The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has impelled a transformative journey that is redefining the very nature of work across industries.

Driven mainly by the speed of adopting new and emerging technologies, however, we all agree that people remain at the core of these transformations. 4IR is driving the need for new skills and developing those new skills is one of the greatest challenges presented to CEO’s.

According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2023 Future of Jobs Report, 44 percent of worker skills will be disrupted over the next five years — with analytical skills, creative thinking, and technological literacy among those that will be in the greatest demand. The WEF also predicts that six in ten employees will require further skills training, but many will lack access to the resources they need.

A recent analysis in ScienceDirect pointed out that 4IR skills and research into their evolution is dominating in developed countries with Latin America, Africa and Asia still far behind.

It highlighted that, in South Africa, digitalisation remains ‘at a nascent stage’ which means significant work still has to be done when it comes to addressing skills development around 4IR in the country.

It is a sentiment echoed by Brookings. The research firm highlights that ‘Africa’s education and industrial policies need to strike a balance’ to ensure that all new ‘labour force entrants have the basic skills and infrastructure required to make a living’.

This is the key. Without adequate skills development that centres around the evolving technology landscape, people will get left behind.

Many will be left even further behind than they already are today, and this is an untenable reality. Why? Because if the continent takes its people on the 4IR journey, then the economic and social benefits will follow.

If people have the skills they need to step into roles and careers that live within the realm of technology, it will significantly reduce the burden of poverty on the continent and its countries.

This is the reality that spurred the Study on unlocking the potential for the fourth industrial revolution in Africa in collaboration across the African Development Bank, Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Fund, Technopolis Group and other notable institutions with a vested interest in driving the 4IR conversation in Africa.

The study underscored the importance of digital skills in allowing for people to connect with the jobs of today with digital literacy a key factor in unlocking economic opportunities.

It means that there has to be a shift in how companies, governments and education institutions approach skills development and education – 4IR cuts across sectors and silos, so education and skills development must do the same.

At a time when infrastructures are crumbling and the energy situation is dire across the continent, it feels that perhaps the skills conversation sits at the back of the list of priorities.

However, looking forward at what could be if there is a commitment to change and to resolving legacy education challenges shows a continent that can revisit its role on the global stage.

A continent that can pull on the chords of connectivity and ingenuity to revisit infrastructure and reimagine energy.

As a recent SARChI Industrial Development Paper in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg pointed out, ‘Deficiencies in current infrastructure systems also provide a key opportunity for developing 4IR systems.’

Looking ahead, the Africa that takes hold of the potential of 4IR is one that has leapt over the growing pains experienced by the rest of the world and harnessed next-generation technologies from around the world to resolve problems and engage in a digital future.

Thanks to the complexities inherent across the continent, people and companies will have created solutions that have global relevance and are a testament to the resilience of Africa.

While this future that has everyone connected and digitally empowered remains in the distance, it is achievable with collaboration across public and private sectors and an ongoing commitment to driving skills development.

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The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) remains a priority for Africa. The continent may not yet have the infrastructure, connectivity and technology that defines 4IR innovation and growth in other countries around the globe, but there is significant investment into Africa and its potential.

From financial institutions to organisations to the public sector, 4IR remains a priority for those that have the foresight to see how a commitment to Africa will pay dividends in the future. 

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa was developed for the sole purpose of driving 4IR within the country, and to allow for the growth and development of technologies and digital innovations that will empower organisations.

The goal of the CSIR is to enhance the foundations of technology so that 4IR can evolve smoothly and sustainably.

The CSIR also has a presence in Kenya and Ghana with similar objectives in mind – bolster each country’s confidence around 4IR and continue to build the connective tissue required to maintain momentum. 

The World Economic Forum (WEF) underscores the importance of such organisations and the need for ‘collective action in institutionalising 4IR technologies’ at a time when technology needs to follow the pathway of social good, not just innovation.

It is a sentiment echoed in a recent discussion around the start of human clinical trials for artificial intelligence (AI) brain implants – the Neuralink chip is set to enter the human brain and the most significant question raised is how this needs to be balanced with societal impact and technology for good.

This is the stance that dominates how the WEF believes 4IR should be managed across Africa as it will allow for richer collaboration and socioeconomic growth.  

However, the WEF emphasises the need for improved governance and regulation by the government to ensure that the risks that come with 4IR – security, and inequality – are managed effectively.

