Day: April 27, 2024

Addis Ababa: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has expressed interest in expanding support to develop the young people’s IT skills in Ethiopia.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Chief Representative of the JICA to Ethiopia, Kensuke Oshima said the agency has been cooperating with Ethiopia for 50 years in multifaceted spheres

Ethiopia has a huge number of population, where the majority of the people are young, he said, adding ‘I think there no doubt that Ethiopia has a big opportunity for economic growth in the future.’

Thus, the representative said that the country is trying to transform the economy by focusing on business digital transformation that needs support.

‘I understand that digital transformation can advance the economy of this country,’ he added.

However, IT infrastructure facilities across the country are limited, while the people in urban areas can enjoy the smartphones, the people in the rural areas still may not have the access, he noted.

Therefore, he stressed that expa
nding IT infrastructure services for the people in rural areas and developing the know-how of the people who already use IT are needed for further development.

Now, the Ethiopian government is inviting foreign investors to the country, such as Safaricom and other industries he said, adding that in this regard addressing technical constraints facing Ethiopian technicians in the industry is critical.

He underlined ‘we have to support the development of young people’s IT skills in this country.’

To this effect, he recalled that JICA and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Sumitomo Corporation and Safaricom Ethiopia signed MoU for developing IT knowledge and technology.

The primary objective of this MoU is to establish joint working groups to the realization of the Ethiopian government’s program, Digital Ethiopia 2025 and accelerate the development of innovative solutions through effective utilization of digital technologies, he said.

He mentioned that JICA graduated 50 young IT technicians and it is
working to expand the program.

JICA is trying to provide IT training to 10,000 young people in Ethiopia in collaboration with other partners, he said.

On other hand, he added that JICA will support startups in Ethiopia.

Supporting startups in Ethiopia is still a new area for JICA, he said, adding it launched the Project NINJA (Next Innovation with Japan) in January 2020, which works in multifaceted support for entrepreneurs who take on the challenge of solving social issues in Africa, he said.

‘Here in Ethiopia, we have the center operation because it needs to be innovative technology and we are supporting a logic analytic creation program and the funding of a much improved program for the startupers in Ethiopia. We are still continuing such a program,’ he added.

Noting a startup can be a game changer of technologies, he said, adding ‘I think it will be a big opportunity for economic development in Ethiopia.’

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s effort to bring structural change in its food system is encouraging, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub Senior Program Coordinator Khaled El-Taweel said.

Recall that Ethiopia presented its activities in the agriculture sector at the recent 10th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Addis Ababa.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Khaled El-Taweel, Senior Program Coordinator at the United Nations (UN) Food Systems Coordination Hub, said he attended the presentation at the forum.

According to him, Ethiopia’s success in becoming wheat self-sufficient by boosting production and productivity has become best practice for other African countries.

The senior coordinator also stated the readiness of his institution to support the sector based on Ethiopia’s need in collaboration with other UN agencies.

El-Taweel noted that ensuring structural change in food system is instrumental to eradicating poverty and famine, adding that the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub i
n collaboration with other development partners is supporting African nations in their effort to bring structural change in food system.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Health Minister Dr. Mekdes Daba underscored today the importance of collaboration and partnership in addressing complex health challenges and advancing global health security.

Recall that the World Health Assembly established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement or other international instrument under the Constitution of the World Health Organization to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response in December 2021.

Speaking at a high level ministerial consultative meeting for Intergovernmental Negotiation Body (INB) held in Addis Ababa, the minister said the ongoing discussions within the World Health Organization present a unique opportunity to reassess and strengthen the international health regulations and make new treaty that forms the foundation of collective response to health emergencies.

‘It is within these deliberations that we (Africans) can redefine our strategies and commitments to ensure a more resilient and effect
ive global health system.’

According to her, the health systems, already strained by endemic diseases and under-funding, were pushed to the brink as the virus spread across communities.

However, the minister said Africa has demonstrated remarkable resilience, innovation, and solidarity amidst these challenges.

COVID-19 pandemic has acted as both an illuminating beacon of Africa’s collective strength and an unforgiving mirror reflecting its vulnerabilities.

‘As we (Africans) navigate these challenging times, it is imperative that we not only learn from our past experiences but also pro-actively shape the future of global health security. The challenges we face demand a comprehensive and coordinated approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.’

Dr. Mekdes stated that Ethiopia, in her role as the coordinator for Africa, recognizes the importance of amplifying Africa’s voice in the crucial negotiations to take place in Geneva next month.

‘Through collaboration with Africa CDC and other regio
nal partners, we are committed to ensuring that Africa’s priorities are not only heard but also integrated into the final agreements.’

Furthermore, Ethiopia is committed to building consensus on strategic engagement in the final stages of negotiations, recognizing that collective strength lies in unity and solidarity.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said on his part that the meeting aims to enhance Africa’s collective position in global health negotiations and readiness for outbreaks and health emergencies as a unified bloc, drawing on existing experiences and collaboration within and beyond.

The high-level gathering has brought together ministers of health and representatives of ministries of foreign affairs as a move to leverage political and strategic policy support within the AU frameworks to solidify Africa’s stance on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response within the global health community.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: The provision of emergency humanitarian assistance to the needy people in different parts of the country has continued in a strengthened manner, according to the Disaster Risk Management Commission (DRMC).

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Commissioner Shiferaw Teklemariam said that the victims are being provided with cash and non-cash items in response to man-made and natural calamities in different parts of the country.

Humanitarian assistance has been distributed quarterly from January to March and assistance was provided to 6.6 million people, he revealed.

The effort to distribute humanitarian assistance to over 8 million citizens in this quarter (April to June) is well underway.

The assistance is jointly carried out by the government and partners, it was learned.

According to him, the total humanitarian support of this period requires about 11 billion Birr, of which the government will cover 5.1 billion birr, and the remaining will be covered by donor organizations.

The main focus of
the government will be preventing disasters, the commissioner stated, adding that identification of vulnerabilities and profiles have been carried out in more than half the woredas in the country.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency