Made in China: What Africa Must Learn from the New Kid on the Block

There was a time when the words Made in China carried a very different meaning. For many of us in Africa, Chinese products were associated with cheap goods, sometimes of questionable quality. If something broke after a short period of use, somebody was likely to remark, almost jokingly, “It is Chinese.” That perception was never true of every Chinese product, but it became widespread enough to shape how many people viewed Chinese manufacturing. Today, however, that stereotype is increasingly difficult to sustain. China is building high-speed trains, enormous bridges, sophisticated ports, advanced telecommunications systems, electric vehicles, batteries, robots and increasingly sophisticated machinery. Its high-speed rail network is one of the most visible symbols of this transformation. China has developed an extensive railway system, with some trains operating at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. Behind this achievement lies not just infrastructure but an industrial ecosystem of engineers, manufacturers, suppliers and technical specialists. China has also become a dominant force in electric vehicles and battery manufacturing. According to the International Energy Agency, the country produced approximately 16 million electric cars in 2025, representing nearly three-quarters of global production. This is not the China many of us remember. China is the new kid on the block, and whether we like it or not, we can no longer afford to ignore it.

But my interest is not really China itself. My interest is Africa, particularly our children and the education and training we are giving them. Because behind China's technological achievements lies a question that should concern every African policymaker, parent, educator and employer: What kind of people must we educate and train if we want to build a technologically advanced society of our own? How Did China Get Here? This is the question that fascinates me. How does a country once widely associated with inexpensive manufacturing become a global force in electric vehicles, advanced batteries, telecommunications and high-speed rail? How does it develop the engineers, scientists, technicians, programmers, researchers and skilled workers capable of producing such sophisticated technologies? The answer cannot simply be money or population. Behind every high-speed train are people who designed, tested, manufactured and maintain it. Behind every electric vehicle are engineers, battery specialists, software developers and production workers. Behind every modern bridge are civil engineers, materials scientists, surveyors and highly skilled construction workers. Technology is ultimately a human achievement.

China's development has involved decades of investment, industrial planning, research, technology transfer, infrastructure development and skills formation. It has learned from other countries, adapted technologies and developed increasingly sophisticated domestic capabilities. Its journey has not been without difficulties, and not every Chinese product is superior. Nor has China become technologically advanced in every field. But the breadth and speed of its industrial transformation are remarkable. There is a lesson here for Africa. We spend considerable time admiring the products of technological advancement. We should also examine the human capacity, institutions and long-term investment that make those products possible.

What Are We Doing With Our Children?

Africa has one of the world's youngest populations. That should be an extraordinary advantage. But a young population is not automatically an economic asset. Its potential depends on whether young people receive the education, skills, health and opportunities needed to contribute productively to society. Millions of young Africans enter the labour market every year. Many struggle to find employment, while employers in various sectors report difficulties finding workers with the right technical and practical skills. This raises an uncomfortable question. Are we preparing our children for the world they will enter, or for the world in which their parents grew up?

Artificial intelligence is transforming work. Robotics is changing manufacturing. Digital technologies are reshaping banking, agriculture, medicine, education and commerce. Jobs are evolving, new occupations are emerging, and some existing roles are being automated. Yet many of our education systems continue to place enormous emphasis on examinations, certificates and progression through conventional academic pathways. These remain important, but they are not enough.

We must ask whether our children are learning to solve problems, think critically, work with technology, develop ideas and adapt when circumstances change. The challenge is not to abandon traditional education. It is to make education relevant to the realities of a rapidly changing world.

The Certificate Cannot Be the Destination

For generations, many African families have encouraged their children to follow a familiar path: Go to school. Pass examinations. Enter university. Obtain a degree. Find a good job. There is nothing wrong with that aspiration. University education remains essential to many professions and is a valuable route to knowledge and opportunity. But a degree alone does not guarantee that someone possesses the skills required in the modern workplace. Employers need people who can apply knowledge, use technology, communicate effectively, collaborate and solve practical problems. Societies also need people who can create businesses, develop products, improve production methods and identify opportunities where others see difficulties.

We should therefore expand the questions we ask about educational achievement. Instead of asking only, “What certificate does this child have?” we should also ask, “What can this child do with what he or she has learned?” Can the child design something, repair something, programme a computer, interpret data, operate equipment or develop a solution to a real problem? Can the child continue learning when the knowledge acquired in school becomes outdated? These abilities will become increasingly important. Education must prepare our children not merely to enter the existing economy, but also to help build the economy of the future.