A sentiment shared by PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC) who believe that while there is potential within 4IR there is an equal need for concern. Technologies have to be harnessed and focused in the right ways to ensure that they do what they promise – revolutionise the world and transform lives – not eat into resources and create greater divides between the haves and the have-nots.  

The research firm is also paying attention to how 4IR can drive the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In collaboration with the WEF, PWC believes that 4IR can be steered in the right direction to help overcome systemic challenges across Africa and resolve many of the complexities that inhibit development and growth.

This, says the firm, needs connectivity. It is connectivity that forms the backbone of 4IR, citizen service delivery, and the development of richer services and capabilities across agriculture, medicine, and education.

As the report emphasises – more than 80% of technology applications recognised as key to achieving the SDGs require internet access.  

Which is precisely what the UNDP believes to be key in driving the 4IR bus across the long stretches of Africa. In its recent playbook, the organisation emphasises the need for inclusive transformation, and the use of technology to remove the stain of the growing digital divide.

The playbook is designed to provide companies and governments with insights that allow for them to build a 4IR strategy that’s reliant on relevant technology and resilient to change and disruption. 

What all this means for the organisations that are growing their digital foundations in the region is that there is a cohesive drive towards the development of 4IR in Africa.

A drive that’s paying attention to more than just ROI and the bottom line. Rather, it is a shared vision across organisations and institutions to fully realise the potential of 4IR on a continent that could shine on the global stage with the right investment and support. To ensure this becomes a reality, companies need to collaborate and invest in technologies that will empower their evolution into 4IR.  

Prof. Pantami made the call regarding 4IR today Sunday 5th February 2023 at the on-going second General Assembly in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Minister who is a founding member of the Organisation’s Council, decried the current approach of tackling challenges as they occur but canvassed for a more proactive approach to issues.

“I want to encourage all member states and most importantly the leadership of the DCO on the need to be proactive. Most of the member states are developing countries and we need to change the trend to ensure that we are not just consumers in the digital economy sector but rather we are actively among the manufacturers, developers and innovators. The fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is all about proactiveness. No country in the world will develop its digtal economy by maintaining a consumer status. We have the opportunities and potential to change the narrative and position ourselves as leaders in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, therefore, we must encourage innovation, manufacturing and development”.

The Digital Cooperation Organisation of which Nigeria is a founding member, is aimed at bridging the digital and gender divide, according to a statement signed by Uwa Suleiman, Senior Special Assistant (Media) and Spokesperson to the Minister.

Danbatta, stated this in a keynote address delivered at a two-day International Conference of the Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON), which ended at the weekend.

The Conference, the second by the Association, was attended by numerous leading scholars from media and mass communication, as well as from tangential academic disciplines.

Speaking on the theme: “Influence of Communication Policies on Digital Revolution in Nigeria”, Danbatta, who was represented by Ismail Adedigba, NCC’s Director, Research and Development, stated that communication policies are essentially blueprints and strategies, marked by plans for the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in a way that nudges people to harness opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) through the embrace of digital culture across sectors by individual, businesses and institutions.

He explained that, through diligent implementation of telecommunication policies, which have triggered digital revolution, the media and entire field of mass communication have been impacted through innovations that have revolutionised production and consumption of mass communication contents, and that make communication easily accessible, more affordable and exchanges faster.

Danbatta, while tracing the trajectory of growth in the telecoms industry from 1960 till date, said the past decades have witnessed formulation of various policies and laws for developing the industry but remarkable growth in the sector started after the sector’s liberalization in 2001.

He said through diligent implementation of policies, vision plans and strategic regulatory frameworks by the NCC, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the industry, there is increased access to digital services and the media industry is being shaped in terms of patterns of information dissemination through multiple platforms while digital revolution has revealed a new vista of research areas for scholars in the field of mass communication.

“Today, the active telecom subscribers have grown significantly to 212.2 million from about 400,000 aggregate telephone lines in the country as of 2000, on the eve of liberalisation. This represents a teledensity of 111 per cent. Basic Internet subscriptions grew from zero ground to 152.7 million now, while broadband subscriptions stand at over 86 million, representing a 45.09 per cent penetration as of July 2022.

“The industry has also become a major contributor to our national economy with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry contributing 18.94 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of the second quarter of 2022, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). From this, the telecommunications sector alone contributed 15 per cent to GDP.

