FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (4IR) AND SERVICE DELIVERY INNOVATION: BRIDGING THE DIGITAL GAP FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Abstract

In this era of service delivery innovation, Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), is a major driver of development. Service delivery innovation is one major means of gaining competitive advantage in any service industry. The first industrial revolution used water and steam power to mechanise production. The second used electric power to create mass production. The third used electronics and information technology to automate production. Now a 4IR is building on the third, the digital revolution ensures speed and efficiency that fundamentally alters the way we live, work, and relate to one another in all areas of human endeavours. In a neo-patrimonial society like Africa characterised by parochial interest, 4IR promotes a high moral and ethical standard and facilitates speed in service delivery. Within the framework of cybernetics theory, this study examines the interface between 4IR revolution and service delivery innovation in Africa. It adopts the qualitative descriptive and exploratory approach to gain an insight into the nature and character of 4IR and service delivery innovation. It argues that the neo-traditional approach to service delivery should give way for electronic service delivery. The possibilities of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, artificial intelligence, as robotics, the internet of things, autonomous vehicles, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, and quantum computing and access to knowledge cannot be overemphasised. However, this will involve government taking certain steps to mitigate the negative effects of the infra-institutional approach that has for too long dominated public sector management in Africa. It recommends among others, dogged pursuit of knowledge integration, better funding of ICT system in the public sector, constant and availability of uninterrupted power supply, and digitalisation, collaboration between public sector institutions and civil society organisations for inclusive growth and development in Africa.