By Khalifa Hemed
Published September 10, 2019
Start-ups, investors, policy makers, and technology thought leaders are scheduled to share their insights and knowledge at an event on inclusive innovation and technology in Africa.
The aim of the one day event, known as African Inclusive Innovation Summit 2019 (AIIS2019), is to highlight how technology is creating economic opportunity for low-and middle-income earners across Africa.
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Liquid Telecom, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), Jobs Creation Commission (JCC) of Ethiopia, and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia, is hosting AIIS 2019 at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on September 20, 2019.
Twelve 12 African finalists of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC) shall get the opportunity to pitch their future of work solutions to a Selection Panel of regional experts at the event, Liquid Telecom says.
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Four regional winners, one from each IIC category–Financial Inclusion, Income Growth & Job Creation, Skills Development & Opportunity Matching, Technology Access–will be chosen live at the event to proceed to the Gala at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on November 21, 2019 for the chance to win part of the US$1 Million Global Grand Prize.
The 12 finalists include:
- Financial Inclusion Category: Bloom Impact (Ghana), Social Lender (Nigeria), and Inclusivity Solutions (South Africa)
- Income Growth & Job Creation Category: Kumwe Harvest (Rwanda), Indlu (South Africa), and Tiny Totos (Kenya)
- Skills Development & Opportunity Matching Category: Forsana (Egypt), Taskty (Egypt), and Shortlist (Kenya), and
- Technology Access Category: Flare (Kenya), Farmerline (Ghana), and Shopit (South Africa).
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“With the arrival of the 4th Industrial Revolution, there has never been a better time to showcase some of the latest technologies and explore how they can be used as a force for good in Africa,” says Ben Roberts, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer at Liquid Telecom. “Liquid Telecom is proud and excited to help lead the debate and discussion at the African Inclusive Innovation Summit. By showcasing some of the continent’s brightest tech talent during the regional finale of MIT’s Inclusive Innovation Challenge, applicants will be motivated and exposed to new and relevant opportunities to take their ambitions to the next level.”
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Sarah Mbi Enow Anyang Agbor, Commissioner of Human Resources, Science & Technology at AUC that seeks to implement tangible interventions in the key areas of Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Engagement (4Es) and reach at least 1 million youth by 2021 on these 4Es through its 1 Million by 2021 Initiative, says, “This is a significant partnership that launches a deeper engagement between Liquid Telecom and the African Union Commission as we collaboratively move towards our common vision of an integrated and prosperous African continent. The efforts to effectively harness Africa’s demographic dividend can only be accelerated in collaborating with dedicated stakeholders.”
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“Ethiopia has set an ambitious goal of creating 3 million jobs in 1 year. This goal will only be met through the active participation of the private sector and start-ups – especially those in tech. We are glad to welcome the African Inclusive Innovation Summit this year, as it gives us the opportunity to engage with players across the continent who are using technology to create jobs and economic opportunity in Africa. We look forward to sharing experiences and seeing what we can apply to further our efforts in Ethiopia,” says Ephrem T Lemango, Commissioner of Jobs Creation Commission of the Ethiopian Government.
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Ato Sisay Tola, Ethiopia’s State Minister for Innovation and Technology (MInT), says, “We at MinT are working on creating an enabling environment for tech firms and start-ups to be born and thrive in Ethiopia. As we prioritise creating the right policies, building infrastructure, and growing our country’s tech skillset we want to make sure we are being innovative and inclusive in all that we do. For this reason, we are happy to welcome the MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge and this Summit to Ethiopia to continue these conversations and exchange best practices.”