Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus has insisted on collaboration and participatory governance in the ICT sector highlighting that this will give stakeholders a competitive advantage.
Speaking at hackathon and Telecom Namibia innovation week last week, Theofelus noted that there is no greater mistake than believing that a person knows everything or that we are self-sufficient in all areas.
“No one person or entity is an island. Similarly, it will also be fallacious on the part of a government to believe that everything has to be done by the government alone. Therefore, I strongly insist upon collaboration and participatory governance. That will give all of us a competitive advantage through collaborative efforts,” Theofelus said.
She went on to state that in the area where knowledge is power, innovation is the driver of growth.
“This means that knowledge behaves like power, but innovation is required to expand that power. The greater the innovation, the greater will be the potential of our country’s development. Innovation is not just a word. It is neither an event nor a competition where awards are given to the winners and everyone goes back to their stagnant realities after the celebration. Innovation is a continuous process. Therefore, the Namibian government is constantly encouraging innovation.”
Government recognises that Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) are key to economic growth and sustainable development. In order to respond to the various challenges and opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which include big data and analytics, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, among others; Theofelus explains that Namibia has to develop local high performance computing capacity to enhance the creative and innovative thinking capacity.
“We are grateful to our various partners and stakeholders that are committed to embarking on this difficult yet necessary journey. Innovative Hackathons give us opportunities to discover and adapt new technologies to cope with the change and overcome the current and future challenges of our industries and beyond. I hope that the outcomes of this Hackathon will create solutions that will accelerate a digital revolution with Namibia at the forefront, giving the economy a much needed uplift.
“As the Namibian government, we take pride in the fact that we have young people, working in close proximity with telecommunication experts with the intent of providing solutions to the problems we face. We are thrilled that Telecom Namibia, in partnership with NUST aspires to develop our nations’ local talent and instil in them a creative mind set to approach and formulate solutions to problems facing the telecommunications industry and the country at large,” further explained Theofelus.
She also noted that the Hackathon and TN Innovation Week is well aligned to Vision 2030 and government’s accelerator plan, the Harambee Prosperity Plan.
“We hope that this event accelerates the development of new technologies and solutions and strengthen Namibia’s innovative capabilities while also improving the livelihood of our people. We believe the results of the hackathon will guide Namibia in achieving our sustainable and developmental goals as per Vision 2030 and thus contribute to the overall economic and social development of the country.
“It is always such a pleasure to be part and parcel of such efforts that seek to contribute positively to national development initiatives especially now when the Government grapples with projects and programs aimed at putting our economy back on track. I am confident that out of this event we will acquire home-grown solutions to our country’s problems so that we may turn them into much needed opportunities,” she said.
Lastly, Theofelus highlighted that Namibia has joined its African peers in kicking off a SIM card registration drive, with the Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) mandating that all SIMs be properly registered by 2023, and hence it is government’s intention to have all mobile subscribers known by their identity.
“Our country has been faced with numerous security challenges that have been perpetrated through mobile phones. The lack of identity and the difficulty in traceability of transactions is one of the factors that underpin the rise of mobile phone theft. The only way to curb these vices is to have all subscribers known through registration. Soon we will be able to provide law enforcement agencies with the tools needed to resolve crimes perpetrated with the use of these SIM cards, as well as providing a strong deterrence against the commission of wrongdoing. It is our role as government to ensure that the safety of Namibians is safeguarded in all possible ways,” Theofelus concluded.