We Must Stop Looking Down on Technical Education

One of the most damaging attitudes in many African societies is the assumption that university education is inherently superior to technical and vocational training. The child who becomes a doctor, lawyer or accountant is often celebrated. The child who becomes a skilled electrician, welder, mechanic, plumber, technician or machine operator may receive less recognition. This hierarchy makes little sense in a world that depends on sophisticated technology.

Consider what it takes to build and maintain a modern railway. Engineers are indispensable, but so are electricians, welders, mechanical technicians, software specialists, machine operators and maintenance personnel. The same applies to electric vehicles, renewable-energy installations, advanced factories and modern agricultural systems. A country cannot build a sophisticated industrial economy with university graduates alone. It needs people with different kinds of expertise, working together.

We must therefore invest in technical and vocational education and training, modernize its facilities, strengthen links with industry and ensure that qualifications reflect actual competence. A young person who becomes an excellent technician should have reason to be as proud of that achievement as someone who earns a university degree. The objective is not to send every child to university. It is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to develop his or her abilities to the highest possible level.

Africa Should Not Merely Consume Chinese Technology

China's growing technological presence in Africa creates opportunities, but it also raises important questions about the continent's long-term economic direction. Chinese companies participate in African infrastructure, telecommunications, mining, manufacturing, and energy projects. Chinese products are sold across African markets, from mobile phones and solar equipment to vehicles and industrial machinery. Trade and investment can benefit African countries by providing technology, infrastructure, products and employment. But we must think beyond what we can import. What happens if African countries remain predominantly consumers of technology developed elsewhere? What happens if our young people learn to operate imported machinery but are never given the opportunity to design, manufacture, maintain and improve it? What happens if we continue exporting raw materials and importing finished products without developing the industrial capabilities needed to retain more value at home? These are questions of economic development, not simply education.

Our ambition should be to move progressively from importing technology to understanding it, adapting it, producing components for it and eventually developing technologies suited to our own needs. Africa does not have to manufacture everything it consumes. No country does. But we should build the capacity to participate meaningfully in the global production of goods and services. That requires technical skills, research, investment, entrepreneurship and a stronger relationship between education and industry.

China Is a Lesson, Not a Blueprint

There is no need to pretend that China has solved every problem or that its development model can be copied wholesale. China has its own economic, demographic, environmental and social challenges. Its political and economic arrangements also differ considerably from those of African countries. Nor is China the only country from which Africa can learn. The United States, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea and others offer valuable lessons in scientific research, engineering, industrial development and education. But China's transformation deserves particular attention because of the scale and speed with which it has developed its manufacturing and technological capabilities. Its experience demonstrates that a country's position in the global economy need not remain fixed.

Countries can learn, adapt, build institutions, develop industries and move into more sophisticated forms of production. The important question for Africa is not whether we should copy China. It is whether we are prepared to learn from its experience and adapt useful lessons to our own circumstances. We must determine what works for our economies, our institutions, our cultures and the needs of our people.

Artificial Intelligence Changes the Equation

The urgency of reform becomes even clearer when we consider artificial intelligence. AI can already assist with research, translation, programming, data analysis, writing and many other tasks. Its capabilities will continue to evolve, affecting both routine work and highly skilled professions. Our children must learn to use these tools, but basic familiarity will not be enough. They must also learn to question the information AI produces, identify errors, evaluate evidence and exercise independent judgment. This requires strong foundations in literacy, mathematics, science and critical thinking. It also requires digital literacy, creativity, communication and an understanding of the ethical implications of technology.

We should not teach children merely to consume technological products. We should encourage them to understand how those products work and, where possible, how to create and improve them. Not every child will become a programmer or engineer. But every child should have the opportunity to develop the technological understanding needed to participate in modern society. The aim is to produce young people who can work intelligently with technology rather than be entirely dependent on it.

What Should Ghana Do?
For Ghana, these questions demand practical answers. We need to examine our education and training systems in light of the skills our economy will require over the coming decades.

• How many engineers, technicians, software developers, agricultural technologists and renewable-energy specialists will we need?
• Are our schools providing strong foundations in mathematics and science?
• Are our technical institutions equipped with modern machinery and facilities?
• Do students have opportunities to learn through practical projects and apprenticeships?
• Are universities collaborating sufficiently with industry?
• Are employers helping to shape training programmes so that graduates acquire relevant skills?
• And how do we ensure that children in rural and disadvantaged communities have access to opportunities in digital technology and advanced technical education?

