Ethiopia: High Time for Fostering Innovation, Technology
Following the recent reform, Ethiopia has now recorded numerous advancements and progressions with regard to science and technology more than ever before as the national reform established an enabling atmosphere for novelty, technology, understanding and intelligence.
The country has attached due emphasis to technology, innovation and being creative with a view to leading itself to a remarkable achievements in the sector employing whatever lucrative pathway. The effort of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology can be cited as a living proof in this regard. The Ministry in collaboration with Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) and other development partners is working day in and day out to help the nation attain its vision towards technological advancement and inspiring innovation.
If truth be told, prior to the national reform, there was no conducive environment for the sector to boom, but as of the aftermath of recent reform, various initiatives have been undertaken, including policy amendments and the launch of “Digital Ethiopia 2025,” which has aimed at addressing myriads of challenges from which the sector is suffering.
Frankly speaking, one of the major milestones of the reform has been the opening of the sector to private investment, and the situation right now is very inviting, as a result a number of services are provided to the general public with the required quality, accessibility and service delivering tactics.
Even during the post reform, this time around that means, the government has prioritized youth digital skills development, recognizing Ethiopia’s large youth population and the need for talent cultivation in the industry, with a particular emphasis on the technology and innovation sub sector.
Yes, capitalizing on science and technology would help the nation, it is widely witnessed even, build capacity to be competent enough with other technologically advanced countries let alone quenching its innovation and tech thirst. Employment in the sector has dramatically risen even in terms of job creation. Hadn’t the government attached due emphasis to the sector, the overall scenario of the country with regard to science, technology and innovations wouldn’t have been at this level right now. Needless to state, Ethiopia has made significant stride in space science, launching two satellites over the past years and working hard on the area.
As various countries use numerous pointers to measure their technological capabilities for the advancement of science, technology and innovation, Ethiopia has to draw important lessons from these counties to make a diffrence more than what it has attained these days. Hence, the national science, technology and innovation master plan has to be framed with a view to facilitating the overall implementation of a multitude of technological and innovative approaches.
Undeniably, the national reform has played a transformative role in fostering innovation, technology growth, and human capital development, positioning Ethiopia for further advancements in the sector.
True, Ethiopia has to well capitalize on technology and innovation so as to make it competent with developed countries with regard to emerging digital technologies. Since, advancement of technological has been achieved through broad-based and diversified activities in which structural transformation has been evidenced across the nation; the subsector needs to be made much more prioritized. If nation’s effort keeps at the same rate in this regards, Ethiopia will play a transformative role in fostering innovation and technology growth.
By and large, the Ethiopian government has granted technology transfer, mainly referring to acquisition of technologies from abroad, with due priority and this bold move has to be well consolidated to make the nation benefited out of the sector. Definitely, acquiring technology at national level has to be automatically assimilated with the local economy through learning, linkages and demonstration effects. In so doing, making the nation advanced through employing technology, science and innovation would be at its sons and daughters’ palm. Hence, the focus of the nation should be on technological learning and upgrading, and building strong innovation capacity through experience sharing between/among local industries and foreign enterprises.
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