Youth empowerment is crucial to promoting technology in Africa – Adadevoh

Group Chief Commercial Officer of MTN, Selorm Adadevoh has emphasized the pivotal role of youth empowerment through education in propelling technological transformation across Africa.

He shared his insights during a panel discussion on the second day of the 2024 African Prosperity Dialogue.

The panel, titled “Critical Enablers for Single Market Success – Leveraging Infrastructure, Innovation, and Technology,” saw Adadevoh underlining the significance of harnessing the potential of Africa’s youth to position the continent at the forefront of technology.

He pointed out that Africa lags behind the rest of the world in technology, with around 50% of the population lacking access to internet services.

Citing World Bank estimates, Adadevoh highlighted the need for a substantial investment of approximately 1.7 trillion dollars in infrastructure over the next 10 to 15 years to bridge this gap.

He stressed that addressing the issue requires a transformation in mindset, with education playing a central role.

Adadevoh asserted, “Transformation begins with the mindset. One area we need to tackle to solve this issue is education.”

He underscored that Africa, with the world’s largest youth population, must revamp its educational system, shifting toward a more digital framework to equip the younger generation with the necessary skills.

The MTN executive also emphasized the importance of creating markets within African countries, advocating for economic viability.

Adadevoh stated, “Until we start to create markets within our markets, this will not be economically viable.”

He called for breaking down barriers in trade across African countries to encourage collaboration and foster the continent’s growth.

The Africa Prosperity Dialogues, spanning three days, focus on proposing concrete measures to drive progress in Africa.

The overarching theme, “Delivering Prosperity in Africa: Produce, Add Value, Trade,” brought together government and business leaders to deliberate and exchange ideas on key issues and solutions for building and harnessing Africa’s growth.