Innovation Africa 2014 Summit Guide

8/10/2019 Innovation Africa 2014 Summit Guide

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InnovatonAfrica 2014- Summit Guide 5

I am honoured towelcome you all to

Innovation Africa 2014 and to the warm hospitality ofRwanda. I am delighted to see so many of my CounterpartMinisters and officials from across Africa and very muchappreciate the time you have taken out of your busyschedules to come to Kigali.

It is hugely encouraging to see so many industry partnersand international investors who have travelled from far

and wide to take part in this summit. Rwanda like so manycountries in Africa is open for business. Considerableinvestment programs and expansions are taking placeacross the education and ICT sectors. There is no bettergathering than Innovation Africa for government andindustry to engage with each other to further enhance suchinvestment.

I am looking forward to some stimulating panel discussionsand in particular the roundtable private meetings duringthe two afternoons. As the host country Rwanda isrepresented by the Ministry of Education, which includestwo State Ministers for Basic Education and for TVET. Also

represented is the Ministry of Youth and ICT, The RwandaDevelopment Board, the Higher Education Council, TheRwanda Education Board and the University of Rwanda.

It is wonderful to see so many participants where weall share a common interest in advancing the educationsystems and ICT infrastructures of our countries tostrengthen economic development and improve ourreadiness for the 21st century global knowledge economy.

I look forward to meeting many of you individually,throughout the event and on informal occasions such as thecultural dinner on the evening of 19th November. Rwandahas some of the most stunning wilderness and natural

beauty and I trust you can also find the time to relax andenjoy your stay in our wonderful country.

Warmest regards

Prof Silas Lwakabamba

Minister of Education

Contents

Ministers Welcome 5

AfricanBrains Foreword 6

Engineering Africa 8

A year in the life of AfricanBrains 12

How are educators and investors faringin rising Africa? 18

African markets to lead telecoms

growth globally 26

Innovation Cafs at Mbarara

University of Science and Technology 30

Funding scheme set to empower women

in ICT in Africa 32

Partners and Sponsors 34Government Partners 43

Media Partners 51

Minister's Welcome


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InnovatonAfrica 2014- Summit Guide6

Welcome toInnovaton Africa2014

AfricanBrains &the Government ofRwanda are delightedto welcome all

delegates to Innovation Africa 2014. The central purpose ofthe event is for government officials and industry leadersto meet under one roof and engage in opportunities toadvance their partnerships in education, science, ICT andresearch in Africa.

We would like to offer our warmest gratitude andappreciation to all attending government officials, industry

partners, university officers and delegates. This summitis organised in partnership with the Rwandan Ministry ofEducation along with the Rwanda Development Board,Ministry of Youth & ICT, Rwanda Education Board andthe key institutions - University of Rwanda and HigherEducation Council. We are most grateful to the MinisterHon Prof Silas Lwakabamba and all officials of the ministryof education and Rwandan Government who have madethis event possible. A special mention should be madeto senior ICT advisor Nkubito Bakuramutsa who firstrequested and subsequently made this event possible inRwanda.

This years edition of Innovation Africa has the highestever turn-out of African ministers and senior officials. 25African countries with 40 ministries for education, highereducation, communications and ICT are participatingin the panel discussions and roundtable pre-scheduledmeetings. It is an outstanding gathering of high-leveldecision-makers. We are extremely proud and gratefulto all attending African governments and thank you forcommitting the time and energy into being part of theAfricanBrains family.

A special thank you is reserved to all our sponsoringpartners and delegates without whom this event would notbe possible. We appreciate the support of everyone whohas committed their valuable resources to be here in Kigali.

The event starts with a private governmental breakfaston the morning of 18th November; which is followed byspecial technology presentations from leading partners HP,Microsoft & Intel. Registration for the summit will begin at14:00 and at 19:00 there is an informal evening cocktailreception.

The 19th & 20th November are the two main summit days

based around an innovative program of panel discussionsin the mornings and then converting to pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings during both afternoons. Please see theseparate summit agenda for event timings.Panel sessions will be in the form of Q & As. Each panel

represents an outstanding gathering of some of the mostsenior officials and key players in Africa. A great deal ofcare has been taken in setting the questions; with eachpanel chaired by top executives from the leading industrypartners of AfricanBrains.

There will 40 roundtable meeting areas in the ballroomand auditorium of the Serena Hotel during the afternoonsof 19th & 20th November. The conference panel sessionsbegin at 08:30 on both days and the roundtable meetingsbegin after lunch at 14:20. Government ministries willbe hosting these roundtables and we kindly ask that all

officials and delegates start the meetings promptly afterlunch each day.

The floor plan of roundtables is available at the entranceto the conference room. Prior to the start of the summit,sponsors and delegates will have utilised our onlinescheduling system to arrange their afternoon meetings.There will also be the opportunity to arrange ad hocmeetings during the course of the event.

We will be hosting a cultural dinner in the marque of theSerena Hotel from 20:00 on the 19th November please

ensure you have your delegate badge with you.

For any assistance, please contact any of the organisingstaff available throughout the venue.

We trust that Innovation Africa can play its part in bringingtogether key decision-makers from both government andindustry to build their own relationships and strengthenpublic-private partnerships. We are grateful for all yoursupport and participation. We are sure that your time at thesummit will be enjoyable as well as highly productive.

Warmest regards

John GlasseyManaging DirectorAfricanBrains

Follow @AfricanBrains & @InnovationAfric andplease tweet about the summit using #IA2014

For general enquiries: [email protected] event enquiries: [email protected] releases & news: [email protected]

AfricanBrainsc/o The Brains Network Ltd85-87 Bayham Street, London, NW1 0AG, UK


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By Frances Mensah Williams

There is a severe lack of engineeringcapacity in sub-Saharan Africa, saysa report by Africa-UK Engineering forDevelopment Partnership that looks atthe causes and suggests remedies

The report Engineers for Africa: Identifying engineeringcapacity needs in Sub-Saharan Africa was produced by theAfrica-UK Engineering for Development Partnership, whichbrings together the engineering community in Africa andthe UK in a consortium comprising the Africa EngineersForum, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institutionof Civil Engineers and Engineers against Povert y. Theaim of the Partnership is to strengthen the capacity ofthe African engineering profession and promote mutuallybeneficial links between engineers in Africa and the UK.

Authored by Petter Matthews, Lily Ryan-Collins and Dr JillWells from Engineers Against Poverty and Dr HayaatunSillem and Holly Wright from the Royal Academy ofEngineering, the report identifies engineering capacityneeds, in terms of the size and skills base of the work forcein sub-Saharan Africa and sets out potential approachesto meeting these needs. In doing this, the authorsconsulted professional engineers and other engineeringstakeholders from across the region. While it is not a fullycomprehensive study of the variations across countries, itdoes offer some insight into the issues involved.

Nurturing Local Innovation andCapabilitySub-Saharan Africa suffers a chronic lack of indigenouscapacity in engineering and there are not enoughengineers graduating within the continent to meet thedemand in some of the countries.

Sufficient engineering capacity is essential to theeconomic and social development of any country, saysthe report. It is a basic requirement for the sustainableprovision of infrastructure that enables better healthcare,access to education and the development of an attractiveenvironment for foreign investment. It is also a key driverfor innovation and growth.

Poor infrastructure development in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa has led to insufficient road networks andmajor energy shortages, resulting in the continent laggingbehind other developed regions. This highlights the needfor the continent to nurture and develop its own expertiseand capacity in engineering and thus enable solutions tobe developed within the region rather than by importedexperts.

