Emerging Technologies and the Future of National Development Planning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/jpp.v3i1.6835Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technologies, National Development Plans, Sub-Saharan AfricaAbstract
This study examines the benefits and challenges of leveraging emerging technologies into the national development plans (NDPs) of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and similar developing countries. Employing both the systematic literature review and case study approaches, the study finds that the main challenges SSA countries face in leveraging emerging technologies in NDPs include, among others, policy and regulatory rigidities, ICT infrastructure gaps and human capacity and skills challenges. To mitigate these challenges, the study proposes that developing countries in general and SSA countries in particular should: develop national ICT and geospatial information policies, create a platform to position respective SSA countries to respond to the opportunities and challenges of leveraging emerging technologies, establish a high-level national collaborative platform, strengthen human and organizational ICT capacity, among others. The study proposes a national development plan framework (NDPF) as a template for SSA governments to effectively leverage emerging technologies. The proposed NDPF adopts a bottom-up approach to leveraging emerging technologies in national development planning to optimise the achievement of national development plans’ objectives, including inclusivity, sustainability, and socio-economic development.
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