Elisabeth Moreno, the former French Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity, and Equal Opportunities, stated that more than 80% of Africa’s problems can be solved through the effective use of technology and science.
Speaking at the AfricArena Summit, the former minister emphasized the importance of technology. With her extensive experience in the industry and having held significant positions at companies like Orange, Lenovo France, Dell Technologies, and Hewlett Packard Africa, Moreno said: “Google is probably the tool that everyone on the planet uses and is familiar with.
“But we also have solutions on the continent, such as M-PESA, which demonstrates that we Africans are capable of developing solutions that did not previously exist and can benefit not only our continent but the entire world.”
She also stressed the need for Africa to seize new dynamics worldwide, saying, “If we do not take advantage of these new dynamics around the world to take our seats at the decision tables, when will we do so? We missed the first three revolutions. We absolutely cannot miss the digital revolution because it would take years to recover.”
Regarding the role of investment in the growth of startups, Moreno mentioned that there is a growing demand for investment in several African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Togo. “There are many successful start-ups in Francophone, Lusophone, and Anglophone Africa. The issue is finance.
“I am the chairwoman of an investment fund that invests 100% of its assets in entrepreneurs who want to succeed.”
On the topic of Artificial Intelligence, Moreno stated, “It’s all about humans. I see many individuals concerned about what AI will do to jobs that will disappear. Technology is simply a tool designed by humans for humans.”
“So what we do with this tool will be up to us, how responsible, ethical, and sovereign we are.”
Moreno highlighted that Africa has heavily relied on the United States, Asia, and China due to the continent’s inability to develop its own technology. However, she pointed out that Africa’s young population is an important advantage that different countries do not have.
