Curator of Tech in Ghana, Akosua Annobil has included four Ghanaian technology companies in instinctively fifth Tech in Ghana conference in London on Monday 10th June, 2019.
The conference is a flagship event held twice a year in Accra and London by a tech company called AB2020. Akosua Annobil is CEO of AB2020. ‘Tech in Ghana’ will be part of the official London Tech Week (LTW) 2019. LTW is Europe’s leading technology and startup festival providing a platform for creating partnerships across multiple events taking place in the City, attracting over 50,000 delegates worldwide.
The Ghanaian tech companies participating in the conference ranges from companies focus on business financial technology, farming and education. They are Zeepay, Bluespace Farmerline, and Ecampus.
This event to boost the technological sector in Ghana by AB2020 comes at a momentous time. The government of Ghana announced in January 2019 that it has developed a Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy framework that rest on seven pillars to accelerate national development.
The sixth pillar of the framework will ensure that the (STI) programme will be backed by legislation to give it ‘teeth, and ensure continuity in its implementation.’
According to the President, ‘crucial’ is the seventh pillar which has a strong focus on the development of strategic technological areas. This pillar will ensure that tech companies in Ghana receive the maximum support they need.
On a global radio and podcast series called ‘The Spin’, the CEO of AB2020, Akosua Annobil spoke with show’s host, an international award winning journalist, Esther Armah. The Spin ran a series called #reImaginingAFRICA, which featured visionary Ghanaian women reimagining the sector of technology. Annobil said the death of her mother made her shift her focus from communications to create Tech in Ghana. She said Tech in Ghana is aimed at ‘giving Technology in Ghana a space in the global conversation about tech in Africa.’
Annobil also had the idea of creating an ecosystem among Ghanaian tech companies.
‘I decided I’m going to identify the industry gaps and build relationships and bring those relationships together,’ she said.
She further explained that she ‘had to build a community and build a platform to tell stories about tech-prenuers in Africa.’
‘Tech in Ghana’ brings together ‘high-level government stakeholders in the industry, entrepreneurs and students in one space to share knowledge and to showcase innovation’, she said.
The CEO of Edel Technology Consultancy, Ethel Cofie, the second visionary contributor to the #reImaginingAFRICA special on Technology on TheSpin. Cofie revealed that by ‘2050, at least 25% of the world’s workforce is going to be people of African descent.’
Ethel Cofie has created an event called ‘Women in Tech’ week, and she explained that the focus of the event is to show that ‘African women have been trying to solve problems around poverty and health concerns instinctively.’
Advocating for assistance to African women in technology she said ‘African women without these advantages are doing amazing things. How much more could they do with tools that enable them to reimagine Africa.’
It is evident that some private individuals are driving the tech industry in Ghana. The policy framework which was announced by the government in January this year does not have legislative backing.
Is the policy going to be treated as many excellent policies, and left to collect dust on our shelves?
By Kofi Boateng
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