During Mobile World Congress 2016, Ericsson hosted a discussion on the impact of
smart cities for a connected Africa with a distinguished panel of leading players in
the information and communications technology (ICT) industry on the continent.
This took place at the second instalment of Ericsson’s ‘Africa Night’, a networking and conversation platform for key stakeholders in the sector to engage on matters
related to the digitisation of Africa.
Fredrik Jejdling, head of Ericsson’s sub-Saharan Africa region said: “Industries and
society are transforming as a result of ICT. The establishment of smart cities that
are equipped to manage some of the most important needs in evolving cities, such
as safety, transportation and utilities, requires active collaboration between various
stakeholders.’
Facilitated by Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo, the panel included Jean-Philbert
Nsengimana, Rwandan minister for ICT and Youth; Adebayo Shittu, Nigerian minister
of Telecommunications and Technology; Hlengiwe Mkhize, South African deputy
minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services; Hamadoun Toure, executive
director of the SMART Africa Programme; Christian de Faria, chief executive officer
and MD for Airtel Africa; and Cynthia Gordon, executive vice president and chief
executive officer for Africa Division at Millicom International Cellular.
Besides providing great insights, the panel reflected on the opportunities currently
being explored to build connected cities on the continent particularly in Nigeria,
Rwanda and South Africa.
Nsengimana extolled the role of partnerships in delivering smart cities in Africa:
“Rwanda is leading in four areas in collaboration with Ericsson; payments, digitising
transportation, safety and utilities. There is no way a government alone can drive
massive projects at the rate at which we are doing it without strong partnerships.’
Speaking on the benefits of an increasingly connected South Africa, Mkhize said:
“Our e-government services have a great impact in rural areas that were previously
excluded, now young people are in a position to access opportunities like any other
person, irrespective of where they are located.’
Toure called for more investment in infrastructure on the continent: “There is an
investment need in infrastructure in Africa over the next 10 years of over $300
billion, if the continent is to reach its full potential. The investment will not be
charity, it’s business. Today, the continent has the highest return on investment.
Governments are putting the right regulatory environments in place with regard to
spectrum, licenses and national broadband plans and therefore with the public
partnership model that we are advocating, there is money to be made.’
The United Nations estimates that by 2050 almost 70 percent of the world’s
population will be city dwellers. Though Africa remains mostly rural with only 40%
in urban areas as of 2014, this is expected to change in coming decades as Africa,
like Asia, is expected to urbanise faster than other regions in the world.
The growth of cities raises a range of social, economic and environmental
challenges, putting pressure on infrastructure, natural systems and social
structures. However, as the challenges of urbanisation intersect with ICT-driven
opportunities, solutions emerge with the potential to improve the lives of billions.