The lack of data available on the engineering capacitywithin the continent is a constraint when planning howto address gaps. The report is accompanied by threesupporting documents: a literature review; an analysis ofan electronic survey of 113 professional engineers and 29decision-makers from 18 countries; and an analysis of aset of interviews with 15 engineering stakeholders withexperience of leading projects in various African countries.The majority of those interviewed worked in the in the civilengineering sector, suggesting a predominance of civilengineering activity in the region.

The summary report outlines the scale and nature ofAfricas capacity needs, considers the causes of lowcapacity in engineering sectors, assesses the impact thatlow capacity has on development, and presents a numberof possible approaches to increasing engineering capacityin the region.

While this may be partly due to thedominance of foreign engineering firms

who import foreign labour, the key reasonidentified in this study was that engineers

were graduating without the necessary skillsand experience to be employable.

Flickr / tattoodjay


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>>>

Insufficient Engineers to Meet

DemandThe reports authors identified evidence of a shortageof engineers in all of the countries for which data wasavailable: South Africa, Rwanda, Mozambique, Malawi andTanzania. The deficit of skills is often in the public sectorand particularly in government posts in rural areas. Butthe notable levels of unemployment among engineeringgraduates also suggest that the problem is more likelyan inadequate number of engineers with sufficient skillsand experience, rather than as an insufficient number ofengineers.While this may be partly due to the dominance of foreignengineering firms who import foreign labour, the key

reason identified in this study was that engineers weregraduating without the necessary skills and experience tobe employable.

One interviewee from Zambia explained that, Theuniversities are able to churn out the engineers innumbers but many of them do not have the skills to beable to operate in a global economy. Reflecting the scaleof this problem, the Kenyan Engineering Board has in thepast withdrawn recognition for engineering degrees fromthree of Kenyas public universities.

The report identified a variety of factors that contribute

to the lack of engineering capacity, ranging from globalmarket forces to inadequate education. Governmentpolicies or approaches to engineering have often resultedin a low level of public investment in engineering projectsover several decades which, in turn has severely limitedopportunities for African engineers to gain marketableskills and experience. Of the professional engineerswho completed the survey for this study, 42% believedpolicymakers had a poor understanding of engineeringissues.

African governments also often fail to put in placeadequate legislation to protect engineering standards or

properly enforce existing legislation. A failure to enforcelocal content laws in relation to foreign engineering firmsalso damages local capacity, with foreign firms not beingcompelled to transfer knowledge to local engineers. Thisis worsened when governments award public contracts toforeign firms who utilise their own labour rather than localcontractors.

Another factor highlighted is poor quality education andworkplace training, with 40% of professional engineerswho responded to the survey stating that engineeringeducation in their country did not provide graduates withthe skills required. Tertiary engineering education (in

universities and technical colleges) in many countries inSSA has not received the investment needed to keep pacewith the developed world in recent decades, says thereport.

Flickr / andrew_ashton

Engineering courses are often overly theoretical, based onoutdated curricula, and are not relevant to local needs,

with many Engineering faculties without the resources toprovide appropriate laboratory experience. Low salariesfor academic staff makes it difficult to attract high qualityfaculty staff, with many teachers also often engaged inother activities to earn extra income, distracting them fromteaching.

In South Africa in the early 2000s the numberof engineers emigrating annually actually

matched the numbers graduating.

Finding work placements in industry is very difficult forAfrican engineering students and this prevents themfrom gaining the experience necessary for them to beemployable after graduating. Even in the workplace, alack of training for graduate engineers contributes to lowcapacity in the region.

Engineering Brain DrainEngineers with marketable skills and experience are ofteninclined to migrate to other countries for better pay andworking conditions, resulting in a brain drain of theprofession from Africa and within the region.

As well as moving to other countries, talented engineeringgraduates are also attracted to careers in non-engineeringsectors such as banking, finance, IT and managementconsultancy which pay higher salaries and have citylocations.This lack of engineering capacity has led to a widespreadreliance on foreign engineering contractors, the reportsays, and this reliance on foreign firms can result in capitalflight and remove potential employment opportunitiesfrom the local market. It can also result in buildings andother structures that dont reflect or suit local needs.

Building Engineering Capacity in Africa While thechallenges involved in building engineering capacity insub-Saharan Africa are daunting, the study highlights anumber of approaches to address the key causes of lowcapacity.


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Engineering

Research and dataThere is a striking dearth of data and literature on the

subject of engineering Capacity for the region and,in order to develop strategies for building engineeringcapacity that are targeted and effective, it is vital thatmore detailed research is undertaken into the variousengineering sectors in each country. As well as providingthe necessary evidence to develop suitable programmesto build capacity, this would also raise awareness amongstakeholders (governments, donors etc) about the natureand extent of the problem.

Education and trainingImprovements are needed right through educationpipeline, including better teaching of mathematics in

primary and secondary schools.

The need to improve tertiary engineering education iscritical to developing engineering capacity across thecontinent. There is a clear need for the development ofcurricula in line with current industrial practice and tailoredto local needs and to bring engineering education in linewith international norms. It also recommends that tertiaryeducation should be improved through the development ofpartnerships between academia and industry.

One interviewee reflected a view held by many whenhe explained that, without these links the traininginstitutions are not able to address the inadequaciesin their training, and industry is not able to utilise theproducts from the universities.

Professional institutionsProfessional engineering bodies can support thedevelopment of engineering capacity in African countriesby developing and enforcing professional qualificationsrequiring appropriate experience for all senior engineeringpositions.

Flickr / dvdmerwe

Government approachesCollecting and analysing data on national engineeringneeds is crucial and the report suggests that governmentlegislation could contribute to engineering capacitybuilding in many by making it compulsory for professional

engineers to be registered with their relevant professionalbody to ensure certain standards of practice, thusimproving the quality and reputation of local engineers,and also develop appropriate local content laws to ensurethat there is a process of knowledge transfer from foreignengineering companies to local engineers.

Regional and international cooperationInternational cooperation and knowledge sharing has the

potential to be an important capacity building avenuefor countries in SSA. North-South and South-Southpartnerships between engineering education institutionsfacilitate knowledge sharing, and more partnerships ofthis kind would be beneficial. Furthermore, the Africanengineering professionals in the diaspora could also playa greater role by sharing the knowledge, skills and accessto networks that they have gained abroad with their homecountries.

Hampering DevelopmentThe severe lack of engineering capacity at every level

of the profession in sub-Saharan Africa is a significantobstacle to achieving almost all development goals, fromthe provision of basic sanitation to the reduction of ruralpoverty, says the report.

The key causes of low capacity include: a lack ofgovernment investment in engineering skills developmentright along the pipeline; out-of-date curricula and teachingmethods at universities, resulting in graduates lackingrequired skills; weakness of professional institutions,leaving professional engineers unsupported and resultingin insufficient or non-existent registration processes; lackof knowledge transfer from foreign engineering firms;

failure by the private sector to provide sufficient CPD; andbrain drain of engineering talent to other sectors andother countries.

Overcoming these causes of low capacity is a formidabletask. But, it is one that is achievable with the right leveland mix of research, investment and policy making. Byimproving investment decisions and supporting moreeffective deployment of resources, governments in sub-Saharan Africa can make significant strides in addressingthe lack of domestic engineering capacity and work withthe engineering profession to better understand theproblem and develop policies and practical approaches

aimed at addressing it.

Frances Mensah Williams isthe CEO of human resourcesadvisory and trainingconsultancy, Interims forDevelopment Ltd, and the

Editor ofwww.ReConnectAfrica.com,the leading careers andbusiness online publication forAfrican professionals.

