Technological Innovations and Africa's Quest for Development in the 21st Century

Abstract

Technology is generally seen as a significant tool for development while technological innovations connote better ways of achieving results. This chapter assesses different areas countries can experience technological innovations and notes that most African countries are lagging below expectations in this regards using secondary data sourced from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations Statistical Divisions (UNSTAT), among others. From the analytical perspective, the chapter established that the low levels of technological innovations in Africa is one of the major reasons why the continent remains in the low developmental echelon compared to other regions of the world. Thus, this chapter submits that adequate efforts should be placed on functional education, health system and technology related innovation programs. Besides, Africa and indeed all developing world must revamp their infrastructures, especially transportation, power and communication towards development in the 21st century.