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H.E. William S. Ruto, the President of the Republic of Kenya, noted that “Africa is endowed with abundant resources, innovation, and talent; yet, these resources have not been utilized to benefit the socio-economic ambitions of our continent fully. Through the Timbuktoo GreenTech Hub, we can harness emerging technological opportunities and invest in ideas that propel Africa as the next frontier of tech-enabled response to the impacts of climate change and enhanced public service delivery. Our collaboration with UNDP and other partners on these critical initiatives represents a significant leap towards realizing Africa’s digital and green transformation.”
By capitalizing on the innovation of African startups to drive Africa’s green transition and equipping civil servants with essential technological competencies to transform service delivery, Africa can reimagine and accelerate inclusive and people-centered solutions while creating sustainable societies of the 21st Century and beyond.
The Africa Centre of Competence for Digital and AI Skilling provides an opportunity to reinvigorate efficiency in public institutions. The first cohort of civil servants is already undergoing training through collaborative efforts with UNDP, Microsoft, Google, and other partners.
“The center aims to equip 100,000 civil servants in Kenya during the first phase. It is also expected that civil servants from Uganda, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Nigeria, will join this initiative that is poised to shift how the public sector across the continent interacts with the digital world and emerging technologies,” said Prof. Nura Mohamed, Director General, Kenya School of Government.
Across the continent, groundbreaking solutions are emerging in key sectors as digital technologies continue to be powerful drivers of socioeconomic transformation. The intersection of public and private, national and global stakeholders presents a formidable front that harnesses technology’s transformative power beyond borders. Kenya is uniquely positioned to catalyze this progress.
By fostering a culture of digital experimentation, ideation helps the private and public sectors to be better equipped to leverage data-driven decision-making and policy-making processes, thereby enhancing Africa’s competitiveness.
“For Africa’s green and digital transition to succeed, it requires a visionary collaboration of stakeholders—spanning public and private sectors, as well as national and global partnerships. Equipping Africa with the necessary technological skills, resources, and tools is pivotal to bridging the digital divide to create solutions that serve the public good and the continent’s progress in achieving both the Global Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” said Winnie Karanu, AI National Skills Director at Microsoft.
