Africa: the next frontier for intellectual capital?
| Date | 14 May 2018 |
| Pages | 474-479 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-12-2017-0167 |
| Published date | 14 May 2018 |
| Author | Ahmed Bounfour |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Knowledge management,HR & organizational behaviour,Organizational structure/dynamics,Accounting & Finance,Accounting/accountancy,Behavioural accounting |
Guest editorial
Africa: the next frontier for intellectual capital?
This special issue is of high relevance, since its focusses on a huge continent –Africa, with
high promises but also strong uncertainties. Among the promises, those relating to the
leveraging of intellectual capital are certainly the most prominent. We can even assume that
potentially, and taking a medium/long-term perspective as well as some countries projects
and achievements, Africa has the potential of being a new frontier for intellectual capital.
Some might find such a proposal too ambitious and even quite naïve, taking into account the
way the continent is often perceived in media and other places, as well as among others –the
on-going debate and challenges, especially in Europe, on immigration. But beyond
these factual elements, there are strong arguments for looking into the issue from a different
angle: the potential and the energy which might be produced by African people, their young
population and their cultural diversity.
Let us consider here some of the pro arguments for my proposal: demography and
sustainable development, institutional reform, digital opportunities and entrepreneurship
and creativity.
Demography and sustainable development
Africa is the World’ssecond most populous continents,with more than 1.1 billion inhabitants
(2013) and more importantly with the most youngest population among the continents
(19.7 median age in 2012 whereas the worldwide median was 30.4)[1]. From an intellectual
capital point of view, this presents great challenges, but also a high potential for growth,
innovation andentrepreneurship in many areas: valorising traditionalknowledge, developing
new brands, innovating in financial instruments and digital, developing sustainable energy
applications andwater management, innovating in IPRs, developing new approaches to deal
with inter-generational issues. According to the United Nations data[2], in 1950, the world
population was estimated at around 2.6 billion people. In 2011, it was estimated to be
seven billion: “Sixty per cent of the world population lives in Asia (4.4 billion), 16 per cent in
Africa (1.2 billion), 10 per cent in Europe (738 million), 9 per cent in Latin America and the
Caribbean (634 million), and the remaining 5 per cent in Northern America (358 million) and
Oceania (39 million)”[3]. Africa is the fasted growing continent, with a total population
growing at 2.55 per cent annually during the period 2010-2015.
By 2050 and 2100, according to the main source, the world population is projected at the
level of 9.7 billion and 11.2 billion, respectively. More than half of this growth is expected to
be originated from Africa. These figures indicate a major challenge for Africa and its main
partners, especially in Europe. They also indicate that this growth should lead to the
openness of important and ambitious opportunities in terms of job creation,
entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable development for Africa and the
improvement of well-being for African population, especially the young ones.
As it has been underlined by the main findings of the African Development Bank
Competitiveness Report 2017 “Without urgent action to address stagnating levels of
competitiveness, Africa’s economies will not create enough jobs for the young people
entering the job market. If current policies remain unchanged, fewer than one-quarter of the
450 million new jobs needed in the next 20 years will be created. Policy priorities include
reform to improve the quality of institutions, infrastructure, skills and adoption of new
technology. House construction and better urban planning present opportunities for
short-term competitiveness gains. The ability of Sub-Saharan Africa’s economies to
Journal of Intellectual Capital
Vol. 19 No. 3, 2018
pp. 474-479
© Emerald PublishingLimited
1469-1930
DOI 10.1108/JIC-12-2017-0167
474
JIC
19,3
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