These questions should inform national education policy, investment decisions and collaboration between schools, universities, technical institutions and businesses. We must also invest in teachers. No education system can become technologically advanced if the people responsible for teaching its children are denied the training, tools and support they need. Our schools should encourage experimentation, problem-solving and curiosity. Students should have opportunities to apply what they learn to real challenges in their communities.

Agriculture, for example, can become a gateway to learning about sensors, irrigation technology, drones, data analysis and food processing. Environmental challenges can introduce students to renewable energy, engineering and waste-management technologies. Local manufacturing and construction can provide practical contexts for mathematics, design and technical education. In this way, education becomes connected to the challenges and opportunities surrounding our children.

The African Mind Is Our Greatest Untapped Resource

Africa is rich in natural resources. Ghana has gold, cocoa, oil, bauxite, manganese and other valuable resources. But natural resources alone do not guarantee prosperity. Their economic value depends significantly on the knowledge, skills, institutions and industries through which they are developed.

The same principle applies to our young people. An intelligent child represents enormous potential, but potential must be nurtured. A young person with an interest in engineering needs opportunities to experiment and learn. A gifted student interested in science needs laboratories, mentors and access to research. A young person with practical ability needs quality technical training and a route into productive employment.

We should not allow financial circumstances or geographical location to determine whether a child can develop his or her talents. Imagine the possibilities if a talented student in a rural Ghanaian community could access quality digital learning, practical science education and technical training comparable to what is available in better-resourced schools. Imagine if more of our young people could move from identifying local problems to developing products, businesses and technologies that address them. That is the kind of potential we must unlock. Our young population will not automatically deliver economic transformation. But with the right education, skills and opportunities, it can become one of our greatest advantages.

The Race Has Already Changed
There was a time when many countries could pursue industrial development without having to respond to the pace of technological change we see today. That time has passed. Today, artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles and digital services are changing how economies operate. Countries that develop the necessary skills and productive capabilities will be better positioned to participate in these industries. Those that neglect education and training risk becoming increasingly dependent on technologies developed elsewhere.

Africa must therefore act with greater urgency. We cannot spend another generation debating the relative prestige of university and vocational education while employers struggle to find skilled workers and young people struggle to find meaningful employment. We cannot continue measuring educational success solely by the number of certificates awarded. We must also examine what our graduates know, what they can do and what they are capable of creating.

China's transformation reminds us that technological advancement is not simply about the impressive products displayed in showrooms or the spectacular infrastructure seen in photographs. It is also about the people, institutions, knowledge and productive systems behind them. That is the deeper lesson for Africa.

We must build schools that inspire curiosity, universities that support innovation, technical institutions that produce excellent practitioners, and industries that give young people opportunities to apply their skills. We must make it possible for African talent to develop African solutions.

Made in China; What About Made in Africa?

When we see a Chinese electric vehicle, a high-speed train or an enormous bridge, we should look beyond the finished product. We should ask what knowledge was required to design it, what skills were needed to build it, what institutions trained the people involved and what investments made the achievement possible. Then we should ask ourselves what it would take to develop comparable capabilities in Africa. Not necessarily to manufacture identical products, but to acquire the capacity to solve our own problems and participate in the industries shaping the future.

Can Ghana develop stronger capabilities in agricultural technology, mineral processing, renewable energy, software, manufacturing and engineering? Can African countries work together to build regional markets, research networks and industrial supply chains? Can our schools and training institutions prepare young people to contribute to these ambitions? These are the questions that matter. The objective is not to replace every imported product with a locally manufactured one overnight. It is to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to move progressively towards greater technological capability and economic independence. The real measure of our progress will not be how much technology we import, but how much knowledge and productive capacity we develop. China has demonstrated how far a country can move when it builds its technological and industrial capabilities over time.

Africa should take note. We have the people. We have enormous needs that can inspire innovation. We have resources and opportunities that, with the right policies and investments, can support more productive economies. What we must do is connect these advantages to an education system that prepares our children for the world ahead. We need to act with urgency, invest with purpose and think beyond the next examination cycle or political term.

There is no reason Africa must remain permanently behind in technological development. But progress will not come from admiration alone. It will come from what we choose to do with the lessons before us. China has shown us what is possible. We need to run while China is walking. But China is no longer walking. It has demonstrated what sustained investment in people, skills and industrial capacity can achieve. Africa must now accelerate, not to become China, but to equip its own children to build an African future worthy of their potential.

FUSEINI ABDULAI BRAIMAH
+233208282575 / +233550558008
afusb55@gmail.com

   Comments0