Let’s march to the appropriate innovative tune
It is generally accepted that smartphones
have become the fastest-selling gadgets in history and have permeated nearly every aspect of contemporary life.
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With more Africans patronising smartphones in greater numbers, it is heartwarming that some smart entrepreneurs on the continent, weighing the improving mobile penetration and cheaper handsets, have realised the need to design a variety of Africa-relevant digital products.
What this means is that mobile applications (Apps) focused on areas such as health and wellness, as well as money transfer services, are increasingly becoming popular across the continent.
Agriculture is a key activity in Africa. It is the major means of survival for millions of illiterate and semi-illiterate folks all over the continent. Many of these, meanwhile, have access to mobile phones.
It is therefore, exciting to hear that Kosmos Energy, an oil and gas exploration and production company, and Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) in Accra have teamed up, through a forum called AgriTech Exchange, to encourage young entrepreneurs to come up with innovative technology that addresses the needs of Ghana’s agricultural sector (see page 13).
Areas that came up for vigorous brainstorming at the recently held AgriTech Exchange included the development of a smartphone App to monitor fertiliser and seed distribution and a mobile phone-based tracking system for expired and fake agro-chemicals.
An SMS and web-enabled system that provides financial analysis and investor matching for smallholder farmers was also discussed.
Innovation hubs are said to be springing up in Africa more than any other part of the world. Many of the hubs, based mainly in southern and eastern Africa, however, rely mainly on funding from outside sources and are, therefore, not able to progress as quickly as they wish.
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It is, therefore, gratifying to note that Kosmos Energy, which is an American company founded and based in Texas but has an office in Ghana, is reaching out here to young Ghanaian entrepreneurs to create innovate technology to support agriculture.
The sweet thing is that Ghana is already widely known around the world for the smart technological brains it possesses. Many countries and big international pharmaceutical companies have, for instance, already adopted mPedigree, the mobile phone verification service developed by a Ghanaian that checks the authenticity of medicines.
For about three years now, there have been competitions organised by MTN for young Ghanaians who develop innovative and locally relevant Apps. Other companies are also putting in resources to harness local talent in App creation and so the Kosmos Energy and MEST effort is highly appreciated.
As with all technologies, the proliferation of smartphones conjures up some worries. Some young people, especially, have become addicted and are constantly chatting on social media.
What we pray for is the time when people would use their phones to catch up on relevant information that helps improve health care, agriculture and other important aspects of our lives.