Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
Digital transformation has been discussed severally in most African countries, but the results and achievements are coming on a slow pace.
That explains why, the promoter of the ICT for Africa Summit and Conference, founder of the ICT University, Prof. Victor Mbarika, announced that it is time for Africa and Africans to take action.
“At the ICT University, we are not just about talking, we are about practice. During this conference we will be seeing young people present amazing innovations,” says Prof. Victor Mbarika
The official launch of the Summit and Conference took place Tuesday July 16, 2024 at the Mont Febe Hotel in Cameroon’s political capital – Yaounde, in the presence of government ministers from Cameroon, in the likes of the minister of Post and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, and the minister of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicraft, Achille Basillekin III.
According to the Vice Chancellor of the ICT University, Prof. Jean Emmanuel Pondi, present at the opening of the 5-day event, “the place and importance of Africa is shifting in the world and is now occupying a priority position”. Africans he said need to take advantage of it to the fullest.
The ICT for Africa Summit and Conference is holding on the theme “digital transformation: current trends and perspectives”.
The chairman of the conference, Prof. Foluso Ayeni, speaking at the opening ceremony encouraged participants to embrace digital transformation and most especially Artificial Intelligence for “one internet enabling device can change the world”.
Participants at the summit and conference are coming from across Africa and the United States of America. The program proposes high level insightful panel discussions on Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, workshops, keynote addresses, and presentations on research findings on AI. The participants will try to leverage social media for good.
Cameroon it should be noted is leaving no stone unturned in terms of leveraging social media for good in almost all important sectors. Minister Libom Li Likeng, who is in charge of Cameroon’s Telecommunications, said the experts at the end of the event “should come up with strategies that will help developing countries to generate active wealth through AI”.
To minister Achille Bassilekin III, digital transformation is indispensable in the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises sector which employs a good number of Cameroon.
The idea behind the summit and conference according to Prof, Victor Mbarika is also to make Cameroon an important digital hub in the continent.
