Introduction
The use of technology in impacting economic growth is now the central focus of world leaders in many third world countries. The race to develop technological ideas with a global impact is very aggressive as we usher in the forthcoming industrial revolution.
While Global leaders- businessmen and women, politicians and activists speak about its importance, the question that begs an answer is; how traditional economies can utilise technology effectively in a way to turn around their economies for the good of the people?
This piece is about understanding how the default use of technology has blinded third-world leaders in focusing on the detrimental use of technological advancements and development. This is not to say technology, and its implementation in positioning economies for growth is incorrect. However, I aim to bring to light the misconceptions surrounding technology and how it has “failed” in its deliberate efforts to improve the living conditions of people living in these countries.
Technology and our experience
While the rest of the world is racing towards the industrial revolution, and with each country trying to outwit each other in different areas, the globalisation of technology and how it changes our world can be felt all over. Mobile platforms have reconnected us in a way we never imagined and are yet are being misused by misguided political ideologies. Technology is, in fact, the bedrock of most economies- from health to education, from politics and how we advocate, to space exploration, and more. Every one of us has felt its importance, and the desire to be at the front of it is recommendable.
As world powers continue to grow technologically, third-world nations are left in awe of them. To a very great extent, they are in a constant race to be seen on the “world stage.” In essence, this had often led to the development of technologies with little or no benefit to the majority of their population or immediate effect on their economies.
With billions of dollars spent every year on research and technology development, third world countries have entirely lost their way in how they use their resources just to be seen and heard in the discussion surrounding technologies. Hence, the focus has been laid on the use of technology in ways that do not influence economic growth or the lives of its people. With poor infrastructures and the high cost of the internet, third-world leaders continue to pursue technologies that do not necessarily improve the lives of their people. What it does, however, is to dust their egos of being forward-thinking.
As a result, most third-world countries have neglected the effective use of technology and its powers in turning agriculture around, managing and improving the health sector, developing industries, education or any industry with the ability to rapidly change the lives of its people.
Nonetheless, I believe that if used effectively, technology can change the dynamics of traditional economies. This is how it can be achieved under a few specific sectors with keen global interest.
Agriculture
With most traditional economies depending on agriculture, and with it being for the most part subsistence; it is imperative that technologies developed must have a primary focus on small farmers and how they can scale their activities to be able to reach commercialisation. Areas like cultivation, plant treatments, soil topography, and education relating to farm management are all areas the third world can use technology to improve.
In Ghana, for example, innovators (or entrepreneurs) like Farmerline use digital and web technologies to help farmers access some of the most readily available advice relating to farming practice, to weather conditions.
With the world’s population estimated to reach 9.1 billion people by 2050 and with Africa projected to play host to 2 billion people, there is a need to ramp up production drastically and quickly change the dynamics of agriculture before we all die of hunger.
Health
Stories abound about African leaders who are flown overseas for medical attention whenever they get sick. Often, they go abroad for regular check-ups. While I would not blame anyone for wanting to have the best medical care they can afford, this places a great eye on how badly the health sector is in these countries.
Unfortunately, most investments in the sector are centred around refurbishments and the development of hospitals. However, the systems upon which they failed still exist. It is only a matter of time before they start seeing that all they have done is to dress up a rotten health system in an elegant gown.
The good news is, that simple technologies ranging from data management and access (ensuring patients’ medical history is effectively traced), medical school upgrade (ensuring trained medical practitioners are exposed to the right training), drugs trafficking (ensuring drugs from disbursed are accounted for to avoid shortages), and many other underpinning situations can be solved with simple digital and web-based solutions.
Education
While more than half of the population living in traditional economies are uneducated, this has not deterred many African leaders from launching ambitious technologies in their educational sector. Often, these do not affect the quality of education.
With the use of technology, the quality of education can drastically change from how results are monitored, and student attendance recorded, to how teachers deliver teachings and lectures. From the access to materials to aid student personal growth to how educationally approved contents are interpreted by teachers and communicated to the student. And lastly, from the replacement of blackboards to projectors and whiteboards to digital and web-based apps that allow pupils, students, and lecturers to access learning materials at little or no cost.
While many countries are thriving to use Innovation and technology in the fields highlighted above, they have continually misused and misunderstood the basic needs and the type of technology needed to bring an immediate impact on the economy.
My argument does not in any way dismiss the importance of some of these technologies deployed or developed by some third-world countries. However, most are not what is required if a change is needed now and more profoundly. Leaders should understand that while mirroring the technological advancement of first-world countries, it must reflect the economic stage of development in which they are, and hence the technology/innovation needed.
Third-world countries cannot move from traditional economies to the mass consumption stage by skipping all other stages of development. Mirroring the current practice of other nations that are in an entirely different stage of development than they are is not the answer. If the leaders understand the need for ambitious technologies, then they must leave it to their young entrepreneurs and innovators to develop and deploy them. By creating the enabling environment for these budding entrepreneurs, governments can focus their resources on pursuing only the technology needed for an immediate economic turnaround.
Conclusion
Technology and Innovation are indeed at the forefront of global economies. Like many other parts of the world, Africa is gearing in positioning itself to sit at the table during the coming industrial revolution. The African continent should to getting the most out of technology and Innovation by deliberately working with ideas that can effectively and promptly bring a complete turnaround to their economies. Otherwise, they will continually invest millions of dollars in technologies that will not affect the life of the current generation and by extension, the next generation.
Reference
Harvard Business Review: Entrepreneurship | How Digital Technology Is Changing Farming in Africa https://hbr.org/2017/05/how-digital-technology-is-changing-farming-in-africa