FEATURE : SMART CITIES
A smart city is a town that uses information and communication technologies ( ICT ) to increase operational efficiency , share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare . Industry pundits look at how smart cities are progressing in the Middle East and Africa ( MEA ) region and which countries are leading in smart city infrastructure adoption , writes Manda Banda .
Urbanisation in the Middle East and Africa ( MEA ) is in full swing . And as the fastest urbanising region in the world its populations and rapid urbanisation are driving more of MEA ’ s population groups to its cities . Countries across the MEA geography are being encouraged to turn to Smart City concepts , powered technologies such as cloud computing , the Internet of Things ( IoT ), ubiquitous connectivity and resourceful solutions if they are to reduce the pressure currently on city resources , as influenced by a growing demand for these resources .
Industry pundits say the principles that need to be considered for the adoption of Smart City infrastructure in MEA include putting technology in place for an already technology-savvy population , putting government systems in place that are responsive to the times and putting the type of socio-economic policy and agenda in place that promotes responsibility , efficiency and openness .
Research firm IDC predicts that by 2024 , 35 % of worldwide cities and communities will rely on low code and no code platforms to aid IT and non-IT staff to enable a swift roll out of digital programmes and new social and public health services . IDC stated that as threats against critical infrastructure continue as edge devices proliferate making IoT and OT security a top investment priority , there is an increasing adoption of cybersecurity and advanced security solutions to support Smart City projects . The research firm said the use of advanced analytics embedded with AI / Machine Learning is also of paramount importance .
Manish Ranjan , Senior Program Manager – Software and Cloud , IDC MEA , said Africa has had an enormous rate of urbanisation in comparison to other continents and will continue to rapidly increase . Ranjan said the rapid expansion of Africa ’ s population puts a strain on critical infrastructures and education , health and transport systems and services .
“ While the adoption of Smart Cities is certainly driven by rising urbanisation , increased demands for space , resources and improved sustainability , it becomes difficult for many African countries to explore due to the cost implications . The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted development for several African governments as funds had to be rediverted to address the pandemic , leaving many African cities insufficient budget to ensure good quality of living . However , some of the MEA countries have been successful to turn megacities into technology and data hubs for the future and are well positioned to lead Smart City initiatives ,” he said .
According to Ranjan , there are currently a number of Smart City initiatives in development within Africa and some prominent ones include MelfortSmart City , which will be located 60km east of Zimbabwe ’ s capital Harare , Konza Technopolis City and Tatu City in Kenya , Eko Atlantic City in Nigeria , Hope City and King City in Ghana , Vision City and Kigali in Rwanda , Akon
Smart City progression in MEA
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