African countries urged to prioritize ICT, STEM to solve unemployment
African countries are encouraged to build skills in Information And Communication Technology (ICT) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to solve their lingering unemployment problems.
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Fourth Industrial Revolution will place increasing demands on educational systems that are producing graduates versed in these skills.
This suggestion follows the release of AfDB’s African Economic Outlook 2020 report which said that the continent should produce 12 million jobs yearly to solve unemployment in the region.
The lender called for swift actions on parts of governments to address human capital development on the continent, stressing that the quantity and quality of human capital were lower than in other regions of the world.
According to AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, “Youth unemployment must be given top priority. With 12 million graduates entering the labor market each year and only 3 million of them getting jobs, the mountain of youth unemployment is rising annually.”
“Let’s look at the real lives beyond the statistics. Let’s hear their voices, let’s feel their aspirations,” he added.
Meanwhile, AfDB Director of the Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research Department Hanan Morsy said that Africa needs to develop its education and workforce to “make a dent in poverty, close the income gap between rich and poor, and adopt new technologies to create jobs in knowledge-intensive sectors.”