“The ICT contribution to GDP is, by far, the second largest contributor to the national economy aside from the agriculture sector. From less than $500 million investment in 2001, the investment profile in the nation’s telecommunications sector has also surpassed $70 billion. The telecommunication sector has also created direct and indirect jobs for millions of Nigerians to date,” Danbatta said in his keynote speech.

Danbatta expressed hope that just as the liberalisation policies have worked quantifiably for Nigeria’s progress, yielding exponential results, the Commission is committed to the implementation of the various extant economic recovery plans, digital economy policies, the national broadband plan as well as strategic management plans which have been streamlined in NCC Strategic Vision Plans.

The EVC promised that the NCC will continue to ensure more quantum leap and retain its current leadership role in the telecommunications space to lead Nigeria into the next level of development. “To achieve this, the NCC will continue to strengthen collaboration with the media professionals and communication research-focused bodies such as AMCRON, towards creating an environment where stakeholders can leverage digital infrastructure to achieve greater efficiency in what they do,” he said.

Chairman, Governing Council of AMRCON, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye; President of AMCRON, Prof. Eserinune Mojaye; and AMCRON Secretary-General, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, among other participants, commended the NCC for the role it is playing in putting Nigeria on the global map of digital economy and culture.

They particularly thanked NCC for its consistent, impacting collaboration with scholars, researchers, and the entrepreneurship of knowledge production.

Digitisation is resulting in increased efficiencies bringing with it fresh opportunities for economic growth and job creation.

But if the continent is to truly benefit from 4IR, the public and private sectors must rethink skills development and the way people work, says PBT Group’s Andreas Bartsch, Head of Innovation and Services.

“Advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and robotic process automation (RPA) are starting to take over many repetitive tasks.

Cynics argue that this comes at the cost of the very jobs that 4IR intends to create.

However, as people can now focus more on the value they can bring an organisation, this presents the perfect opportunity to provide them with the skills necessary to be successful in a digitally driven world. It is now all about learning new things and embracing a more adaptable way of working,” says Bartsch.

Bartsch believes that the most important soft skills when it comes to 4IR are not necessarily technology-driven ones. Instead, it is whether a person is willing to learn continuously.

As part of this, being creative, having a high level of emotional intelligence, providing good analytical thinking, having a growth mindset, and an ability to make logical decisions help significantly in this regard.

Additionally, good interpersonal communication and showing leadership are also important.

“Of course, being tech-minded will help, but this is not about understanding how to code or put a computer together. It is very much a case of how best to use solutions to unlock business value. Things like mobile technologies, the cloud, and data analysis are the enablers of this,” adds Bartsch.

Global battleground

Even so, there is still a requirement for essential IT, data analytics, and AI skills at organisations across industry sectors. Businesses across Africa are now competing globally for these and other scarce skills as 4IR becomes mainstream.

“For local organisations, it is not about trying to entice talent with high salaries. Africa is unlikely to ever compete with First World countries when it comes to monetary incentives. Instead, it requires a more innovative approach to attracting and retaining talent. Part of this entails embracing hybrid work and offering employees flexible working hours and time away from the office,” says Bartsch.

Organisations should also take a closer look at the skills essential for a 4IR environment. This includes data scientists, data architects, data engineers, and other specialist IT functions.

Continues Bartsch; “While many tertiary institutions are still lagging when it comes to coursework and degrees designed to create these roles, organisations can themselves invest in their employees and upskill them – providing them with the experience necessary in these critical positions.”

Managing change

It may be easy to give into the temptation of rushing out to build skills or to attract exciting new talent for the 4IR environment. However, organisations must always keep change management in mind especially as how it pertains to integrating the new into existing processes, systems, and ways of doing things.

“In a digital world, HR takes on an even more critical function. This department must integrate into the entire organisation to ensure employee engagement is high, there is an understanding of how people’s needs are met, and to identify any concerns individuals may have when it comes to the work environment,” says Bartsch.

In many respects, this can assist the organisation in future-proofing itself as 4IR evolves and new skills are needed and become available.

This however will not be a painless process both from an organisational perspective and an educational one. There are systemic changes that must be considered throughout the entire educational system. How learners are educated and what they are educated on will certainly help address the skills shortage.

“With 4IR being such a critical element for business success in the future, decision-makers have no choice but to adopt this new way of doing things and invest in skills development aligned to 4IR as they seek to capitalise on future growth opportunities,” concludes Bartsch.