Digital Innovation Festival: Stakeholders explore ways to improve on rural connectivity.

This was as part of activities which characterised the third edition of the Digital Innovation Festival, DIF 2024, which took place in Douala from October15-17. It was organised by ActiveSpaces, one of the leading technological incubators in Cameroon.  

The festival, which is in its third edition, brought together experts in the technology and innovation ecosystem in Africa. They had discussions under the theme "innovate to prosper, African innovation at the service of rural communities”. 

According to the Operations Manager at ActiveSpaces, Djamo Dahirou, in a world where digitalisation is more real than ever, innovation is the key to unlocking the growth potential of African communities. 

The focus, he said, has been placed on the importance of adapting digital technologies to local needs and realities.

He said improved communications, increased mobility and reduced geographic distances are important drivers of economic change in these areas. 

Hence, as part of rural revitalisation strategies, innovation plays a critical role. A wide range of technologies, he noted, can facilitate innovation in rural development, including the internet and new agricultural technologies. 

It should be noted that ActivSpaces has been existing for thirteen years now with the goal of accompany young entrepreneurs to excel in digital technology and innovation. 

The third edition to DIG had the hackathon slot which saw hundreds of youth from the ten regions of Cameroon finding innovative solutions to rising concerns like cyber criminality, soil degradation in agriculture, health and many more.

Panel discussions were led Yves Kom, Marketing and Communication Director of Orange Cameroun; Dr Denis Ngae; Project Director at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, MINPOSTEL; Michael Zanga, Operations Manager at Cameroons Telecommunications, CAMTEL, and Prof Claude Bekolo, Lecturer at University of Douala. 

Speaking on the central theme, Yves Kom focused on the “key role of the rural sector in economic development and food security in our country”. He said “supporting the acceleration of this sector should be priority”.

For this to be done, the marketing expert said significant investments should be accorded to improve rural connectivity by expanding rural network coverage, support innovative players who can boost the productivity of rural activities, agriculture, aquaculture, livestock farming, amongst others. 

He said Orange Cameroun, in the past years, has been using new concepts that detect and reveal the geniuses in young people and the Orange Digital Centre is specially designed for that.  

The audience, composed mainly of young students, researchers and young executives, left the event well nourished by the knowledge and experiences of these experts in technology.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3269 of Thursday October 24, 2024