About Frances Mensah Williams


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By Marc Mcilhone

Education is the most powerfulweapon which you can use to changethe World

Nelson Mandela

At AfricanBrains we relish the task of covering all thingsinnovative in education, technology and business and wewould love to share some of our stories with you whilst youattend our 2014 Innovation Summit. As we welcome you,editor MARC MCILHONE looks back over some of them.Since becoming editor of The Brains Network (whichincludes AfricanBrains ArabBrains, ChineseBrains andAustralianBrains) in October 2011, I have been constantlyimpressed by the incredible ingenuity displayed within thespheres of education, technology and business in Africa.Over the past year weve published a diverse range of

stories showing how innovation in these areas make a real,practical and sometimes life-changing difference to peopleand Id like to share some of these with you now.

Rwandas YouthConnekt Hangoutsweeps away UNDP TechnologyInnovation Award

Young people are often theleading innovators

Africa has already made significant steps in areas

of economic growth, development and innovation.Nevertheless, these new advances occasionally fail totranslate into opportunities for youth on one of theyoungest regions in the world. Youth employment,professional education and training are still greatchallenges on the African continent which threaten toreduce the overall efforts of alleviating it out of poverty.

While in an increasingly globalised and digitalised worldyoung people are often the leading innovators andinitiators of the progress, a crucial element of equippingthem with the right skills and training is often forgotten inthe formula of development programmes.Therefore, the recent commendation of the Rwandaninitiative in digital technologies serves as a timelyreward for its progress in adopting innovation and digitaltechnologies to build the skills of young people, harnesstheir energy, realise their aspirations and foster inclusivesocial transformation of the country.The Rwandan Governments technology communications

initiative YouthConnekt Hangouts won the top honoursat the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)initiated innovation fair in South Africa and has beenrewarded as the best innovative project together with theprize of 75,000 USD for further development of the project.The initiative was developed by the Government ofRwanda Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT) in partnershipwith three information and communication technologyentrepreneurial firms to launch an interactive forum hostedon Google.

Their joint project is a bi-monthly event which since its

launching on 12th November 2013, envelops throughthe use of digital technologies various themes rangingfrom youth employment, entrepreneurship, youth accessto finance, role of youth in peace-building, ICT4D,

A year in the life of

AfricanBrains

>>>


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James

Planning lessons,Monika

grading papersJennifer

and organising meetings

have gone Google.

Thousands of schools & universities have alreadygone Google, using Apps for Education & Chromebooks,devices that bring the power of the web to students.Why not learn more?

Copyright 2013 Google. All rights reserved. Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc.

www.google.com/edu


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sustainability, investment promotion, sports and culture,role of youth in regional integration, reproductive health,

to HIV/AIDS and drug abuse among others.The platform YouthConnekt uses Google Hangouttechnology and other social media channels, such asFacebook or Twitter, as well as mobile messaging system(SMS) to connect young people to resources, relevantskills, entrepreneurship opportunities, role models oremployment venues and encourages youth to activelyengage in the economic, social and political transformationof the country.

According to the Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean PhilbertNsangimana, the programme has a practical, results-

oriented format which includes interactive, multi-stakeholder panel discussions, partnership announcements,online discussions and debates as well as opportunitiesfor participants to present their ICT projects to potentialpartners or donors. It provides great possibilities fornetworking for current leaders in private, public or financesectors with the young leaders of tomorrow. Nsangimanaalso said to the sources at The Green Light Mag that thedevelopment of the YouthConnekt Hangout was a historicmoment in the efforts to expand communications andinteraction between youth and Rwandan public as well asprivate sector leaders.

Moreover, while the YouthConnekt Hangout accuratelyfits into the Second Economic Development and PovertyReduction Strategy (EDPRS 2) of the Government ofRwanda which identifies youth employment and inclusivegrowth as two of the major shifts that need to happento end extreme poverty and improve livelihoods inthe country, it has been also recognised as a relevantreflection of the Global Post-2015 Development Agenda,a framework that will succeed the UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs).

As the global shifting policy priorities begin to identify

diversified economies, equal opportunities, social inclusion,innovation and technology as well as youth engagementas crucial elements of poverty reduction and alleviationof socio-economic disabilities in the developing world,Rwandas innovative social engagement programmethrough digital technologies seems to be a stepping stonein the newly forming global development agenda. It canserve as a blueprint example for other countries howdigital innovation and smart engagement of the youth canharness new ways of achieving significant results in socio-economic progress.

Unstoppable Foundation advances

girls education in Africa, onevillage at a time

Sponsor a Village Model PromotesSustainable Education and Self-Sufficiency

As we reflect on the tremendous progressthat we have made, were looking ahead todouble the number of children educated in

the next twelve months, to anadditional 5,000

Flickr / DFID

This year a record number of girls in sub-Saharan Africahave had access to an education for the first time, thanksto The Unstoppable Foundations powerful Sponsor aVillage model. More than 6,000 of the worlds neediestchildren are going to school, and their families are gettingthe tools they need for self-sufficiency clean water,sanitation, healthcare and income skills training.

The Unstoppable Foundation Sponsor a Village program

creates not only schoolhouses but real opportunity forself-sustaining progress through the five-pillar model ofeducation, clean water and sanitation, healthcare, nutritionand income training. We join forces with our implementingpartners on the ground to transform entire communities,said Cynthia Kersey, founder and CEO of The UnstoppableFoundation.

Sponsor a Village donations are pooled together tosupport self-sustaining villages, producing far greaterresults than individual gifts. Each pool of $25,000 createsa schoolhouse plus the tools crucial to lifting a communityout of poverty.

Since 2008, The Unstoppable Foundation has funded 62schoolhouses and two secondary schools for girls in sub-

A year in the life of AfricanBrains


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15

Saharan Africa, 6,028 children are receiving an educationand daily nutritious meal, and more than 20,000 people

have access to clean water, sanitation, healthcare, foodand nutrition, and income skills training.

In a region of Africa where one in ten children dies beforethe age of five, and where many girls are married off at12 years of age and subjected to rituals such as femalegenital mutilation, the education of thousands of girls isalready making a difference. Each student is primed andpassionate to make an impact on her community and hastaken a huge step towards creating a hopeful future forherself and her family.

As we reflect on the tremendous progress that wehave made, were looking ahead to double the numberof children educated in the next twelve months, to anadditional 5,000 said Kersey.

The Unstoppable Foundation is a non-profit humanitarianorganization bringing sustainable education to childrenand communities in developing countries, thereby creatinga safer and more just world for everyone.

Rwanda gets tech incubator

Great place to do business. We know it hassome extraordinary local talent

whose skills and ingenuitywe want to support

Sweden-headquartered telecommunications and mediacompany Millicom has built a technology incubator inRwanda to develop digital solutions. The incubator, calledthink, is located in the capital, Kigali, and will be usedto develop innovative and scalable businesses in whichMillicom will take an equity stake.

Potential entrepreneurs are given seed funding, training,coaching, and access to technical resources and supportaccessing investors and customers. Millicom CEO Hans-Holger Albrecht said Rwanda is a great place to dobusiness. We know it has some extraordinary local talentwhose skills and ingenuity we want to support.

Tanzanian entrepreneurs winAfrica's Business LeadershipAwards

Three Tanzanian entrepreneurs were among winners ofCNBC Africa 'All Africa Business Leaders Awards' (AABLA)for the East African round that was held in Nairobi, Kenya.

A statement issued mentioned the three as Tanzanianmedia magnet, Dr Reginald Mengi, the Chief Executive

Officer and founder of Technobrain Limited, Manoj Shankerand the Chief Executive Officer of Helvetic Solar, PatrickNgowi.

The statement said Dr Mengi, the Executive Chairmanof IPP Limited, won two awards - the 2014 East African'Business Leader of the Year Award' and 'LifetimeAchievement Award' for pioneering corporate socialresponsibility in Tanzania.

