Telecom and energy sectors ensure that citizens are able to communicate without hitches and also serves as a crucial sector in transforming livelihoods of many not only in developed countries, but emerging and developing nations.
It is a well-established fact that mobile technology, many innovations and trends are shaping the continent’s market.
Recent research revealed that Africa as a continent faces numerous challenges such as unemployment, poverty and good governance. Many nations are now using technology to fight these three issues among many others. This is in view of the fact that telecommunications infrastructure plays a key role in addressing these challenges.
In Tuesday’s edition of The Point, the paper gathered that the World Bank is set to disburse a US$50 million grant to strengthen Gambia’s energy roadmap and expand renewable energy and telecommunication sectors among others.
The move comes following President Adama Barrow’s meeting with the World Bank Director of Infrastructure for the West Africa Region, Mr Fanz Drees Gross, at the State House last week.
The US$50 million grant will help improve electricity supply in Greater Banjul and its surroundings, additional information stated.
Efficient and effective energy is a serious problem in the country. Therefore, this development of WB’s resolve to disburse US$50 million grant to strengthen Gambia’s energy roadmap and expand renewable energy, would help a great deal in the country’s resolve to ensure affordability and efficiency to its citizens.
It is no hidden secret that Greater Banjul Area, being one of the most populous and concentrated areas in terms of people and industries, faces daunting challenges in supplying effective and efficient food to its inhabitants.
This has not only posed a serious challenge to the people, but also the industries that create job opportunities and contribute to the country’s GDP.
We all know that Africa is now a breeding ground for startups and young entrepreneurs. All types of startups across African countries are making their way through and are succeeding at the regional and even global levels.
Another area of importance is mobile money, which is one of the most developed technologies in Africa.
Countries were able to leverage this technology and mobile operators are now racing to launch their own mobile money platforms. In fact, research conducted by Citi Group has shown that three African countries are among the top 10 countries in the world to adopt Mobile Money.
The Gambia is not left behind with the launch of Q-Money and Afrimoney, two telecom giants, which are changing the narrative in contributing their quota to the country’s telecoms landscape. With these two telecom giants, subscribers could easily gain access to and send money to their loved ones while enjoying the internet.
Therefore, telecoms and energy sectors are intertwined and no development can take place in the absence of the other.
The project will also create more opportunities for many stakeholders in the sector, thus creating partnerships and collaborations, which are a crucial element in the development of the telecommunications sector in any country.
The opportunities that technology brings are endless and as the continent embraces new innovations and technologies, let’s not wait for others.