ADDIS ABABA-Ethiopia’s bold initiative to equip five million citizens with foundational digital skills is rapidly gaining momentum, with over 110,000 students enrolled just a month after its launch. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) inaugurated this three-year program in partnership with the United Arab Emirates, as part of a broader strategy to boost digital literacy across the nation.
Last week, key players in Ethiopia’s emerging digital sector convened at the Inter-luxury Hotel under the theme “Creating Jobs for the Future: Uncovering the Key Drivers for Growth of Ethiopia’s Outsourcing Industry.” During the event, new details about the coding initiative were disclosed.
The Ministry of Innovation and Technology’s (MInT) Digital Economy Project Head Seyoum Mengesha outlined the program’s future, emphasizing that the initiative could potentially reach up to seven million students, exceeding the initial target by two million. “Anyone who has completed 12th grade and wants to advance their digital skills can join,” Seyoum stated.
A national effort is underway to increase participation across all regional states, though most students are still concentrated in urban areas. The program prioritizes inclusivity, particularly focusing on empowering young women with the skills needed to thrive in the digital age.
However, there remains a lack of comprehensive data on national digital skill levels, partly due to the absence of a standardized assessment system. Ethiopia is notably absent from international benchmarks like the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, Coursera’s Global Skills Report, and the World Bank’s Digital Economy Initiative for Africa (DE4A).
The Ethio Coders program currently offers three key courses: programming, data science, and Android Kotlin Developer Fundamentals. These courses are available free through the US-based online platform Udacity, provided students have internet access.
A shortage of digital skills has long been cited as a barrier to expanding digital services in Ethiopia. The 2019 Global Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum ranked Ethiopia 137th in ICT adoption and 100thin digital skills among 141 countries.
In response, Prime Minister Abiy’s administration plans to integrate coding courses into the national curriculum, particularly within the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, to enhance digital competence nationwide.
Despite these efforts, skepticism remains about achieving the ambitious target. “Five million coders is an unrealistic goal. Just look at the number of developers in other countries,” said a close observer. He acknowledged that the short duration of the courses might boost enrollment and completion rates but argued that the Udacity courses could benefit from localization, given the government’s significant focus on the initiative.
BY STAFF REPORTER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 25 AUGUST 2024
