A New Framework for African Economic Development with a Focus on Technological Innovation

Based on a brief review of the development paradigm shifts, growth theories and perspectives that have influenced four decades of African economic development, this paper suggests that the challenges confronting African development result primarily from continuously shifting paradigms and inconsistent growth policies that neglect the role of technological innovation. Moreover, given these challenges, achieving rates of GDP per capita change that result in an increase in average income over a long period will demand an emphasis on and adoption of technological innovation and R&D, as well as corresponding education policies. In terms of perspective, the survival of African countries in the twenty-first century undoubtedly depends on the continent‘s ability to apply existing scientific and technological knowledge to the achievement of economic growth, income distribution and environmental protection. Engineering the complementarity among these three objectives will require not only institutional and structural adjustments and technological innovation and adoption but also a culture of innovation that most parts of Africa do not currently perceive as a crucial factor for social change.Economic Development; Africa; Technology; Development Paradigms

Gender and National ICT Policy in Africa: Issues, Strategies, and Policy Options

The paper commences with a review of the concept of Information Communication technology (ICT) and points out how ICT has become a potent force in transforming social, economic and political life globally. It then discusses the linkage between gender and ICT especially how ICT has widened the digital divide gap between Africa and the rest of the world on one hand and between males and females on the other. It later gives an overview of the ICT policy formulation situation in Africa pointing out the gender provisions in the national ICT policy documents of some African countries. It then reviews illiteracy rates and access to telephone facilities, computers, and Internet facilities in Africa and indicates that there is a digital divide on the continent between those who have access to the Internet and related technologies and those who do not. It finally presents the policy options and strategies to be adopted by African governments to enable women benefit from opportunities offered by ICTs. The paper concludes by submitting that unless gender issues are incorporated in national ICT policies in Africa the digital divide will continue to widen and most women that live in African rural populations would continue to be excluded from the benefits of ICT

IFPRI Annual Report 2006-2007

Biofuels, Food prices,

Using ODL and ICT to develop the skills of the unreached: a contribution to the ADEA triennial of the Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning

Innovation in technology is occurring at rapid pace thus shrinking the distances and making information and knowledge more than ever accessible to everyone irrespective of where the person resides. This paper consists of four main articles. The first one deals with technological trends. The second one focuses on the deployment and use of open and distance education mode in rural areas by documenting initiatives that embrace information and communication technologies (ICTs). Due to challenges faced in rural areas only a few success stories/cases currently exist and some of these are cited in this article. The challenges faced in the deployment of ICT enhanced ODL have been highlighted as well as the potential of developing and delivering effective and relevant ODL programmes in rural areas in order to ensure that issues of educational equity and social exclusion rural communities are adequately addressed. ICTs in ODL are perhaps the greatest tool to date for self-education and value addition to any community’s development efforts, yet poor rural communities particularly in Africa do not have the necessary awareness, skills or facilities to enable themselves to develop using ICTs. Inadequate ICT infrastructures in rural areas remain a major source for the digital divide in Africa and for under-performance of distance learners. The third one analyses the support provided to ODL learners who often encounter difficulties in completing their studies through the distance education mode due to loneliness, uncertainties and de-motivation. ICT has not been able to sufficiently support distance learners in overcoming those obstacles efficiently. An investigation regarding those learning supports has been conducted in ten distance learning institutions, along with an intensive literature review with the aim of understanding the high percentage of dropout rates of distant learners. The learners’ interactions have been scrutinized through content analysis of their synchronous exchanges, during a completely online course. After taking into account the limited technical and human resources in Africa, a technological virtual environment along with a pedagogical framework has been proposed with the aim of giving adequate educational support to them. The fourth article has explored The Open University (UK) and its efforts to use new technologies to deliver online courses to difficult-to- reach learners in prison environments. The case study analysed here is an international course (called, B201- Business Organisations and their environments) which also touches an African cohort of learners. The implications for designing and delivering online ODL to the complex unreachable environments of prisons anywhere, and particularly in Africa, have been discussed

