By: Hilya Ngolo

The government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various partners for the development of digital skills industry in the country by harnessing untapped digital potential within the country.

 

At a consultative meeting held with the e-Governance Academy of Estonia last week, the deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology (MICT)  Emma Theofelus pointed out that “Namibia could be a utopia for developing additional skills in industry, for digital abilities to ensure that countries reach their full potential in the area of digital skills.”

The platform is created for the public as development partners engage the government about pertinent and critical issues to the development of the information and communication technology sector in this era, which has the potential to unlock endless socio-economic opportunities, particularly for young people.

The meeting focused on digital skills in Namibia and shared best practises from Estonia.

In this regard, Theofelus, along with others, emphasised the recent partnership with Impact Tank to facilitate the implementation of digital skills programmes throughout the country.

 

The delegation from Estonia shared their expertise on developing digital skills in Namibia and also provided insights into their experiences during their time in the country.

 

Estonia boasts a remarkable 99% operation rate for public online services.

The digital skill sets, Theofelus said, could enable young people to operate not only in Namibia but also do telework across the world.

“As government is going towards rolling out e-governance services, the Ministry of Finance just recently put together an e-procurement facility to ensure that anyone who would like to pay legal contracts, can do it online,” she said.

Theofelus further mentioned that every Namibian should have the necessary level of digital literacy to optimally make use of these services and for the youth to use these skills for e-commerce purposes to reduce the rate of youth unemployment in the country.

She highlighted that digital skills are essential to achieving progress in e-governance and that achieving this progress requires collaboration among various stakeholders.

 

It has also been identified that the lack of internet connectivity, insufficient training provided to teachers, limited budget allocation for computing devices, and limited access to electricity are significant obstacles that impede progress in this area.

 

A total of over 1,260 schools are connected to the internet, while approximately 700 schools still lack internet connectivity.

According to the deputy Minister, government will remain committed to providing a regulatory and legislative framework that is relevant and responsive to the ever-changing technological landscape.

Also speaking at the meeting, acting Executive Director of MICT Rosalia Penda said digital skills have become the foundation for progress, innovation and economic growth and that it unlocks doors of opportunity, and enables individuals to participate in the global digital economy.

The meeting was held as a testament to the commitment of MICT on joining hands and fostering the digital transformation and enhancement of digital capabilities of individuals in Namibia.

Penda added that this collaboration is a great example of international cooperation and a shared vision to drive sustainable development through the power of technology.

There are 275 schools in the country that do not have access to electricity.