US VP Harris Leads Technology Roundtable in Zambia

Lusaka, Zambia hosted a Digital Coalition Roundtable discussion during US Vice President Kamala Harris's recent visit to several African nations. Cisco was among the companies represented. The discussion focused on issues related to the continent's digital divide and educating people in several areas of IT.

Cisco's Vice President of the Middle East and Africa Reem Asaad said “Empowering the people of Africa with digital skills for the jobs of today and the future will require the investment and commitment of the public and private sectors together.” The company says it plans to train 3 million people in Africa over the next decade through its Cisco Networking Academy.

IDCA Smart Nations Research has projected a need for at least 5 million new IT jobs in the short term for Africa to make significant socioeconomic progress, and as many as 25 millions jobs over the long term to enable the continent's progress toward becoming a developed continent.

Vice President Harris remarked during the discussion, “the United States is committed to strengthening our partnerships across the continent of Africa with governments, with the private sector, and civil society. (On this trip) I've announced more than $7 billion in private sector commitments that will support climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation.”

Harris touted public-private partnerships (PPPs) as an effective approach to developing technology and technology skills in Africa.