Shaping the future of the Internet for all Namibians
Like all technology, the internet is not a static thing; it’s exceedingly dynamic and needs to be constantly improved and upgraded to ensure it is accessible to as many Namibians as possible.
Recently, Namibia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) together with UNESCO and the Internet Scientific Society, held consultative meetings to assess how best to develop policies and create practical initiatives enabling Namibia to improve its internet ecosystem.
Namibia is arguably the first Southern African country to do this, and it shows it understands and realizes the importance of assessing the internet universality indicators. Basically, it checks to see how our country is doing regarding how policies and digital development are taking shape.
Like all technology, the internet is not a static thing; it’s exceedingly dynamic and needs to be constantly improved and upgraded to ensure it is accessible to as many Namibians as possible. This means there need to be policies in place, and it needs to be accessible for persons with disabilities and available to all Namibians.
The internet can be the great equalizer and the driver of our knowledge-based economy. Still, without surveying and assessing where we stand, we cannot make recommendations and take the steps needed to improve and let the Internet evolve.
As the world moves towards cloud-based solutions, artificial intelligence, and application-driven technology and products and services, there is a great strain on the internet every day. Suppose Namibia wants to be the world-class ICT destination it envisages and reap the economic benefits from that. In that case, it is essential the government and stakeholders, such as ourselves, know where investment needs to be made.
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ICT and the Internet can be a great equalizer and, if harnessed properly, can help turn around a nation’s economy, driving its development and innovation. With the boom in oil and gas taking serious shape, we need to be able to offer investors, developers, and those managing anything from small-scale projects to multi-billion-dollar projects a stable and advanced Internet ecosystem. One that is future-proof and part of the overall solution to the growth we want to see in the Namibian economy rather than be a limiting factor.
According to the Namibian Minister of ICT, Peya Mushelenga, low investment in ICT and the lack of qualified ICT professionals pose the most significant obstacles to expanding the ICT Industry in Namibia.
Green Enterprise Solutions knows that investment is essential and is heartened by the consultative meetings and the results and policies that spring forth from this assessment. We look forward to supporting the Ministry of ICT and working with all stakeholders to develop the growth and leveraging of the Internet possibilities and opportunities for the good of all Namibians.
This is a guest contribution by Kehad Snydewel, managing director at Green Enterprise Solutions. Email: kehad[at]green[dot]com[dot]na