The CEO and founder of Technobrain Limited in Tanzania,Manoj Shanker was named 'Entrepreneur of the Year'

owing to his successful efforts to build a unique Africancompany that puts Africa first as a CommunicationsTechnology Solutions developer along with the capacityto win and deliver major projects in countries across theworld.

The accolade of East Africa's 'Young Business Leader of theYear' went to Helvetic Solar CEO Patrick Ngowi, a serialentrepreneur and pioneer whose company is the fastest-growing network in Renewable Energy in East Africa.

Mr Ngowi now has over 300 people under his leadership,contributing to growth and development while focusing oncommercial initiatives in Tanzania and across the region.

Africa's most respected business awards, the AABLA,recognises the continent's trade and industry game-changers in a variety of categories that mirror themultifaceted nature of the African business.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about just a few of thegreat examples of how the future is bright for Africa. Thecombination of entrepreneurial spirit, open mindednessand technological innovation in the region has created adynamic powerhouse ready to take on whatever challenges

the future brings.

Enjoy the summit!

Marc Mcilhone is AfricanBrains'Editor- sourcing news &features content and overseeingthe work of the sitescontributors.Please email press releases andnews to:[email protected]

About Marc Mcilhone

InnovatonAfrica 2014- Summit Guide


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Schoolmanagement

he quality of education and

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ith the quality of the physical

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FurnitureThe teacher is the essence of

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Bi-Brightsupports an inclusiveand global education,designed to consider everyoneand every dimensionsof education.

Technology


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By Sara Custer

It wasnt just the tropical heat that felt familiar to Diomwhen he first arrived to start a Business degree at MurdochUniversity in Dubai International Academic City. Despitebeing the only student from Cameroon on campus hesays he fit right in. I saw a lot of students from different

countries so immediately I felt at home, he beams. Thereare a lot of African students here and Id never heard ofKazakhstan before, but I got to know it!

Diom was one of the more than 22,000 students fromCameroon, 9% of total tertiary enrolments, who decidedto seek education abroad last year. His experience ofpursuing an Australian degree in a foreign country ischaracteristic of the growing role transnational education(TNE) has in answering demand among African studentsfor a quality education.

In terms of statistics Cameroon fares better than otherAfrican countries. Over 11% of university-aged studentsare enrolled in tertiary education, higher than the Sub-Saharan average of 6% and public expenditure for atertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita is just40% while in Ethiopia, Madagascar and Guinea its over100%.

According to UNESCO, high expenditures per capita ofGDP on tertiary education suggests that public resourcesare highly concentrated on relatively few students andare indicative of the current state of education in mostcountries on the continent: demand is high but enrolments

remain low due to poor teaching standards, few resourcesand little industry to employ graduates.

Traditionally African students pursuepostgraduate degrees in applied sciences,

engineering or agriculture fieldsaiming to find a job in the oil & gas industries

Mobility PatternsAfrican students accounted for almost 10% of internationalstudents in 2010 worldwide according to Campus France,with the ratio of outbound mobile students to domesticstudents higher than 25% in most countries. Destinationstend to be dictated by historical and linguistic ties andcross-border convenience; France attracted the largestproportion of students in 2010 222,390 followed bySouth Africa, 114,551. The UK and the USA received around73,000 students each.Morocco, Nigeria and Algeria are the largest source

countries on the continent for France. Open Doors datafrom 2013 shows that Nigeria was the top African sourcecountry for universities in the USA followed by Kenya,Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia and Cameroon.

As a study destination, South Africa is the regions maineducation hub with international enrollments growingfrom 12,000 to over 60,000 from 1994 to 2006. Accordingto the Institute of International Educations Project Atlas,international students made up 8% of all South Africantertiary enrolments in 2009.

In that year, the top five countries of origin of foreign

students were Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesothoand Swaziland but South Africa has also become the topattractor on the continent for students from the US.

How are educators and

investors faring in risingAfrica?


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Traditionally African students are employment-motivated,which influences their fields of study most pursue

postgraduate degrees in applied sciences, engineeringor agriculture fields aiming to find a job in the oil & gasindustries.

Flickr / rorycellan

Driving Demand

In many countries across sub-Saharan Africa,there is a demand for ESL courses, especially

among students preparing to take an English-taught degree course

As large proportions of populations near the age of tertiaryeducation in most African countries, governments findthemselves with a severe supply shortage. Quite simply,the demand for quality higher education cannot be met bylocal, publicly funded suppliers.

This creates opportunities for in-country tuition and skillsdevelopment across all levels for foreign providers. Localgovernments recognise the need to partner with outsideoperators and are writing policies to make it easier forprivate providers to establish operations.

Most recently, the government in Kenya replaced itsCommission for Higher Education with the Commissionfor University Education which will be charged withestablishing a level regulatory playing field for public andprivate providers.

Africas middle class is expected to grow from 355 million(34% of Africas population) to 1.1 billion (42% of thepopulation) in 2060. Consumer spending by the middleclasses reached an estimated US$680 billion in 2008 ornearly a quarter of Africas GDP.

Theres no doubt about it: what is developing about Africaat large is its buying power. Some estimates predict that

spending will reach $2.2 trillion by 2030, making Africaaccountable for 3% of worldwide consumption.Huge investments in oil & gas, mineral extraction andagriculture industries have created the need for skilledworkers. Vocational training opportunities abound incountries like Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Ghana andEthiopia where funding comes mostly from governmentsaiming to build infrastructure or private companies lookingto upskill their human capital.

Being able to compete in English accepted nowas the global language of business, commerce and

international relations has increased interest in Englishlanguage teaching, especially in former Francophone andLusaphone countries such as Rwanda, Gabon, Angola andMozambique that are all aiming to transition to English astheir official language.

Were busy not only managing traditional teachingcentres for members of the public, but are workingincreasingly to support national governments making thisshift to English, advising them on how to develop theircurriculum, train their teachers and integrate ICT into thecurriculum, comments Tony Reilly, the British CouncilCountry Director in Kenya.

And despite English already being the official languagein many countries across sub-Saharan Africa, there isa demand for ESL courses, especially among studentspreparing to take an English-taught degree course.

Tony Crooks is team leader at the government-fundedAustralian Awards in Africa, which provide access topostgraduate education and professional training forAfricans who return to their country after studying inAustralia in support of the Millennium DevelopmentGoals. He says that in some cases, award winners coming

from English-speaking countries arent able to meet IELTSminimum scores.

You get into some quite heated political and post-colonial issues that go beyond the commercial interestsof a testing organisation when you discuss the issue, hecomments. You get into the question of whose standardsof English are better. Many students speak a variety ofEnglish that is not the variety that is used in the academiccircles of the UK and Australia.

Assessing the risks

Compared with other emerging regions like Asia orLatin America, Africa presents a new set of challengesfor international educators. Many countries lack the

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basic infrastructure of roads or grid electricity, stablegovernments, or sufficient economies to support skilled

graduates.

When it comes to establishing foreign partnerships,Western universities predominantly ignore Africa, sayseducation consultant Stuart Rennie.

Its a difficult, challenging and toughenvironment to work in, so a lot of the VCs

and the senior management teams inuniversities shy away from it

I think theres a number of reasons for that its adifficult, challenging and tough environment to work in,so a lot of the VCs and the senior management teams inuniversities shy away from it.

When it comes to recruitment, traditional channels arealso not as straightforward in most African countries, withuniversities relying on direct enrolments or what Renniedescribes are crude agent networks.

Bukky Awofisayo, an agent at UKEAS in Nigeria, agreesthat the market is saturated.

There are so many agents. There are one man, two managents, there are big ones, there are international agents,she says. Everyone claims to be an agent without offeringhigh quality services, she adds, noting that accreditationschemes including the British Councils help set legitoperations apart.

