Pantami advises African nations to embrace 4IR, warns on unemployment

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, has advised African nations to embrace Fourth Industrial revolution (4IR) for development.
He lamented that the African economic situation was worrisome, considering that of the world’s economy worth $101.6 trillion, the entire continent’s wealth, with a population of 1.6 billion, is less than that of Japan, which is $4.4 trillion.

Pantami warned that unemployment remains a time bomb, urging the continent to leverage its youthful population for desired development.

The minister also urged African countries to come up with laws that support young innovators to be job providers.

Speaking at the maiden Digital Economy Regional Conference, with the theme, “Positioning West Africa Digital Economy for the Future,” yesterday, in Abuja, Pantami observed that nations like United States, Japan Germany, China and India that prioritise 4IR are not only the largest economies in the world, but have also grown their financial systems.

He reminded Africans that 4IR deals on digital technologies yet to be fully embraced nations on the continent.

His words: “Being proactive is key to achieving digital economy. You cannot achieve digital inclusion without collaboration. This informed our decision to organise this first ever Digital Economy Conference for West Africa for members to come together, brainstorm and also live such lives witnessed in developed economies to see how we can live better life.

“Our population growth is higher than the economic growth. Where the population growth is higher than the country’s economic growth, the implication is that poverty will continue to increase if we do not arrest it. Our population is very important, but we must seize the advantage by being very proactive in adopting emerging technologies.”

Quoting the African Development Bank (ADB), the minster noted that Africa today has over 430 million unemployed youths, some under-employable and others unemployable, adding that from this population, only one third of it is underemployed, and by implication, only 140 million of the number is unengaged, while the remaining is unemployable.

Also speaking, World Bank Country Director, Shubham Chaudhuri, called on Nigeria to increase its broadband penetration to provide internet access to people in rural areas and remote areas.

While acknowledging the great potential in the nation’s digital sector, he stressed the need for more cooperation from states.