Pathways for Prosperity attracts widespread media attention

Extensive coverage has appeared in regional and international news outlets following the commission’s recent launch. Here are a few highlights.

South Africa’s Business Day carries a piece by Strive Masiyiwa in which he expands on the commission’s role and its diversity that will ensure new voices and approaches are included in the debate on technology and development. He writes: “This is just the beginning. We are on such a steep curve of change: if the mobile phone was last century’s great innovation, what will we develop in this 100-year period?”

A feature piece from Quartz Africa entitled “The future of work in Africa is uncertain despite technology’s promise or perhaps because of it” has similar predictions for the huge disruptive power of looming technological innovations. It comments on the timeliness of the commission’s launch: a time when Africa’s population is increasingly rapidly, yet economic growth and a fall in poverty also look promising. Whether these opportunities can be harnessed depends on how countries respond to the new forces shaping the world – in particular, rapid technological change.

Several interviews with the commission’s co-chairs took place after the event. Melinda Gates was interviewed live on air by BBC World Service, and also recorded a segment for NTV Kenya’s ‘The Trend’ show with Amina Abdi, during which she called for young people and Africans to get involved with the commission: “Come put your voice in the process. Come put your ideas in the process”. Strive Masiyiwa was interviewed by CNBC Africa to discuss supporting entrepreneurship to take advantage of the rapid pace of technological innovation. Sri Mulyani Indrawati was also interviewed by reporters from NTV and CGTN.

Kenya’s Daily Nation produced several articles surrounding the event, including an interview with Melinda Gates to discuss the commission’s launch and objectives. Another piece from the Daily Nation, “Artificial Intelligence will be the next revolution. Are we ready for it?”, focuses on AI and its potential to shape the world.

Additional national coverage of the event came from the Kenya News Agency and the Kenyan Wall Street. Meanwhile, international outlets such as Voice Of America News also picked up on the launch. A recording of the panel discussion at the launch is available on NTV Kenya.

Several high-profile guests at the launch took to social media to comment on the event. Robert Godec, the US Ambassador to Kenya, described the launch as an “insightful, inspiring discussion of the amazing ways to use technology to improve lives”. Larry Madowo, the prominent Kenyan journalist and news anchor, said that he was “honoured to moderate the launch of the #Pathways4Prosperity commission in Nairobi today”. The successful Townhall event with a panels discussion on the themes tackled by the Pathways for Prosperity commission has been watched by 1.3m people on Facebook and is still available.