President Ruto claims that digital access can unlock Africa’s potential

President William Ruto of Kenya has stepped up his appeals for African industry and government leaders to embrace technology in order to prepare the continent for the future.

Speaking to delegates on Monday at the Africa Connected Summit 2024 launch in Nairobi, Dr. Ruto said that if individuals in positions of power made the correct choices, Africa will benefit much from the digital revolution.

“The quality, coverage, and accessibility of Africa’s digital infrastructure lag behind that of other regions, but this need not be the case as the most revolutionary interventions are only a few choices away,” he said.

The fact that our rate of connectivity is lower than its potential should worry us all, he continued. Policymakers from around the continent and thought leaders in ICT have gathered for a five-day summit to evaluate ideas and collaborations.

During his inaugural speech, Dr. Ruto emphasized the crucial obstacles that, if resolved, would greatly unleash the huge economic possibilities that remain unrealized in Africa.

He specifically mentioned Africa, where there are just 470 million internet users out of a continent of 1.4 billion, or a 36 percent penetration rate—below the 66 percent global average.

Africa lags considerably behind other parts of the world in terms of fixed broadband penetration, with barely 5%. He claimed that a 10% increase in broadband access across the continent might result in a 1.4 percent boost in GDP for Africa. “This has critical implications for our ambition for both connectivity and economic transformation through the digital economy,” he stated.

The President also outlined other obstacles, including slow internet speeds, expensive data plans, and a lackluster adoption rate for internet-capable devices.