DTI-A, Next Up @APD26: Richard Osei-Anim identifies curiosity as key skill for youth in digital era
Richard Osei-Anim, Managing Partner of Coral Reef Innovation Africa, has emphasised that curiosity is one of the most critical skills young people must develop in today’s fast-changing digital era.
He made the observation during a panel discussion at the Powered by Drive to Inspire — Africa (DTI-A) NextUp breakfast meeting held at the Accra International Conference Centre, on the sidelines of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026, Wednesday, 4th February 2026. As the name implies, NextUp affirms that African youth are next in line for global leadership, economic growth, expanded opportunities, and greater recognition on the world stage.
The panelists explored how emerging technologies — including artificial intelligence, digital payment infrastructure, and Web3 — are enabling cross-border trade, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Bernard Dzakpasu, Manager for GRC & ESG Services at KPMG West Africa, served as the moderator of the DTI-A breakfast meeting.
According to him, curiosity drives continuous learning and relearning, especially outside the traditional classroom setting. He noted that many people fail to recognise that learning can happen beyond lectures, yet commitment remains a challenge.
He referenced reports from online learning platforms such as Coursera and Udemy, indicating that about 40 to 60 percent of people who begin online courses are unable to complete them.
Mr. Osei-Anim explained that although artificial intelligence is currently the dominant focus, the broader conversation should be framed within the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He pointed out that emerging fields such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, autonomous drones, extended reality (XR), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality are equally important.
While AI and machine learning are fundamental, he stressed the need for individuals to become digitally fluent, AI fluent, and generally fluent in Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.
In addition to curiosity, he highlighted risk-taking as another essential skill. He observed that many people in Africa tend to be risk-averse, but the competitive environment demands boldness. He noted that young people in Ghana are competing not only locally but also with talented innovators from countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
Mr. Osei-Anim also called for stronger foundational infrastructure in education, urging that every school should have a laboratory or innovation space where students can immerse themselves in practical learning. These spaces, he said, should support activities such as coding, 3D printing, and programming with languages like Scratch and Python.
He mentioned partnerships with organisations such as Intel, where students can acquire Python skills within six weeks and become certified as master coaches to support training in schools.
He further argued that Africa must begin designing technology solutions that reflect local realities. He pointed out that many global innovations, including medical trials and facial recognition tools, are often developed without African contexts in mind.
He described this as a major opportunity for African innovators: to build tools, products, and solutions tailored specifically for African communities, including local languages and cultural needs.
Citing a study from Nigeria, he noted that when students were given an algorithm-based learning tool designed for their local environment, their performance in mathematics and literacy improved significantly by 40 to 50 percent.
Mr. Osei-Anim further added that infrastructure, continuous professional development for trainers, investment in devices and data access, and the development of relevant human capital are key requirements for Africa to fully participate in the digital future.
