NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 26 – A team of IBM experts is proposing a roadmap to the Kenyan Ministry of Information and Communications that includes the formation of a centre of excellence responsible for the formation of policies to define, promote and stimulate the growth of jobs in the new media and creative arts industry.
If implemented, the roadmap could help enable the creative arts industry to double its GDP contribution and increase employment within its sector by up to 10 percent over five years; making Kenya a creative hub for East Africa by 2017.
The 13-person IBM team making the recommendations comprises individuals from four countries, who are part of IBM’s Corporate Service Corps. They presented an analysis after spending 30 days in intense consultation with public and private organizations that could potentially have a role in fostering an industry reliant on artistic creativity.
After analysing the input, IBM recommended the formation of a centre of excellence drawn from the private and public sectors in Kenya.
IBM suggested that such a body would have a greater chance of success if national efforts were redoubled to promote intellectual property rights, reduce bureaucracy, adopt new technologies, reintroduce creativity and skills-based talent in school curricula, build partnerships, and foster stronger general business and marketing skills.
Information PS Bitange Ndemo said that it’s critical that these challenges are addressed in a timely manner to ensure that the creative industry realises its full potential in achieving the 2017 growth targets in line with Kenya’s midterm development plan for 2013 – 2017.
He added that the initiative will assist Kenya in achieving its long and midterm goals under Vision 2030 of employment creation and increasing the ratio exports to the national GDP.
