In May 2013, the African Union (OAU/AU) turned 50 years old. As part of such an important milestone, a futuristic 50 year African renaissance road map was unveiled as Agenda 2063 or “Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming the continent into the global powerhouse of the future”. The roadmap is regarded as the concrete manifestation of how the continent intends to transform its position in the world by 2063. There are seven key agenda items with 12 flagship programs. This research focuses on one of the flagship programs, the African Integrated High Speed Network.
Our first questions is, how realistic and soon can Africa realise this aspiration?
For example, in 2019, the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) predicted that by 2025, Africa would have the fastest mobile technology economy with almost 50 percent penetration. While this prediction makes economic sense for telecommunication industries, especially as Africa has the world’s most youthful and fastest growing population (Simon Kemp, 30 January 2019), it however, fails to state that many African countries are just beginning to migrate into 3G networks while their global counterparts are already transitioning into 5G networks (The New Times 17 July 2019).
The next question the research asks is how the AU intends to execute the agenda when it has limited or no powers over the sovereignty of its member countries. Finally, what strategies should the AU put in place to ensure that such technological transformation is inclusive and affordable to its citizens?
To address these questions, this paper uses diffusion of innovation theory to critique the feasibility of the AU’s digital transformation agenda. The research uses the works of Rogers (1995), Lyytinen K., Damsgaard J. (2001), Yu, J., (2011), Yan, H., (2007), Comin, Diego A., and Marti Mestieri (2014), Kwon, Kwak, and Kim (2015), Theodorakopoulos, Bennett, and Sanchez Preciado (2014), Foster and Heeks (2013), Malik Tariq (2013), Choi (2015), Gao (2015), and a host of others, to critique and make recommendations.
These select authors have argued about the complexity of measuring technological innovation especially from multi-agency perspectives. They have also used case studies from emerging countries like China, Korea and South America to demonstrate the complexity of applying formal diffusion of innovation principles. Foster and Heeks (2013) focuses on inclusive innovation, which interrogates how people from low socioeconomic backgrounds like Africa, can afford and participate in technological transformation. Lyytinen and Damsgaard (2001) advocate for the alignment of multiple interests in social construction of innovation.
This research believes that the AU’s 2063 Agenda faces a classic multi-stakeholder challenge, with many independent nations at different stages of technological, political and economic development. The research will use the progress made in the First Ten Year Implementation Plan (FTYIP) of the Agenda (2013-2023), to assess the feasibility of the AU's digital agenda, and make recommendations for an inclusive affordable technological independence for the continent.