Technology, Partnership, and a Shared Vision for Africa

By Ousmane Bocoum, Programme Management Officer, UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries 

A-K-W-A-B-A 
These were the six letters that greeted us upon arrival in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. They denote the warm atmosphere of the city, the renowned hospitality of its people and the spirit of welcome, characteristic of African nations that paved the way for this long overdue mission. 

Our visit to the Pearl of the Lagoons had a clear purpose: engage with the largest multilateral financial institution on and for the continent, the African Development Bank (AfDB). We had two days! Two days to meet with AfDB senior leadership, two days to present the mandate of the UN Tech Bank. Two days to take stock of their priority areas and two days to spark their interest just enough to warrant and build a long-last partnership. 

The high-level nature of the delegation, led by Mr. Deodat Maharaj, Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank and Mr. Moctar Yedaly, Council Member of the UN Technology Bank, underscored the strategic importance of this engagement mission and our commitment to building impactful collaborations across Africa’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs). 

The very first meeting set the tone: Addressing fragility and building resilience, key programmatic areas for AfDB and a critical issue to African LDCs. The AfDB fragility approach intersected significantly with the UN Technology Bank STI focus. How can technology be leveraged to increase the resilience and livelihood of the poorest communities? How can we do it better, faster and cheaper? How can STI increase the efficiency of driving sectors of the economy?  

As meetings went by and discourse unfolded, the discussions evolved. New technologies for the agricultural sector, digital payment systems, and cybersecurity amongst others were highlighted as concrete avenues for quick collaboration with demonstrable impacts. And it doesn’t stop there. The emphasis on digital infrastructures across the entire AfDB HIGH 5s was further reaffirmed and positioned tech as a foundational enabler to address the pressing needs of African LDCs.  

The fact is, African LDCs also want and need new technologies, not just boreholes and water pumps. The structural transformation that African economies need cannot be achieved while overlooking new technologies. In the words of President Adesina during the 2024 AfDB annual meeting, reallocating resources from a low productive agricultural sector to a low productive service sector is a zero-sum game at best. Productivity must increase and this is where new technologies and digitalization make all the difference. 

This is also where the UN Technology Bank makes all the difference. Our entire mandate and development offer focuses exclusively on STI and our flagship Technology Needs Assessments, recognized as key intel to support programmatic technology initiatives, identify the gaps and solutions with the greatest returns to lay the foundations for informed programming. So far, many have been carried out on the continent, and demand is soaring for more. Why? African LDCs understand their challenges and spearhead their change. They do not want willy-nilly technology initiatives, they want to pinpoint key areas for tech investments. Simply put, given how little development progress they’ve achieved, how scarce resources become and how indebted they are, they are increasingly drawn to and actively seeking out key and relevant technologies with transformative potential.  

As the mission was wrapping up, it became evident that the momentum behind leveraging technologies for Africa’s development is growing. Hopes are high but this time, the conditions are right. This is very promising and as a young African, I carry a deep and personal stake in the future of this continent, home of 32 LDCs. That’s why I believe in this mandate, established in 2018, for this very purpose.