Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has called for strategic cooperation in the development of XR in Africa to fully realize its potential.
XR is an emerging umbrella term for all immersive technologies.
“The ones we already have today—augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) plus those that are still to be created.”
Speaking on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at the 14TH ITU ACADEMIC CONFERENCE KALEIDOSCOPE in Accra, she noted that recent years have seen significant advancements in new technologies such as virtual, augmented, and mixed realities, which are being used more frequently in commerce and the more advanced fields of science, health, and education.
According to the Minister, it is incumbent on state actors, academia, local innovators and civil society to work together to “harness to the fullest and immense potential of XR for all citizens” she said especially, at a time research estimates the value of global digital economy to be $11.5 trillion, equivalent to 15.5 percent of global GDP and the pace of growth averages 2.5 times faster than global GDP over the past 15 years.
“These developments augur well sustainable research and create the right tools and environment necessary to develop AI solutions for Africa’s agriculture, health, education, and financial sectors.”
