- Africa needs technology to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
- The Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) advocated for acceleration.
In collaboration with the German Agency for International Development Cooperation Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Hubs GoGreentech (Hugg) program will be held in Dakar, Senegal. Learners will receive training in designing and utilizing digital solutions, particularly for eco-construction development, sustainable urban waste management, and energy efficiency.
For Alex Gbetie, the coordinator of the “Make-IT in Africa” initiative at GIZ, the aim is to foster technical innovation in the strategies of emerging African companies so that their ideas are “connected to climate and greenhouse gas (GHG) challenges”.
Twelve platforms will comprise the Hugg’s inaugural cohort, including the Togolese Energy Generation initiative, the Burkina Business Incubator, the Hadina Rimtic consulting firm in Mauritania, the Sèmè city development agency in Cotonou, Benin, and the ActivSpaces incubation program in Douala, Cameroon (Togo).
Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a boom in technological innovation. For instance, work is being done on the “Ville lumière” project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The goal of the project launched by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Action communautaire pour le développement socio-économique (ACDS) and the organization État de la diaspora africaine (SOAD) is to digitally transform Muanda in the province of Kongo-Central. This will eventually improve access to essential services (education, health, etc.) for at least 100,000 people thanks to the cloud and artificial intelligence (AI).