Similarly, investors find most countries too remote anddont have the support infrastructures to make investmentsand manage operations. As one private sector professionalobserved: You really have to go deep into a country todecide whether its worth investing in.

While tertiary enrolments have sky-rocketed since the1970s in Sub-Saharan African countries, overall enrolmentsamong the tertiary-aged population (18-24 years) remainsat just 6%. Meanwhile, the tertiary gross enrolment ratio(GER) of the United States and Western Europe is around72% and for most developing countries between 20-40%.

According to Abhinav Mital, a partner at strategiceducation advisory firm The Parthenon Group, a low GERimplies a lack of skills to support the economy, whichimpacts productivity and growth.

Governments understand that but they dont have themoney to invest behind public institutions which havetraditionally been the main source of education, hecounsels.

National government policy is needed that

empowers the people. Until we do that themiddle class isnt going to last for long

Over the past five to six years, private institutions havesuccessfully filled the capacity gap, creating critical linksbetween education and employability.

However, despite the relative progress that is attractingthe interest of the most intrepid international educators,

Mital says opportunities are still quite limited because themarkets function very differently and student preferencesneed to be understood more closely.

He elaborates, The way students operate and learn,the mode of study, sensitivity to fees, etc, are actuallyquite different from what you see in China and India; andstudents tend to be older.While growth in the middle class means more families canpay for quality higher education, there are concerns thatwithout strong local industry these middle classes are indanger of disappearing.

What is needed is an industrial policy that results in thebuilding of economic infrastructure that will result in jobsfor the middle class, which will result in revenues tricklingdown to the poor people, explains Kelechi Kalu, AssociateProvost for Global Strategies and International AffairsProfessor at Ohio State University in the USA.

Ohio State sends students to many African countries tohelp drive research into product development, medicine,agronomy and engineering. Kalus position is that nationalgovernment policy is needed that empowers the people.Until we do that the middle class isnt going to last for

long.

Meanwhile for the vocational education sector, overcomingstereotypes is one of the main challenges to reform,according to Michaela Baur, head of the CompetenceCentre TVET & Labour Market at the German developmentagency, GIZ.

The image of [technical and vocational education andtraining] TVET in many countries isnt great, she says.There is a demand for qualified workers but most peoplewould like to see their children more on the academic

pathway of education. Mismatch unemployment istherefore quite common.

How are educators and investors faring in rising Africa?

>>>


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Meeting the Challenges

The international community has always been involved inAfrica but for the first time, Africa is also in a position tocontribute to its own development.

The need for a skilled labour force has resulted in a boonfor private and public vocational education providers.Both TVET UK and Germanys GIZ have set up trainingprogrammes appealing to both commercial and aidprospects.

Nigeria is set to become the largest market for TVET UKmembers and the organisation has recently opened its

first international office in Lagos to facilitate partnershipswith UK private vocational providers and governments orcompanies in Africa. These tend to be predominantly in oil& gas and agricultural sectors keen to have more qualifiedworkers, says Matthew Anderson, TVET UK Director.

The way we deal with Africa has got to bedifferent from the way we deal with Europe

The way we deal with Africa has got to be different from

the way we deal with Europe, he says. Theyve skipped ageneration of computers, they dont all necessarily want tobe shopkeepers or businessmen. Theyve got to be trainedrelevant to the industry theyre in.

GIZs work tends to be less commercial, spending 1 millionannually on average on each project with funds from thegovernment. More frequently the projects receive fundsfrom the development co-operations of other countries aswell.

Additionally, there are projects financed by third parties,

including national or provincial governments in SaudiArabia or India. Typically programmes receive support overthree years but Baur says most need to continue for atleast 10 years in order to make a sustainable change.

The idea is to improve or enhance the capacities of theresponsible people in the countries, she comments. Localownership of the project is very important.

In addition to the scholarship and recruitment initiativesthe British Council typically carries out, it is also headingup a large-scale, multinational, three-year research projectto measure graduate employability in Africa. The projectwill look at universities in five countries, four in Africa(Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya) and also theUK, and analyse how they prepare graduates for work andparticipation in society.

The project, commissioned by the British Council and ledby the Institute of Education at the University of London, is

ending its first year.

What weve discovered early on is what we actually dontknow about all the inter-relationships and the triggers foremployable or unemployable graduates, reveals Reilly.Were surprised that employability is such a critical issue,and yet theres so little hard data and rigorous researchevidence about it .

Technology enables learning to take placeoutside of traditional educational institutions

like never before

The British Council also promotes social entrepreneurism incountries like Senegal, Sudan and Ghana by collaboratingwith local businesses to fund Apprentice or DragonsDen type television programmes. Theyre promoting theconcept of graduate entrepreneurship and the need forhigher education institutions to turn out graduates whoarent job seekers but job creators, explains Reilly.

Africa online

Not surprisingly, technologys role in increasing access toeducation in Africa is elemental as the continent leapfrogsthe desktop PC and goes directly to mobile.

Just as most learning is informal, the most impact is beingseen in informal learning, observes Rebecca Stromeyer,Founder and Director at eLearning Africa. Technologyenables learning to take place outside of traditionaleducational institutions like never before.

The lack of infrastructure is generating some creative

solutions, such as the White Spaces project, whichconnects remote universities and schools in Tanzania,Kenya, South Africa and elsewhere to high-speed internetby using unused television frequencies.

And of course, billed as the democratic answer to finallycrack barriers to education, Massive Open Online Courses(MOOCs) are appearing in a number of experiments toincrease access to education in Africa.

The World Bank is partnering with Coursera to pilot theYouth Employment Accelerator Program Initiative inTanzania that will create a MOOC IT curriculum designed

in collaboration with local businesses. The idea is todirectly prepare students to meet the high demand for ITspecialists in the regional economy.


>>>


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Giving South Africa a run for its money,

Mauritius has launched a national effort tobecome the education hub of Africa

Meanwhile, Frances minister for higher education,Genevive Fioraso, committed12 million to developthe MOOC platform France Universit Numrique (FUN)in January of this year, underlining that the initiative willtarget African students specifically.

In order to fill the gap in quality standards in publicprovision, African students are increasingly turning to

forms of transnational education too. According to theUKs HE International Unit, last year Africa accounted formore than 20% of total TNE provision globally, led byNigeria, Ghana and Kenya which provided almost a tenthof students worldwide. Most TNE on the continent takesthe form of students receiving degrees from out-of-countryproviders through local partner institutions.

International branch campuses are another form of TNEthat has seen success in the region. Monash University wasthe first university to establish a campus on the continent,operating in Johannesburg since 2001 and catering to

a growing number of international students from otherAfrican countries as well as locals.

Giving South Africa a run for its money, Mauritius haslaunched a national effort to become the education hub ofAfrica. It hosts several education villages and since 2010,the UKs Middlesex University has been operating a branchcampus there. Currently 720 students are enrolled withabout half of the population made up of foreign students,mostly from other African countries.Regional director Raj Gill says despite the universityssuccess in Dubai a campus in another area keen to bringin foreign providers Mauritius required a completely

different approach. When youre setting up a campus,if you think youre going to populate it with internationalstudents it doesnt work, he says.

In a small place like Mauritius with already two localcampuses and a host of other providers, you have to geta very good match of what is required internationally andwhat is required locally.

Preparing for a sustainable future

While economies may be unstable across the continent, for

private investors with experience in developing marketsor focused specifically on Africa, higher education is thenumber one choice for investments.

