infrastructure and achieve empowerment goals.

Like people everywhere, young Africans want high-speed broadband connectivity. This need is present despite the myriad other challenges faced by the continent’s inhabitants, from political instability to poverty. These conditions might even have outsiders wondering if broadband connectivity should be a priority for Africans. However, if Africa is to stand a chance in this age of rapid technological advancement, providing Internet connectivity cannot wait for all other problems to disappear. This is especially true because broadband connectivity and technology in general, are seen as pathways for Africa to lift its masses out of poverty and deliver financial empowerment. In addition, Internet connectivity is increasingly viewed as a basic human need, and Africans who can afford broadband connectivity consider it a necessity, just like everyone else.

Discussions about using the Internet as a driver of economic growth quickly highlight the low level of broadband penetration on the continent. Further investigations show inadequate infrastructure for broadband delivery as the cause of the low penetration, revealing the need to build a lot more technology infrastructure on the continent. This need for more infrastructure has led to a lot of effort and resources directed towards solving Africa’s infrastructure problem as the foremost way to increase broadband penetration. Consequently, significant capital investments from within the continent and externally have been funnelled to tackle this need. The sources of these investments range from governments of African countries to continental and regional unions such as the African Union and European Union, local private companies, international governments, and private international companies.

The attempt to shore up the infrastructure usually takes the form of extending fibre within and between nations. These could be metro fibre builds, national fibre backbones, inter-country fibre builds especially between landlocked countries, or submarine cables to connect countries on the continent to other continents. There are other areas where notable capital has been provided to improve the infrastructure deficit in Africa. An example is the African Internet Exchange System (AXIS) program aimed at setting up Internet Exchange Points across the continent to facilitate better communication among the service providers. Some funding has also been put into wireless technology deployment for last-mile coverage in rural areas. These efforts at the different levels have had varying degrees of success in project implementation and the eventual goal of improving broadband penetration.

However, for Africa to fully realise economic growth through existing infrastructure and whatever more will be delivered in the coming years, it must simultaneously tackle its ability to produce skilled workers. It is simply not enough to build infrastructure and expect economic growth to follow. Africa needs software developers, cybersecurity specialists, network engineers, database administrators, data scientists and more. Africa’s young population must gain the necessary skills to operate its technology infrastructure effectively, drive its technology ecosystem, and compete globally.

Africa has the youngest population in the world, with a median age of around 19 years. About 60% of the population is under the age of 25. However, the education system in most African countries barely provides adequate training for young people, especially in technology-related disciplines. In Nigeria, for example, a common feedback from employers is that most university graduates lack the required skills to function in the corporate work environment. Years of neglect and underfunding have left many universities without the resources to produce quality graduates. Curriculums for technology-related fields are often dated and do not reflect the current state of the global technology landscape. Without the necessary skills in this young population, the infrastructure delivered will not lead to the desired economic growth. Africans will only be consumers of content and a marketplace for international products without contributing innovation and skilled participation.

If the investment in infrastructure will translate into better economic outcomes, African policymakers need to take urgent action. One alternative to the poorly functioning tertiary education system is the dual system for vocational education and training (VET). This system is implemented as an alternative path to the labour market in Germany and several other countries like France, India, and South Korea. The VET system leans heavily on collaboration with the private sector, which still thrives in most African countries despite challenges. The system has two components: theoretical knowledge through classroom study in vocational school and on-the-job work experience in private companies blended together. During their study, which ranges from two to four years, the students spend alternating blocks of time in school classrooms and at a company, gaining practical knowledge and hands-on experience.

The time spent working varies based on implementation. Some models require two or three days of work weekly, while others require students to alternate full weeks or months between school and work. In total, students spend between 60% and 70% of their time at the training company gaining practical knowledge. In Germany, about 50 percent of all school leavers undergo vocational training in over 330 officially recognised vocational training programmes. The dual system also contributes to Germany’s low youth unemployment and high skill levels.

The VET system offers many advantages for the students and the companies that provide training. Students who go through this program gain the required technical knowledge and hands-on experience in their chosen field. This combined approach gives the students a head start in their careers. The program shows students how companies operate in real time and how their acquired skills are applied in the real world. Students working alongside employees also pick up other soft skills required to thrive in a work environment. This integration in the work environment makes settling easier when they eventually join a company as permanent employees. Even students who become entrepreneurs benefit from understanding the dynamics of a work environment. Students in the VET system receive a monthly salary from the training company. The training company also often retains trained students after completing the program. Even in cases where the company doesn’t retain all the trained students, the students have an edge in the job marketplace as they have received relevant industry experience.

Businesses that participate in the dual training scheme also have several benefits. The system provides a good stream of potential employees for permanent recruitment. They save on associated recruitment costs, and when retaining trained students, they are assured of the training and fit of the employees. The time required to onboard recruits is shortened as these students are already familiar with the company processes. The Government can also offer tax credits to incentivise companies that train students to offset salaries paid during the program.

It is time for all parties interested in increasing the opportunities for Africans through technology to start looking beyond infrastructure investments. Adopting a system like the dual VET will allow African countries lean on the private sector to fill gaps left by their inadequate school system. While this approach will require further analysis of its fit in African countries, and might only work in some environments, this model presents an alternative to the existing system. Policymakers must explore this and other proven creative methods for promoting skill acquisition. Other stakeholders, especially those providing funding, must also engage policymakers to finance initiatives that revamp the current education regime. All parties involved must promote urgent and bold steps in training Africa’s young population.