“We can talk about AI all we want to, but the foundations of AI are about how you can harness the power of digital to transform the continent in the way we want it to transform.”
So says Alex Okosi, the managing director at Google Africa, who while he takes great pride in the fact that Google has trained over 6,500,000 Africans over the last four to five years in digital skills, is very aware of the many unique challenges the continent faces, from the high cost of data and infrastructure investments as well as the cost of handsets down.
That said the next three to four years excite him.
“Over the next three to four years, over 50% of Africans will be online and this will open up a world of opportunity for our young people.”
With Africa’s youthful population, he says accessibility is critical because the digital divide is still vast.
“At the same time, accessibility is meaningless if the youth do not know how to leverage the skills set in the digital age to self-actualise to create opportunities for themselves, their families and communities.”
He says we need to make sure that the AI being developed is inclusive of all of the nuances that Africa has to offer so that we can benefit from the upside of what it is.
Solving Africa’s biggest challenges
“The biggest challenge is to solve the issues the continent faces – really quickly.”
And we need to do this together. “Research that shows that we can’t do it as just Google. It’s an ecosystem play. That means that everyone needs to play their part.
“But if we all come together, which is where the challenge and the opportunity lies, and work on this collectively, then Africa will truly rise.”He uses the example of an AI framework.
“Can you imagine an Africa with a single AI framework that is rolled out? That means an entrepreneur in Johannesburg can have access to markets beyond their borders. They have access to the Nigerian market, to the Kenyan market, to the Ghanaian market. That’s a game changer.”
What then?
But what happens when we solve these issues, what then?
“Once our young people succeed it will be about how do they make sure that the communities they are part of also succeed.
“The continent has had some incredible success stories, but that’s not enough. We have to make sure that the communities where people come from are also sustainable for growth.”
A sustainable future
He believes that it will require a learning mindset from all of us involved to say, what we do in the future, and how we make sure that it’s sustainable.
“We need to build a mindset right now across the entire value chain that Africa’s opportunity shouldn’t be continued to be just opportunity.
“Otherwise, it’s a story about the potential we talk about for the next 10 years. And every single one of us must take on the ownership that we are part of the solution.”
“But I am optimistic that Africa is more of an opportunity than a challenge.”
Alex Okosi is a Nigerian-born, US-educated business executive who has worked for the world’s biggest broadcasting, streaming and tech brands.In Septemer 2023 he was appointed managing director, Google Africa.
