Bridging The Gap of Digitalization in Africa (Essay)

Being an African lady, I'm a great testimony to digitalization where continuous access to internet gave me an opportunity to build and grow my business competencies, diverting from microbiology to business-oriented profession, then to a creative entrepreneur at Kleensa Promotion (a Digital Innovation, Transformation and Business Development Business in Nigeria) and eventually to a Digital Innovation, Transformation and Marketing Influencer in Nigeria.

Digitalization turned a less buoyant independent girl who found it difficult sponsoring herself in trainings into a well respected Digital Marketing influencer in Nigeria without spending a lot. This topic matters to me because my life experiences revolve around it, my live career story turning to success is attributed to digital technology evolution.

Africa, most especially Nigeria is drastically affected by this bridge which occurs within digital technology where the low income, even some middle income individuals and businesses find it challenging having access to relevant resources, softwares, applications and skills which matter to their lives. A lot of SMEs in Africa can't afford marketing softwares and other applications that will impact hugely on their business growth, this is because most of these softwares aren't developed in Africa, hence may be expensive to acquire. Big companies with financial capabilities find it so easy acquiring such applications and this is why they keep trending ahead of SMEs.

Developed countries keep growing over 45% ahead of us because the impact and processes of digital technology are being taught in schools even as a course, unfortunately Africans don't take digital technology as an important aspect worthy to be embedded within every school's curricula. Since the applications of technology at almost all aspects of life weren't mandated for students to fully understand, they graduate missing out the crucial matters arising with dynamic trends of digitalization. And this is where the survival of the fittest begins to destroy esteems of most graduates in the labour market.

At that period, only those who have greater financial capabilities or those who are resilient enough to dive into their aspirations survive against the competitions. Unfortunately, a good percentage would end up being taken unaware by technology which ofcourse they unknowingly misuse, and there are those who even aren't yet aware of its influence to their growth. These gaps in digital awareness aren't meant to be so if the education system is flexible enough to incorporate the concept of dynamic digitalization and its technological applications within the academic curricula. Take for instance; my cousin brother as a graduate of marketing from Nigeria institutions knows nothing about digital marketing because it wasn't in their curriculum. From all perspectives, digital technology afterall is practically applied in almost all parts of our lives and most African schools refuse to embed it at the core.

Another way to bridge the gap in digitalization is via training from corporate organizations especially NGOs. This is no longer about being aspirational but giving young ambitious individuals access to free comprehensive training from highy technical groups. How would you expect a recent graduate who seeks for a comfortable afterschool life to pay 2 times the sum of his tuition fees, just for a training? High level training ought to be conducted free to passionate individuals on the practical ways to make living and help lives via technology, this immensely impact not just the individuals but so many SMEs who would eventually have access to their business needs at affordable rates.

The concept of digitalization, artificial intelligence, big data analytics and other technologies should be embedded at the core of every system whether economic, educational, legal, agricultural, governmental and African ecosystem as a whole. And to be able to bridge this gap in digitalization, all players of our ecosystem comprising of the citizens, corporate organizations and policy makers must collaborate, working effectively to set out clear digital agenda, reinforce stronger education system that can deliver, build digitally ready workforce and embrace digital transformation with full flexibility, agility and dynamism.

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