The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has set an ambitious goal of empowering 650 million African workers with digital skills by 2030, aiming to create millions of jobs for the continent’s youth.
This announcement was made during the 2024 ECA Africa Business Forum in Ethiopia by Claver Gatete, the ECA executive secretary. The forum served as a platform for public-private collaborations, with tech giants like Google highlighting the importance of joint efforts to achieve sustainable development goals and Africa’s long-term vision.
Gatete emphasized the critical role of science and technology investment in job creation, productivity enhancement, and competitiveness. He stressed the significance of AI and machine learning in addressing social and economic challenges and proposed closing the digital skills gap to unlock Africa’s digital economy potential.
Google’s vice president for emerging markets, Doron Avni, echoed Gatete’s sentiments, emphasizing AI’s transformative impact and advocating for inclusive AI education and government investment to foster sustainable growth in Africa.
