Educational system must train students for a digital economy – Delta3 boss

Ghana’s educational system should begin equipping students with courses that reflect the future as the economy enters the next stage of the digital revolution, Dele Aden, Managing Partner-Delta3 International, has said.

“What the education authorities must look at is adjusting the curriculum to equip people for the new digital way of life,” he told the B&FT in an interview ahead of the first Africa Digital Transformation & Fintech Forum – a day-long exploration of issues around digital transformation and financial technology.

Scheduled to come off on Thursday 7th November 2019 at the Marriot Hotel, Accra, the programme’s main objective is to inform and reposition digital transformation as the key business enabler in business growth and financial development.

With Ghana following the global trend when it comes to digital transformation, Mr. Aden believes that the foundations of a digital economy – which include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Financial Technologies, Block-chain, Coding and others – must be incorporated into the curricula now and from as low as the primary school level.

“The educational system should think ahead and start training the future workers now in these subjects, so that they get ready for a digital economy. You need to move people in the right direction and have the right policies, instead of students studying some courses that will have no impact on their lives in the future economy,” he added.

Data from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia show that US$2.1trillion has been spent on digital transformation in the last couple of years, with Africa spending the least – but countries on the continent such as Ghana are gathering pace.

“Digital transformation and the use of financial technologies is now ramping-up in Ghana and the rest of West Africa. Government is doing its part in terms of e-services and the drive toward digital services, and the move away from traditional ways of doing businesses is phasing-in.

“What we have seen is the increase in organisations’ use of digital products and services to serve customers. Companies are now using apps to run their businesses. Look at the retail sector for example; five years ago you had to go to a shop to order a TV, but now with an app you can order a TV and have it delivered to you without you knowing where the shop is. The same with food, banking services and others.

“These are movements that were not there half a decade ago and are now helping businesses grow and attract international organisations,” he said.

As these movements happen, jobs will be lost – but far more sophisticated and durable ones will be created; and these jobs, according to Mr. Aden, must be taught right from primary school through to the university level.

“In European banks today, there no more tellers but tablets and screens for you to do your own transactions; and now a lot of the transactions are even done at home. The fear of people losing jobs is real and I sympathise with that, but these same people could be retrained to meet the new demands for a digital economy,” he added.

More on Africa’s Digital Transformation & Fintech Forum

With digitisation and new financial technologies (FinTech) driving Africa’s future into the next century, the organiser – Delta3 International – believes this forum is a must-attend for organisations seeking to be at the forefront in the present and future of Africa’s digital transformation.

The event will bring together thought-leaders and decision-makers in I.T. and Digital Transformation, along with business leaders such as I.T. Managers, Bankers, Team Leaders, HR Managers, Audit Managers and Risk Managers, and Directors, CEOs, CIOs, CFOs etc.

To underscore the value to be attained from attending, Delta3 has lined up a list of some of the biggest names in digital transformation, finance, HR and cybersecurity to speak at the one-day event.

They include Professor Nii Quaynor, CEO-Ghana.com and Africa Internet pioneer; Dr. Thomas Mensah, a world-renowned inventor with patents in fibre-optics; Afua Asabea Asare, CEO of Ghana Export Promotion Authority; and Dr. Adrian Venables, former Royal Navy Communications & Intel expert.

The rest include Anita Wiafe-Asinor, HR Expert and Managing Director-OML Africa; Kwame A. Opoku, global keynote speaker and Africa’s leading futurist; Del Aden, Managing Partner-Delta3 International, Cybersecurity & Digital Transformation Expert, Writer and Speaker; and Komla Etchi, Tech Partner at Delta3 International, Senior Trainer in Network & Security.