How to solve the grand challenges of Africa through Technology | Omobola Johnson | TEDxYaba

Africa is seen as a continent with latent potential, opportunities and possibilities. In this talk, Nigeria's former ICT minister, Omobola Johnson, asks: How is it then that investors choose to invest a relatively small percentage (big as they are) of the huge capital at their disposal in a continent as massive as Africa? Despite all the possibilities seen or imagined, she remarks, the technology industry in Africa continues to be one of experimentation – where people are reluctant to fully thrust themselves. If the technology space in Africa is ours to develop, why has its narrative continued to be written by non-Africans and the story of its success still hinged on the MPESA innovation of 10/15 years ago? How can Africans develop a more scalable technology industry? Omobola Johnson is a Partner of TLcom Capital in Lagos, Nigeria, a venture capital firm focused on investments in technology enabled companies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Before joining TLcom, Omobola was Minister of Communication Technology, Nigeria from 2011 to 2015, focusing on the launch and execution of the National Broadband Plan, and the support of the Nigerian technology industry, including the pioneering involvement of the government in a local VC fund and a network of start-up incubators. Before serving in the Nigerian government, she was in Accenture for over twenty five years including five years as Country Managing Director, working with companies in a variety of industries, transforming them into more competitive and dynamic organizations.
Omobola serves on the Board of a number of not-for-profit and for-profit organisations, including Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ) where she was the founding Chairperson.