I just read a very interesting interview made with Kofi Annan about technological opportunities (increasing Africa's connectivity, both Internet & mobile) as well as the agricultural revolution he argues is already happening across the continent. The full interview is accessible here.

That made me want to probe your minds. I know many of you on The Humanitarian Social Network have been to Africa (be it volunteering, working or just traveling) or are yourself from the continent.

What do you think? Do you see hope? Or despair? What makes you think that way?

Here are some key quotes from Kofi Annan's interview:

Technology

Over the last decade, internet usage on the continent has increased by over two thousand percent. Africa has gone from having hardly any undersea fibre optic cables in 2000 to having nine that will connect almost all of Africa by 2012, reducing costs dramatically compared to satellite connectivity. At the same time, the continent has become the world’s second largest mobile market behind Asia – and the fastest growing. At present, more than one in three Africans owns a cellular phone.

(...)

With greater access to the Internet, comes greater access to Facebook and Twitter. Never before has the world seen the extent to which these and other social networking sites can impact politics, as was seen this year in Africa. Africans throughout the continent have embraced social media as a way to voice their concerns, encourage and mobilise action, and bring about change. And in doing so, they have given a uniquely African meaning to the phrase ‘social media revolution’. 

Agricultural progress

There are many wonderful success stories to be found across the continent.  The change that I am most pleased to see is the green shoots of a uniquely African Green Revolution taking root in many countries.

With the right investments throughout the agricultural value chain and an approach centered on empowering the small holder farmer – many of whom are women - I believe that Africa is now on the road to being able to feed itself. 

(...)

Similar aspirations are rising across the continent and African governments are stepping up to the challenge.  In Ghana, agriculture has grown at an average of 5% a year for over 10 years. Malawi transformed itself into a net exporter of maize for four years running. Rwanda increased its food production by 15% in 2007 and 16% in 2008. In Tanzania, a government program supporting farmers through vouchers to purchase seeds and fertilizers enabled 700,000 smallholder farmers to produce five million tons of maize. And Mali now dedicates 14% of its national budget to agriculture in a concerted effort to change the future for its farmers.