Microsoft to offer digital solutions to Africa’s public sector
Microsoft is set to unveil some key solutions to drive digital transformation in Africa’s public sector at a two-day conference in Kenya.
The conference would address Microsoft’s mission to empower sectors like agriculture, health, justice, transport, public finance and shared services, through digital transformation.
It would also explore cloud-based solutions and allow African governments to make sure their infrastructure could handle their burgeoning populations and actively improve economic health and quality of life for citizens.
The discussions would also focus on using cloud for social good and computing.
Speaking at the event would be Kunle Awosika, Country Manager, Microsoft Kenya, Nour Shwaky, CEO of Agrar Smart Agricultural, Devin de Vries from WhereIsMyTransport and Microsoft officers from the Middle East and Africa.
Kunle Awosika, Country Manager for Microsoft Kenya says Changing demographics, with a youth bulge in Africa and the rise of millennial workers, mean a greater demand for better, more streamlined services.
“Most governments and nations in Africa are at the very early stages of digital maturity, but they also have an opportunity to leapfrog ahead as they can invest in cloud and not have to worry about legacy infrastructure.
“Hence, it is vital that the private and public sectors come together to ensure Africa’s most pressing issues, in areas including health, education and the environment, are addressed through digital transformation”, she said.
She stated that agriculture remained an important industry in Africa and with growing populations and food shortages, Africa needs to make use of its uncultivated, arable land to become the world’s bread basket.
Mr Nour Shwaky, CEO of Agrar Smart Agricultural Solutions would offer comprehensive and integrated solutions designed for agriculture commodity utilisation, risk management, market analysis and forecasting at the event, she said.
Devin de Vries would also provide an integrated approach in facilitating real-time communication and engagement between cities, transport operators and passengers, Ms Awoshie said.
She said Public transport in emerging cities had become a complex ecosystem which required the coordination of many different stakeholders.
Ms Awoshie said the conference would also examine how Botswana upgraded its Post in just 18 months resulting in efficient, single-point access to broad expertise, improved employee productivity and a dramatic increase in revenue for Botswana Post through new services.
She said that 25 percent of the world’s economy would be digital by 2020 and it was up to government leaders and policy makers across the continent to harness the power of cloud, to transform people’s lives through informal employment and attract foreign direct investment, improve two-way communications with citizens and automate information sharing.
Source: GNA