Digital Economy for Africa

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim led a fire-side conversation with LinkedIn Chief Executive Officer Jeff Weiner and investor and philanthropist Tony Elumelu, Founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation, as part of the Digital Economy for Africa event, during the Spring Meetings.   

During the discussion, Weiner stressed the role of technology in developing countries, and shared how LinkedIn’s emphasis on data is getting influencers ahead of the trends in the 3 billion people global work force. He also added how the platform seeks to have a digital representation of every job, with over 20 million jobs already covered.

Sharing his perspective on barriers for African entrepreneurs in digital technology, Elumelu revealed that Africa’s young population, 60% of which are under the age of 30, have to be the key resource for entrepreneurship. Elumelu highlighted infrastructure, government policies and regulation, intellectual property and the need for incentives for investors as the key areas to address.

Weiner noted the World Bank Group’s partnership with LinkedIn as an example of how data from both organizations can show the migration of talent.  He ended the chat with a call for educators to teach both compassion and basic digital technology as some of the key skills for tomorrow’s workforce.