Africa is a future hub for tech skills, with a wealth of young talent to draw on. Driving greater access to digital skills and technology is crucial to developing a new generation of tech professionals who will enable the continent to compete in the global digital economy and drive innovation on the continent.

In an increasingly digital world, the importance of equipping Africa’s youth with digital skills simply cannot be overstated.

These were the words of the Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Ola Williams, to journalists in Lagos.

According to her, it’s a much-quoted statistic that as the world’s youngest continent, Africa will make up one-fifth of the total workforce and one-third of the total youth workforce in the world by 2030

She said Africa can seize the moment and harness its youth to become a global hub for tech skills, but the digital skills gap looms large. Developing the skills needed to compete in the global digital economy is critical.

“We must focus our skilling efforts on three key areas to fulfill the vision of Africa as a tech hub – building digital literacy, giving entrepreneurs the skills to thrive, and driving the AI skills set needed to embrace the full potential of this technology,” she said.

Williams noted that as technology swiftly transforms the workforce landscape, employers globally are looking for workers with enhanced digital skills. And, according to the World Bank, most of the demand for these digital skills will come from occupations outside of ICT specialisations, driven by businesses embracing digital technologies. It is anticipated that 70 percent of this demand will be for foundational skills, followed by 23 percent for intermediate skills outside the ICT sector.

She said acknowledging the importance of digital skills; countries across the continent are developing plans to build the competencies needed for the global digital economy. The Government of Nigeria is actively investing in digital skills development to empower its youth and enhance its digital ecosystem, but the challenge is significant to reach our youth and up skill them.

According to her, recognising the need to broaden access to digital skills development programmes, Microsoft launched the Global Skills Initiative in 2021, combining resources from LinkedIn learning, GitHub and Microsoft Learn. The programme has helped 80 million job seekers worldwide access digital skilling, and over 196,000 learners in Nigeria have been engaged thus far.

She said Microsoft has also partnered with the African Development Bank and the Nigerian Government to launch the Digital Nigeria eLearning Platform. One-year post-launch 125,000 enrolled learners were on the platform across the country, while 111,000 course completions were accomplished in either Basic, Intermediary, Advanced digital skills or entrepreneurship and soft skills. To date, Microsoft’s all-up skilling initiatives in Nigeria have reached 1,164,815 people, while 89,946 Microsoft certifications have been completed.

She said startup and SME skilling must be the second area of focus. Though 10 to 12 million African youth join the workforce every year, just 3 million jobs are created. Helping to support and sustain entrepreneurship will go a long way to solving the employment challenge. Beyond employment, small businesses and startups are often at the forefront of innovation, providing solutions to Africa’s most pressing societal challenges.

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Williams said according to the African Development Bank (AfDB), around 22 per cent of Africa’s working-age population are starting new businesses – the highest rate in the world. The African tech startup ecosystem is becoming an important source of employment.

She said Microsoft is partnering with the Government of Nigeria to accelerate the country’s digital transformation, with a commitment to up-skilling five million people in Nigeria to create over 27,000 new digital jobs, while collaborations with local telco providers like MTN are providing four million Nigerians with free tech-skilling content.

According to her, advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology are making headlines across the world, and with good reason. “AI is a defining technology of our time. And as companies invest in AI, the demand for skilled professionals will continue to increase. According to the State of AI in Africa report, if current trends continue, AI and its attendant startup ecosystems in Africa could win big. It is estimated that capturing just 10 percent of the global AI market could expand Africa’s economy by as much as 50% of current GDP.

“To benefit from the global transformation currently taking place, we must empower businesses and people across Nigeria to harness the game-changing potential of AI. Strategic partnerships across the private sector can unlock the potential of Africa’s youth by allowing for the implementation of more holistic and sustainable initiatives,” she said.