While typically five years ago most investors would havelooked only at South Africa, shifts in demographics in

countries in East Africa, including Kenya and Ethiopiahave created a frenzy among investors. Comparisons havebeen drawn between Africa and South Korea 70 yearsago, based on the continents challenge to build educationsystems from the ground up.

If you really look at a country that did it right its Korea,says Chris Hoehne, Senior Managing Director at privateequity firm Sterling Partners.

Post-Korean War they started out in the same very toughcircumstances and theyve been committed to a variety of

practices, one of them being a really strong commitmenttoward education that elevated their country to a firstworld economy and I think that were starting to see thatpractice taking root in Africa.

But Africas commitment to education policy is very muchdependent on creating sustainable economies. Upskillinghuman capital will continue to be of great importanceto economic growth, but there must be an equal push topromote entrepreneurship within local industry.

Young people in Africa and around the world will needjobs, jobs with security and fair pay so that they canbuild their lives and prepare for the future, says Reillyat the British Council. It hinges on this area of skills andemployability, he urges.

Organisations like ourselves and the donor communityneed to ensure that with the expansion in access to highereducation in Africa, universities arent just producingthousands of unemployed or underemployed graduatesthat will quickly become disaffected.

Five years ago most investors would have

looked only at South Africa, but shifts indemographics in countries in East Africa have

created a frenzy among investors

Baur of GIZ also highlights the need to keep manufacturingwithin African borders. The whole issue is making surethe production line somehow takes place in the developingcountry, she says. If you only focus on the supply side oflabour then you have a lot of people who are employablebut you dont have jobs. If you only focus on the demandside of labour you have jobs but no people to fill them. Itsalways very important to see the comprehensive picture.Countries on the radar for private investors are ones thathave already established track records of growth, which iswhy South Africa will always be the most appealing place



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25

for investors price points are higher and population isstrong.

However, Kenya is also attractive because of the newlyestablished regulatory support for private providers. Wecan also expect to see strong investor activity in WestAfrica (Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria) and East Africa (Ugandaand Tanzania) in the next two to three years.

Stromeyer expects to see an increasing number ofe-learning products specifically for African marketsthat take into account the needs of users living invery diverse circumstances. The sustainability of thisgrowth is dependent upon long-term commitment from

governments, which must be prepared to support andenable home-grown enterprise, skills development andinnovation, she comments.

She adds that security and stability are vital for long-terminvestments in technology. Investors, whether Africanor from further afield, need to have confidence thattheir interests wont be affected by economic or politicalunrest.

Young people in Africa will needjobs with security and fair pay so that

they can build their lives andprepare for the future

And as more international education leaders push forequality in student mobility, Kalu at Ohio State Universitybelieves that education exchanges with Africa present anunchallenged richness of culture, language and ideas forstudents from the developed world.

I dont think any other continent except maybe south Asia

offers students that type of opportunity, he says. If yougo to Ghana its an entirely different set of culture effectsfrom Nigeria, from South Africa, from Ethiopia.

In order to ensure that Africas vastness and progresscontinues to be a source for opportunities for both nativestudents and countries committed to working with Africa,partnership is essential, says Kalu. An outsider can neverfix Africa. Africa has to be fixed by Africans workingcollaboratively with outsiders.

Sara Custer is a senior reporterfor The PIE News and hails froma small town in Oklahoma, USA.Sara received her BA in Chicagoand then headed for Cataloniato teach English in Barcelonafor four years. She landed inLondon to complete a Mastersin international journalism. Shehas over five years experience

writing for webpages andprint publications. Shes fluentin Spanish and when shesnot navigating the streets ofLondon on her red bicycle shestrying to improve her Catalan.E: [email protected] @Sara_ThePIENews

About Sara Custer

InnovatonAfrica 2014- Summit Guide


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By Tom Jackson

Africa's telecoms market is forecast to grow at the fastestrate globally over the next five years, with increasingrevenues and a greater proportion of earnings from mobiledata.

The Sub-Saharan Africa telecoms market: trends andforecasts 20132018 report from telecoms specialistAnalysys Mason predicts service revenue for telecoms inSub-Saharan Africa will display a compound annual growthrate (CAGR) of 6%, increasing from $49 billion last year to$65 billion in 2018.

Analysys Mason also predicts Africa's telecoms marketwill undergo a transition, with revenue from mobile dataservices increasingly matching mobile voice revenue.During the period in question, mobile data revenue ispredicted to grow at a 6.7% CAGR compared to just one1% for fixed services.

This growth is attributed to increased 3G coverage andcapacity, alongside the widespread introduction of low-cost smartphones. The company also points to the "relatedkey driver" of adjacent digital economy offerings suchas mobile financial services, which are seeing increasingtake-up.

"SSA's telecoms market is growing faster than that ofany other region, and will increase its share of worldwidetelecoms revenue over the next 5 years, although this willstill remain small compared with other regions," Analysys

Mason's regional analyst Mpho Moyo said.

The share of the global telecoms market accounted forby Sub-Saharan Africa, which stood at 2.9% in 2013, willincrease to 3.6% by 2018.

Innovaton Africa2014- Summit Guide26

African

markets tolead telecomsgrowth

globally

>>>


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IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com, Smarter Planet and the planet icon are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web atwww.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml. International Business Machines Corporation 2012.

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28/52

This growth will be primarily driven by mobile services,according to the report, with revenue from such services

predicted to increase to 89.4% of total revenues in 2018compared to 86.5% in 2013.

Mobile voice and handset data revenue willtogether deliver 90% of the total telecoms

revenue growth in the region in thenext 5 years

"Mobile voice and handset data revenue will togetherdeliver 90% of the total telecoms revenue growth in the

region in the next 5 years," the report said.In predicting the growth of mobile data on the continent,Analysys Mason is echoing a number of other analystreports in the past few months.

In February, Cisco released its "Global Mobile Data TrafficForecast Update, 20122017", which forecast the MiddleEast and Africa (MEA) would experience the highestmobile data traffic growth rates globally until 2017, withgrowth of 77%.

In January, Pyramid Research predicted South Africa'smobile data revenue would surpass $5 billion in 2018,up from $2.8 billion in revenues in 2011, with thecompany attributing the growth to LTE rollouts, networkinvestments and undersea cables.

"Mobile growth is coming in part from expandedpenetration of mobile services generally. Mobilepenetration of population was still below 80% in mostcountries in SSA in 2013, with the exception of Ghana andSouth Africa," said Analysys Mason.

"Mobile voice will continue to be the largest componentof the telecoms market through 2018, as new subscribers,

new market entrants and mobile termination rate (MTR)reductions drive price competition and increased traffic."The report, however, said mobile data revenue would growfar faster than mobile voice revenue - at a five-year CAGRof 19.6% compared with 4.7% for voice.

"Mobile handset data's share of total telecoms revenuewill almost double by 2018, reflecting the role of mobile

devices as the main internet access point for most users inAfrica."

This growth is underpinned by increasedpenetration of smartphones in the region

This growth, the report said, is underpinned by increasedpenetration of smartphones in the region, which will more

than double from 12% of handsets in 2013 to 26% in 2018.Report co-author Alexandra Rehak said: "Under-penetration of fixed and mobile data services in SSArepresents a major growth opportunity for serviceproviders and other market players, as does the growingdemand for value-added digital economy offerings such asmobile financial services. However, affordability, coverageand effective regulatory and market structures remainmajor challenges for successful telecoms development inAfrica."

This article has been published with kind permissionfrom www.ITWebAfrica.com

Innovaton Africa2014- Summit Guide28

African markets to lead telecoms growth globally


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Innovation

Cafs atMbararaUniversity ofScience and

TechnologyBy Esther Nakkazi

Every last Thursday of the month, clinicians, engineers,technologists and entrepreneurs, who are a mix ofstudents and academics gather for an informal talk to tryand find solutions for world global health problems whilstsipping coffee and eating snacks.