African Public Leadership on Technology Readiness and Diffusing the Circular Economy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is not yet ready to embrace the digital and the fourth industrial revolution, and there remains a literature gap about technology readiness and effective technology diffusion to support a circular economy transition in West and East African countries. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to describe African public leadership experts\u27 views on how sub-Saharan African leaders can enable technology readiness and the technology diffusion needed for a successful transition to a circular economy. A multiple case study design was used to collect data from a purposeful sample of 14 African public leadership experts. Semistructured interviews, archival data, and reflective field notes supported study findings through data triangulation. This study is framed by two key concepts: Rogers\u27s concept of diffusion of innovations and Grafström and Aasma\u27s concept of the circular economy. Twelve themes emerged from the data analysis with six coding categories grounded in the conceptual framework: (a) African public leaders’ technology readiness, (b) African public leaders enabling technology readiness for a circular economy transition, (c) African public leaders’ adoption of technology, (d) African public leaders enabling technology diffusion for a circular economy transition, (e) African public leaders’ professional preparation for a circular economy transition, and (f) African public leaders’ willingness to adopt a circular economy transition. This study\u27s results may drive positive social change by informing African public leaders on the knowledge needed to enact policies on technology diffusion to support a circular economy transition and their nation\u27s sustainable development

African Public Leadership on Technology Readiness and Diffusing the Circular Economy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is not yet ready to embrace the digital and the fourth industrial revolution, and there remains a literature gap about technology readiness and effective technology diffusion to support a circular economy transition in West and East African countries. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to describe African public leadership experts\u27 views on how sub-Saharan African leaders can enable technology readiness and the technology diffusion needed for a successful transition to a circular economy. A multiple case study design was used to collect data from a purposeful sample of 14 African public leadership experts. Semistructured interviews, archival data, and reflective field notes supported study findings through data triangulation. This study is framed by two key concepts: Rogers\u27s concept of diffusion of innovations and Grafström and Aasma\u27s concept of the circular economy. Twelve themes emerged from the data analysis with six coding categories grounded in the conceptual framework: (a) African public leaders’ technology readiness, (b) African public leaders enabling technology readiness for a circular economy transition, (c) African public leaders’ adoption of technology, (d) African public leaders enabling technology diffusion for a circular economy transition, (e) African public leaders’ professional preparation for a circular economy transition, and (f) African public leaders’ willingness to adopt a circular economy transition. This study\u27s results may drive positive social change by informing African public leaders on the knowledge needed to enact policies on technology diffusion to support a circular economy transition and their nation\u27s sustainable development

Smallholder transformation

With smallholder farmers identified as the core of several recent development programs, coupled with the very important role agriculture can play in the eradication of extreme poverty, hunger and food insecurity in the world. The aim of this paper is to identify conditions necessary for smallholder farmers to capitalise on new business opportunities emerging from the reorganization of supply chains around the world. A comparative case study approach provides views on the most favourable conditions. The research makes use of an extensive literature review on patterns and constraints to agricultural marketing in Sub- Saharan Africa to identify potential areas for intervention by different stakeholders. The main focus is on the role NGOs are playing in market-oriented smallholder agricultural development in this part of the world. Selected theories, business model frameworks, concepts and principles like stakeholder theory, transaction cost theory, the concept of collective market and Oxfams five principles of linking smallholders to formal markets are used to analyse the ability of NGO proposed business models in meeting smallholder agricultural development challenges. Empirical data for analysis was gathered from four (4) agricultural projects in three (3) different SSA countries (Kenya, Uganda and Zambia), pioneered by three different international NGOs; Swedish Cooperative Centre and FARM-Africa. Collective action was identified as the model NGOs are applying as a best option for smallholders to overcome barriers to entry into high value markets, with group characteristics, type of product and market, institutional arrangements, the role of facilitators and the external environment emerging as determinants of success for any collective action initiative. NGOs acting as facilitators are expected to have very clear exit strategy, as this is crucial for project sustainability. NGOs should concentrate more on building the capacity of smallholder farmer groups such that they are able to conduct business on their own and be able to stay in the market even if NGO support ceases