World Economic Forum 2016: How will Africa Fare in the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum 2016. Source: WEF

As the innovation in technology spiralled and human’s reliant on it continues to grow, there is a consensus that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us. So unsurprisingly this was a hotly debated topic at the just concluded World Economic Forum 2016 held in Davos - Switzerland between 20th and 23rd January.

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman at the World Economic Forum dilated that; “We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another.” And Nicholas Davies, Head of Society and Innovation stressed that; “Technologies are emerging and affecting our lives in ways that indicate we are at the beginning of a Fourth Industrial Revolution, a new era that builds and extends the impact of digitization in new and unanticipated ways.”

The History of Industrial Revolutions:

According to Klaus Schwab, the First Industrial Revolution which began around 1784 used water and steam power to mechanize production. The Second one in 1870 used electric power to create mass production. And the third one which came to live around 1969 used electronics and information technology to automate production.

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution according to Nicholas Davis, can be described as the advent of “cyber-physical systems” involving entirely new capabilities for people and machines. While these capabilities are reliant on the technologies and infrastructure of the Third Industrial Revolution, the Fourth Industrial Revolution represents entirely new ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies and even our human bodies.

Africa and the Fourth Industrial Revolution:

Like other previous revolutions, the new industrial revolutions comes along with challenges as well as opportunities From an African perspective though, where currently 645 million people are without access to electricity, the challenges of the fourth industrial revolutions greatly outweigh its benefits. The fundamental platform for any technological development to thrive is having access to adequate power supply. Unfortunately, lack of adequate power supply is still the greatest nemesis of any development agenda in the  African continent.

Speaking at an African Leaders debate at the World Economic Forum, Mr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) bemoaned that; “More than a century after Edison invented the light bulb, half of Africa is still in the dark.” He said and I quote; “We talk about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but it all starts with the need for electricity, which is like blood in the system. If we don’t have it, we can’t live.”

Mr. Adesina also stressed that, for Africa to fare in the new Industrial revolution, we must process what we produce, and we must also promote trading within the continent rather than relying on overseas exports. However the AfDB president lamented on a possible agreement for the provision of universal access to energy across the whole of Africa by 2025. We do very much hope that this promise is kept and turns out to be true. Otherwise Africa will continue to play the catch-up-game in the Fourth Industrial Revolution like it has always been known for.

A World Engulfed in Crisis: New Year, Same Old Stories!

Debris at the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Source: BBC

As New Year's Eve approached and people began to set up their individual resolutions for the new year, I quietly contemplated on my heartfelt wishes for the year 2016.  Looking back at a rather tumultuous 2015, my humanitarian instincts kicked in immediately. So after a couple of thoughtful minutes, I drafted the following wish: ‘to see that 2016 brings about peace, love and harmony in all corners of the world’. And like everyone does these days,  I gleefully shared the ‘wish’ as my ‘New Year’s Resolution’ with the world via Facebook. If only wishes were true though!

Unfortunately, like most ordinary people, all that I've got is my hopeless ‘wishes’. I have no influence on the state of affairs, neither have I any means of averting the status quo. So like here we go again, the new year 2016 began exactly as how the last one ended. The troubles that engulfed the world over the last year show no sign of ceasing.

Wars in Syria and Yemen are still fierce, sectarian violence in Iraq continue to rise, and terror continue to strike with recent attacks in Turkey and Indonesia. Closer to home, Burundi is slowly descending into civil war, there are also troubles in Mozambique and The Central African Republic. And most recently, another hotel attack in West Africa. This time in the business district of the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougou.

The whole world is ramped into a magnitude of crisis it has never seen before and frustratingly, no one seem to know when, if ever this madness is going to end. The international community continue to be toothless and ever so divided in their response to the current global crisis.

Meanwhile terror groups are becoming more sophisticated and unpredictable than ever before. And their atrocities continue to influence the rise of minor hard-line groups from far and wide. The attacks in Jakarta a couple of days ago was a copycat of the Paris attack thankfully with far less casualties. And the recent hotel attack in the Burkina Faso capital was more or less the same as what happened in a hotel in the Malian capital some months ago.

Sadly innocent people continue to pay the price for troubles they have neither initiated nor anticipated, while the main perpetrators together with their sponsors and partners remain largely unscathed. So if you are lucky enough to be living in a peaceful place and enjoying the comforts of live, please take a moment to reflect on the sufferings of fellow human beings elsewhere.

I continue to pray that unfortunate people caught up in crisis all over the world are able to develop the greatest of fortitude to rebuild their lives as a matter of urgency. Despite gradually losing faith in humanity, I am compelled to hope that the madness in the world will all end sooner rather than later.

Sustainable Development Goals: The UN Being Rather Too Ambitious Yet Again.

17 Agendas of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Source: UN

As the Millennium Development Goals ended in September 2015 without much universal success, the United Nations ushered in a more ambitious sets of goals targeted to be reached by the year 2030. Adopted unanimously by 193 heads of state at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) came into effect on the 1st of January 2016.

The UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon believes that the goals which targets to wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change; “are a to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success” over the next 15 years. Broad and ambitious in scope, the Agenda addresses the three dimensions of sustainable development namely: social, economic and environmental, as well as important aspects related to peace, justice and effective institutions.

By their own admission, the UN acknowledged that not all the eight Millennium Development Goals set 15 years ago were met by the targeted deadline of September 2015. So one might begin to wonder why the need to set up another sets of goals without being unable to address the most basic of human needs. Access to clean water and sanitation is still a luxury for most of parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and indeed most part of the world.

According to UNICEF, no country in West and Central Africa has universal access to improved drinking water. Cooperating with World Health Organization (WHO), they released a Joint Monitoring Programme Report 2015, showing that the highest coverage rates are in Sao Tome & Principe (97%), Gabon (93%) and Cabo Verde (92%). At the other end of the spectrum there are countries where roughly half the population does not have access, with the lowest rates in Equatorial Guinea (48%), Chad (51%) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (52%).

Access to sanitation is even more challenging according to the report. In the countries with the best coverage, as many as one in four persons still lack adequate sanitation. Equatorial Guinea (75%), Cabo Verde (72%), and Gambia (59%) are the top three in terms of access. whilst the lowest coverage is in Niger (11%), Togo (12%), and Chad (12%). Globally, 663 million people still lack improved drinking water sources and a staggering 2.4 billion people still lack improved sanitation facilities as at 2015.

This should not be happening in the 21st century and the UN ought to be doing much more than just setting up mere fanciful agendas. Basic necessities such as water and sanitation should be accessible to everyone, no matter where you live. Aware of the fact that they are not doing enough, the UN stressed that; this time around targeted efforts will be needed to reach the most vulnerable people. And this is where the Sustainable Development Goals are expected to play a part. We therefore wait and see what happens by the year 2030 if we ever live to witness it.