The informal, relaxed setting and the critiques of eachother at the Innovation Caf at Mbarara University ofScience and Technology (MUST) is an extremely effectiveway in developing technology innovations helping globalhealth challenges around the world.

The innovation cafs expose innovative minds to realproblems, said Dr. Data Santorino, a lecturer at MUST andalso country director for the Consortium for AffordableMedical Technologies (CAMTech). It is this exposure thatforms the nidus for innovative thinking relevant to pinpointchallenges faced by real people.

The innovation cafs exposeinnovative minds to real problems

Since January 2013, when the innovations cafs werestarted at Mbarara University, about 50 global healthchallenges have been documented in a sand box. Somehave managed to get funding, totalling Ushs 1 billion($380,000) for all said Dr.Data.

These include an electronically controlled suction pump,a continuous positive airway press (CPAP), Smart Net (formalaria control), Augmented Infant Resuscitator (AIR) andthe software program- Results Now.

They are housed at the co-creation laboratory and fundedby MUST, CAMTech and other partners. The laboratorygives innovators exposure to clinicians and entrepreneursand offers technology support as well as basic materialslike timber, mortars and electronic devices to producefunctional prototypes.

One of the innovations at the laboratory is the ContinuousPositive Airway Pressure (CPAP) which is used to helpkeep the lungs and airway open for a susceptible patient.CPAP is used to treat neonates and infants with immature,infected or injured lungs.

Ugandas neonatal mortality is 27 deaths per 1,000 livebirths, this is Millennium Development Goal number 4.

CPAP is made of an airflow pump, with or without oxygen,tubing to the patient, an interface with the patient andtubing the PEEP (Positive End-Expiratory Pressure) valve.the innovation is a CPAP PEEP which is generated by a

bubble PEEP system, making it simple and safe.

The aim was to provide a simple, safe and sustainabledevise that can be easily repaired in the field, helpingto reduce the millions of neonatal and infant deathsdue to respiratory distress says engineer Patrick Ssonkothe manager of the co-creation laboratory CAMTech atMbarara University.

Christine Nabbanja is a twenty-two year old, fourth year,biomedical engineering student at Makerere University.She is also part of a group of five innovators, for the

universal suction collection bottle at the MUST co-creation laboratory.


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Suction machines are used in patient wards and operatingtheatres to clear the airway, mouth or surgical site of

blood, saliva, vomit or other secretions by sucking materialthrough a catheter into a bottle.

In Ugandas health system, the problem is immense asthey represent at least 25 percent of all failed medicalequipment reported in hospitals and health care facilitiessays Nabbanja.

Nabbanja says although the suction pump can be switchedoff, the health workers tend to forget what clogs thesystem which delays the job at hand, threatening the lifeof the patient. So her team came up with a solution, to add

an automatic switch to the suction pump, so that when thefluids reach a certain level, it automatically switches off.

Innovations raise the profileof a University and are crucial to

solving Africas problems

Professor Fredrick Kayanja, the Vice Chancellor, MbararaUniversity said the automated suction pump is a verypractical innovation which could change the way hospitalsfunction and how health workers work. It could also savemany lives.

He recognised that innovations raise the profile of aUniversity and are crucial to solving Africas problemsbecause the beneficiaries are all those who will bepatients at one time or another which is all of us at somepoint.

The cafs usually begin with an introduction of an idea andthe rules of the game are spelt out. They are held at theco-creation laboratory at Mbarara University of Scienceand Technology. Between 30-40 people usually attend.

Lydia Asiimwe is the administrative manager of CAMTechMbarara University and coordinates the innovations labsaid challenges are the basis for innovation. We sieveall the pitches and document only those that need atechnology solution.

At the caf, once an existing clinical challenge is presented,it is critiqued and people suggest different solutions.Self-motivated teams of 3-4 people are formed, consistingof clinicians, engineers and or entrepreneurs or businesspeople.

If the refined idea is found to be viable, Asiimweencourages the group to document it in the formof a concept at the co-creation lab with supportingdocumentation and literature.

Ssonko helps the teams to visualise the concept and comeup with a prototype. We get a technology solution for

either a medical device or software, says Ssonko.

At his work Ssonko has observed a tremendous changeamong clinicians and other innovators. I see peoplepresenting solutions to challenges and they show you whatthey want the future to look like in global health.

Data says this is a very open process, which has helpedfind technological solutions for global health problems.However, sometimes the crowd makes you aware of asolution to the problem so that you do not re-invent thewheel, says Data.

Dr. David Bangsberg the Director at Mass General Hospital(MGH) s Centre for Global Health says his dream forMbarara University is to see an ecosystem where aninnovator can take an idea, find the right expertise toideate it, test it, move it with small seed capital and scaleit with corporate sponsorship.

One of the elements of an Eco-system for you toinnovate is to solve a real problem. Innovation is not a oneperson affair. As African innovators there is a lot we cancontribute to Global Health because we understand globalhealth problems better, says Data.

But Nabbanja is skeptical. With technology it is different.When it is made in Uganda, even us Ugandan we do nottrust it. It is as if it should have the face of a white personto be trusted.

Esther Nakkazi is a freelancescience journalist. Shecontributes to Scidev.net as well as other local,regional and internationalpublications around theglobe. She is a Knight Fellowin Science Journalism atthe Institute of Technology/Harvard '08 and was amentor in the peer-to-peermentoring science journalismprogrammes (SjCOOP) of theWorld Federation of ScienceJournalists, from 2010 to 2013.She is the founder of the HealthJournalists Network in Uganda

(HEJNU), www.hejnu.ug,which aims to improve publicawareness of health issues inUganda.

About Esther Nakkazi

31InnovatonAfrica 2014- Summit Guide


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By Ignatius Ssuuna[KIGALI] A project which was launched last year in Africa isset to empower young women and girls in computer scienceand help them become global leaders in information andcommunication technology (ICT), experts say.

The project, called Seed Fund for Women + Girls inComputer Science, is aimed at extending technological

entrepreneurship programmes and competition for younggirls and women below 20 years old to set up technologicalenterprises, says Beth Garriott, a senior programme officerat Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech), the consortiummanaging the project.

The programmes second seed fund application wasopened in August 2014, according to the US-headquarteredInstitute of International Education (IIE), which leadsWeTech.

Garriot says the first round of WeTech grants wereawarded to 17 projects in 11 African countries includingCameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South

Africa, Uganda and Zambia on 20 May, with eachreceiving funding worth US$2,000 to US$20,000.

WeTech [supports] a growing movementof innovative, women-focused technology

initiatives gathering momentumacross Africa.

Trish Tierney, Institute of InternationalEducation (IIE)

WeTech has been supporting women and girls in computer

science to enhance their skills to boost technological andeconomic growth, she adds.

Trish Tierney, the executive director of the IIE, tells SciDev.Net: WeTech [supports] a growing movement ofinnovative, women-focused technology initiatives gatheringmomentum across Africa.

Tierney explains that by supporting and linking the leadersbehind this momentum, WeTech hopes to witness greatpotential for impact, getting more women and girls into theglobal technology industry.

Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Rwandas minister of youth andICT, says supporting young women who are into ICT willhelp make them become job creators. He notes that Africa isdesperate to develop fast, and science is the way to achieve

the development.Vanina Umutako, an educationist at the Gashora GirlsAcademy, a science and technology model school inRwanda, says African scientists lack support to access bettertraining to makes them innovative, and that exposing girlsto ICT at an early stage is a welcome initiative.

