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“In electrical engineering programs [at African universities], they teach you to understand how existing equipment works, but they do not encourage creative thinking or design. As for software developers, they can go through an entire four-year program and not understand how to program a basic circuit-board control mechanism

ll this new capacity is paving the way for a flood of entrepreneurial ventures that take advantage of Africa’s growing connectivity and expanding pool of high-tech talent. Unlike manufacturing, mining, and other “old economy” industries, high-tech has relatively low capital requirements and is not as dependent on physical infrastructure, where the historical legacy of underdevelopment has held Africa back. Talented entrepreneurs can connect directly with customers in the global market and to communities of their peers anywhere in the world, with fewer dependencies on local governments.

Ekekwe says he would like to see more public-private partnerships aimed at creating a center of excellence for hardware design somewhere in Africa. “We need a place where young engineers can create and test their own designs, as they do at the top schools in the United States and elsewhere,” he said.

The development sector works in the same way and undercuts local players by donating capital, ICT tools and expertise. Offering services for free makes it near impossible for local organizations to compete at cost

The R&D policy must be based on the production conditions in the region, the need first to produce for the domestic/regional market (only secondarily for the export market), and Africa’s location within the global value chain.’

Given this context, local capacity is a critical component to Africa’s story. If the continent is ever to take control of the technologies it consumes it will need the people intelligent enough to know how it works. I argue that this is where we need to focus our attention.

A three-year programme was designed and will be presented for adoption at an official launch that will coincide with the NEPAD Youth Summit to be held in June.

The purpose of the NEPAD ICT Programme is to accelerate development of ICT infrastructure, and impart ICT skills.