Digital Literacy in Kenya; Digital Service Providers Have A Role to Play
It’s quite clear that Kenya is enjoying unparalleled growth in its ICT sector. In fact, some would even argue that we are smack in the middle of a second dotcom boom. In 2017 alone, technology giants like Google, Microsoft and Facebook made significant investments by deploying broadband across different parts of the country introducing attractive new offerings for consumers.
We have also seen over 20 billion Kenya Shillings invested in telecommunication infrastructure between 2012 and 2016, not to mention the data from the Communication Commission of Kenya which shows that Kenya’s online market generated revenues of KES 15.8 billion in the last quarter of 2017.
But as multinationals make a bid to cash on Kenya’s productive digital economy, the low rates of digital literacy in Kenya may lock out millions of its citizens from reaping the benefits of a robust ICT sector. Although the Kenyan government initiated the Digital Literacy Program in 2013 targeting to impart digital skills to Primary school students, and the Ajira Digital Platform, to facilitate online jobs, there’s still need to bridge the last mile.
Digital Service Providers in Kenya Should Educate The Market
Digital literacy in Kenya
Again, Tech giants like IBM and Google have stepped in to provide the much-needed training that will enable Kenyans to improve their lives and connect globally using digital skills. I’m talking about the kind of skills that enable SME business owners to benefit from the low costs of operating a business online, and graduates to tap the global online work space in spite of the current unemployment crisis in Kenya. But I think the onus is mainly on us, as digital service providers to bridge the last mile. After all, when more entrepreneurs and graduates discover the benefits of cloud hosting and online work, our conversations shift from “how does it work?” to ” how can we improve it?”. And as history shows, technological innovation and economic development are inseparable twins.
How is Legibra Improving Digital Literacy in Kenya?
Since 2016, Legibra- a digital service provider in Kenya- has invested in creating a database of articles that cover digital topics from What is the Internet? To 5 Ways Social Media Changed How We Do Business. Once the articles are published, we go a step further to distribute them online using our social media platforms to ensure the most extensive reach possible. By providing such information for free, we believe we can open up vast opportunities especially for those marginalised by the lack of essential digital skills and know-how.
Digital literacy in Kenya
As the year comes to and end, we continue with our humble efforts to empower more Kenyans with the knowledge to leverage the internet for better employment opportunities, higher returns on investment and the skills to start online businesses. In fact, after the Skills Hunt Expo, we’ve gone ahead to enroll over 300 students to our email list where they will receive weekly updates from our blog and other relevant resources. We believe that if more Kenyans have the right digital skills, they’ll build businesses, create jobs and boost economic growth across the country.
Together Towards Improved Digital Literacy in Kenya
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Together we can create a digitally skilled country because small steps lead to big changes.