Young girls at our school built an app during theTechnovation Challenge [in Rwanda] recently, addsUmutako, noting that the contest aims at providingan interactive platform to facilitate connection amongstudents from different schools. It helps them share theirunderstanding on different matters through easy and quickdiscussion on topics taught in class using smartphones aswell as computers.

Umutako explains that training girls and women to becomeinnovative and helping them pursue ICT careers could helpreduce Africas high unemployment rate and transform thecontinent.

Wilber Munyaneza, a Uganda-based ICT consultant, addsthat young women in Africa need support at all levels in theuse of ICT to attain sustainable growth.

This article has been produced by SciDev.Net's Sub-SaharanAfrica desk and is kindly reproduced under a CreativeCommons 3.0 licence. www.SciDev.Net

Funding

scheme settoempowerwomenin ICT in

Africa


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Main Event Sponsor

Hewlett-Packard

Technology can create entirely new teaching and learning experiences. That is why HP, as a leading technology company,is in a strong position to support education at universities and schools. IT is not only a subject in its own right; it is also anessential tool for learning and teaching all other subjects.

But it takes more than just technology to raise test scores and inspire students. What really spurs progress is anunderstanding of how to use technology to improve the quality of education. Through its Innovation in Education program,HP is an active partner in the creation of new models of teaching and learning.

HP is not only investing into education specific technology and educational software but also promoting via the HP CatalystInitiative some of the most innovative student projects at secondary schools and universities in Europe, the Middle East andAfrica (EMEA). The focus is on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

HP is supporting education communities such as www.hp.com/go/ TeacherExperience for teachers or www.projectred.org for anybody interested to learn about the key factors of successful implementation of technology in education. Awebsite dedicated to demonstrate how the technologies available in a digital learning environment can be the c atalyst forteaching and learning can be found at www.guide2digitallearning.comwww.hp.com/go/education

Diamond Session Partners

Bi-Bright Bi-Bright is part of the Bi-silque group, the leading specialist manufacturer of visual communication products based inPortugal. We supply to more than 60 countries in 5 continents and doing so for almost 40 years.

Our proven track record of innovation, quality and service has enab led us to become the chosen partner for many of theworlds leading companies But what makes Bi-Bright different? Decades of experience in producing traditional whiteboardsand presentation products enables us to understand the use, application and demands of classroom environment. We havetaken that experience to create the total interactive solution for the modern teaching environment.

Our interactive solution includes Interactive Whiteboards and Touchscreen LCD, Tablets, Projectors and a full range ofresources. Our strategy has created a solution that is of the highest quality, accuracy and responsiveness; providing theultimate user friendly experience.www.bibright.com

Google Google in Education provides open technologies to improve learning for everyone, everywhere. Work, share, and learntogether with affordable devices and familiar platforms for schools, universities, or entire countries. Solutions includeprograms to help schools and universities bring their users online, Google Apps for Educ ation, Chromebooks, and a widerange of content including apps, books, and videos for learning.www.google.com/edu

Huawei Huawei is a leading global ICT solutions provider. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strongpartnerships, we have established end-to-end capabilities and strengths across the carrier networks, enterp rise, consumer,and cloud computing fields. We are committed to creating maximum value for telecom carriers, enterprises and consumersby providing competitive ICT solutions and services. Our product s and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries,serving more than one third of the worlds population.

Huaweis vision is to enrich life through communication. By leveraging our experience and expertise in the ICT sector, wehelp bridge the digital divide by providing oppor tunities to enjoy broadband services, regardless of geographic location.Contributing to the sustainable development of society, the economy, and the environment, Huawei creates green solutionsthat enable customers to reduce power consumption, carbon emissions, and resource costs.www.huawei.com

IBM IBM is a globally integrated technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. With operations inmore than 170 countries, IBM attracts and retains some of the worlds most talented people to help solve problems andprovide an edge for businesses, governments and non-profits. Innovation is at the core of IBMs strategy. The company

develops and sells software and systems hardware and a broad range of infrastructure, cloud and consulting services.

Today, IBM is focused on four growth initiatives - business analytics, cloud computing, growth markets and Smarter Planet.IBMers are working with customers around the world to apply the companys business consulting, technology and R& Dexpertise to build systems that enable dynamic and ef ficient organizations, better transportation, safer food, cleaner waterand healthier populations.www.ibm.com


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Microsoft Microsofts mission in education is to help every student and educ ator around the world realize their full potential. AtMicrosoft, we are deeply committed to working with governments, communities, schools, and educators to use the powerof information technology to deliver technology, services, and programs that provide any time, anywhere learning for all.We believe an educated population is the one natural resource that increases in value as it increases in size.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businessesrealize their full potential. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people throughgreat software - any time, any place and on any device.www.microsoft.com/education

Oracle Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) engineers hardware and soft ware to work together in the cloud and in your data center. Withmore than 390,000 customers including 100 of the Fortune 100 in more than 145 countries around the globe,Oracle is the only vendor able to offer a complete technology stack in which every layer is engineered to work together asa single system. Oracles industry-leading cloud-based and on-premises solutions give customers complete deploymentflexibility and unmatched benefits including unbreakable security, high availability, scalability, energy efficiency, powerfulperformance, and low total cost of ownership.www.oracle.com

Positivo BGH PBG Rwanda Limited is a diversified ICT and home appliances company, focused on improving peoples lives throughmeaningful innovation in the areas of Consumer Lifestyle and Education. Our Mission is to bring innovation to people,anywhere, by creating and delivering reliable and ease of use technology products, for communication, comfort at home,and human knowledge development. The company is the result of the joint venture between t wo leaders in such areas inLatin America; Positivo Informtica from Brazil and BGH from Argentina.

Recently established in Kigali, Rwanda, and proudly African, PBG Rwanda Limited will manufacture and distribute in Africa ICTand home appliances products and services, including PCs and other consumer electronics products for education and comfortpurposes, investing in human capital development, transferring know how through its world class management team.www.positivobgh.com.ar

Gold Partners

Autodesk The challenges of today will be solved by the designers of tomorrow. Thats why Autodesk, a world leader in 3D design,engineering, and entertainment soft ware for manufacturing, building, construction and media & entertainment, givesstudents, educators, and educational institutions FREE access to our full-version, professional design software, creativityapps, and learning resources. A market leader for more than 30 years, Autodesk offers the broadest and deepest port folioof products in the design world.

Educational licenses with stand-alone, network and multi-seat stand-alone options, for deploying in the school, or installingon students and teachers home computers; As students use design to solve problems they discover potential careers andmaster professional workflows to do more and work faster; Educators learn and teach their way by tutorial, project, orcommunity with resources and expert networks to enable quick success and deeper skills development; Students can taketheir skills to the next level, show off their talents, and build a port folio by entering Autodesk-sponsored competitions.

Autodesk Certification and the Education Expert Network help students validate skills, build experience, and boost resumes.www.autodesk.com/education

Brother For more than a century, Brother has won recognition as a brand synonymous with delivering product innovation andcustomer satisfaction. A Japanese company founded in 1908, Brother has 19 production facilities and 43 sales companiesoperating in 41 countries in different regions today. Brother is now a leading brand that produces quality innovativeproducts for the print and imaging, labelling and sewing markets. Key products include laser printers, Multi-FunctionCentres (MFCs), fax machines, labellers, label printers, and a wide range of home and industrial sewing machines.A trusted brand worldwide that believes in the Customer First approach in all aspects of our business, Brother hascontinuously met the varied needs of our customers through our comprehensive range of quality solutions.

BROTHER INTERNATIONAL (GULF) FZE is a subsidiary of Brother Industries, Ltd., one of the global leaders in thedevelopment and manufacturing of technologies in the printing, communication and digital imaging industries for h

Documents

Innovation Africa 2014 Summit Guide