On Friday, the world observes World Creativity and Innovation Day.
The United Nations established World Creativity and Innovation Day in order to commemorate the role of creativity and innovation in tackling issues related to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to stimulate creative interdisciplinary thinking at the individual and group levels, which, according to a special United Nations report on the creative economy, "has become the true wealth of nations in the 21st century."
WCID was established by UN resolution 71/284 with the support of 80 countries and was first celebrated on April 21, 2018.
There are many projects in Africa related to new technologies. For instance, according to an African Development Bank (AfDB) press release on the latest Africa Investment Forum held in November 2022, South Africa launched its first metaverse – Africarare – in October 2021. The project embraces a digital world called Ubuntuland and provides an interactive virtual reality experience that includes an art market for interchangeable tokens.
According to the African Development Bank, priority areas for investment in the field of new technologies are: cloud technologies, data centers, and broadband infrastructure; digital services, such as agricultural technology and healthcare; training and human capital in the form of entrepreneurship and startups; and strengthening the regulatory framework.
As an initiative of the AfDB, the African Investment Forum directs the attention of the private sector towards financing transformative projects, which are crucial for development throughout Africa.
Moreover, in 2020, Afreximbank announced the creation of a $500 million Creative Industry Support Fund aimed at providing credit lines to banks, as well as directing financing to operators.
In addition, at the end of 2021, the AfDB extended a $170 million loan to digital and creative companies in Nigeria. The bank has also initiated Fashionomics, a flagship initiative in order to stimulate the development of the continent's micro, small, and medium businesses in creative industries.
Anticipating this year's WCID, Dr. Ivan Meyer, minister of agriculture of South Africa's Western Cape province, outlined the role of innovation technologies in the development of South Africa's agricultural sphere, by saying: "It is time for us to reflect on creativity and innovation in the agriculture sector," as stated in a Western Cape government press release.
Furthermore, research and technological development service scientist Dr. Chris de Brouwer emphasized that the region is tackling a number of challenges, such as water scarcity, climate change, and soil degradation, outlining that in this respect, technology and innovation are crucial for the Western Cape's agricultural sector.
As cited by the press release, he also outlined how South African farmers have managed to boost their performance with the help of new technologies.
"From precision farming techniques to alternative crops and innovative water management practices, farmers are finding new ways to increase efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and improve profitability. These approaches involve using advanced technologies such as drones, sensors, and software to collect data on crops and soil conditions. This enables informed decision-making about planting, irrigation, fertilizer use, pest control and other aspects of crop management," de Brouwer concluded.
According to an annual report published on the news and research portal Disrupt Africa, the continent’s startups have developed significantly, despite the global economic downturn caused by many factors, such as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, in March this year, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) stated that African e-commerce is growing rapidly, and is projected to increase by 50% by 2025.
Thus, as stated by the Convergence Partners investment group, which managed to raise $296mln in order to promote digital inclusion throughout Africa, the number of tech-savvy young people, who increasingly use digital services through their mobile phones, including banking and online shopping, is rising in Africa.
Indeed, more can be done towards digitalization and improving the creativity of African industry. Earlier this year, Rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy noted that medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, economics, oil and gas, construction, electric power, electrical engineering, information technology, and communication systems are the most popular specialties in Russian universities among African students studying in Russia.
Sadovnichy proposed the creation of an association of universities of Russia and the continent in order to enhance cooperation between academic circles of African nations and Russia.
"I am sure that such an association would allow us to increase cooperation between the universities of our countries, and we could find the best ways to activate our projects," he outlined.