The Pursuit of a smart Zambia in a smarter world

The President recently set the country on a pursuit of a smart Zambia. A transformational culture for achieving this was further outlined.
Zambia is on a precipice; a lesser developed country with most of its resources either underutilised or under foreign control.
The word 'smart' has a lot of definitions but it can easily be defined as the wisdom to start from where you are with what you have. The concept of smart is simple but it is what defines the best. It is the ability to recognise your strengths and weaknesses; and factor them into every decision you have to make.
The world is in constant competition. Whether it is someone trying to develop the best mobile phone or trying to get the best yield of a crop. The pursuit of the best has encompassed all nations. And whether you recognise it or not, you are part of the competition. Sadly, Zambia is still lagging behind in terms of innovation and efficiency.
The technological advancement of the world in the past three decades has been astronomical. Designs of information and communication technology have evolved exponentially.
Human capital is a vital resource in the development of any nation. It needs to be harnessed and developed. Education is key to this.
Our education system puts an emphasis on book knowledge. This is a blessing and a curse.
It opens up our minds to the infinite wisdom expressed by countless academicians over the centuries; but sometimes an emphasis on theory closes our minds to the simple logic needed to solve the day to day hustles that define our lives. This also makes it difficult to innovate.
Our education system is flawed from top to bottom; from primary to tertiary. Our schools have a tendency of spewing mindless robots with an inability to think on their feet.
How we reform our education system will be critical in the development and metamorphosis of our country. Our schools(from primary to universities) need to prioritise promoting independence and innovation.
Theoretically, economies are meant to develop over time. Development begins with agriculture and moves to manufacturing and services once demand for such goods is created and the economy is wealthy enough to afford them.
However, Zambia's economy still remains heavily dependent on the primary industry of copper mining which is under foreign control.
Development of our agricultural sector has remained mere rhetoric even as demand for food products increases and will continue to increase.
One of the factors that might be holding back the development of Zambian market and industry capable of fulfilling Zambia's economic needs is the cultural battle we face as a nation. Anything foreign is considered superior and preferred over local products.
This has resulted in Zambia remaining a net importer which has left the economy in a deplorable state. The local currency( Zambian Kwacha) is considered worthless around the world and was one of the worst performing currencies in 2015 with a depreciation of around 40% in value against the United States Dollar.(Source: Bloomberg News)
With Copper still in low demand, the need to diversify our economy should not be mere rhetoric but a reality for our nation.
As Bill Gates puts it, "we always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction."