UN Tasks Africa On ICTs, As Obasanjo Warns On Danger Of Unemployment

THE United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, has said that Africa would need to overcome its current narrow and weak technological and industrial base, if it wants to reduce its vulnerability to external shocks.It comes as former President Olusegun Obasanjo warns that the continent could be sitting on a keg of gunpowder if it fails to engage its youth population productively.Welcoming over 500 delegates at the opening session of the Second Session of the Committee on Development Information Science and Technology (CODIST II), which ended at the weekend in Addis Ababa, Janneh said because Africa is still way behind other regions of the world in ICTs, action is needed.While primary commodities make up about 80 per cent of Africas merchandise exports, the ratio is 54 per cent and 24 per cent in the Latin America and Caribbean region and Asia, respectively.  Yet, we know for a fact that Africa is unlikely to transform this situation without significant investment in science, technology and innovation, Janneh said in a statement made available to The Guardian by the Information and Communication Service of ECA.Alluding to the impact of the global economic and financial crisis which posed a threat to overall development gains in Africa, especially those made towards achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Janneh said that the outlook remains quite uncertain as food prices are again approaching the record highs of 2008, which means that many poor people, for whom food bills make up to 80 per cent of income, will be seriously and negatively affected.Meanwhile, Obasanjo has warned that Africa could be headed for a crisis if its youth  population is not engaged positively.He said: GDP alone is not enough. It must translate into improvement in the standard of living, education, health, employment, food and nutrition.  African is sitting on a keg of gunpowder. I can see youth becoming bitter and angry. That is something we must watch.Obasanjo spoke during an interview session on South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio on Friday.He was in Cape Town for the 2011 World Economic Forum (WEF) held in South Africa on Thursday.   IMF 2011 survey identified seven African countries among the 10 fastest growing economies in the world. The countries are: Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo and Zambia.Obasanjo said: We have to re-think. When we are putting resources in any programme of government, we have to make sure that such expenditure translates into measurable target. If we put $1 billion in a project, we must ask for instance, how many jobs can it create  
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