Mihiret Redda, a game designer and founder of a private game designing company says apart from games they focus on problem-solving software programs. As to her, the company aims to solve problems through entertainment and fun experience using games. For instance it particularly works on gender and education.
For an illustration, they developed ‘Fetena Application’, which contains questions and answers for consecutive years of annual national examinations. This is full of help for students in remote areas with lack of access to reference materials to prepare for national exams.
As Ethiopia is on a long run to come out against poverty, its people especially youths are engaging in different entrepreneurial activities. The government has also set different programs for youths to create their field of works even after their graduation rather than depending on being employed on either private or public institutions. Knowing that there are many untouched fields of works in Ethiopia, it is fruitful for youths to diversify their projects.
Many entrepreneurs across the country usually prefer specific fields of work like metal and woodwork, café and coffee services, youths recreational centres especially game zones, barbers and beauty salons and other. But there is a limited number of entrepreneurs in the ICT field, particularly in software development.
“Youths who graduate from any IT fields including computer and software engineering do not apply their potential appropriately. Rather most of them prefer to be employed at any of institutions,” said one of our anonymous source from Micro link Information Technology College. As to him, designing and developing software programs has considerable importance for a country like Ethiopia that is marching to catch up with the entire world.
According to the source, to replace the boring manual systems applied in some institutions, some smart ICT solutions are developed and designed by Ethiopian entrepreneurs unlike its limitation on its accessibility. Also there is a limitation on the institutions to apply such smart technology solutions. Apart from problem-solving and time-saving software programs, there is also various game, religious, educational and medical applications which has to be designed by our entrepreneurs.
But the government is responsible to encourage software developers and applying some of the important programs to modernize and digitalize public services. “We as an ICT expert encourage our students to develop new and highly significant programs for the country, the rest is depending on their interest,” said our anonymous source.
Though there is some improvement among the relation between the government stakeholders and software designers, still there is a limitation on the government side to work with these entrepreneurs. For instance, it will be better for the Ministry of Education to work with us to support students with different easy and smart educational technologies including word games. And it is highly appreciated for youths to be engaged in such software developing private sectors.
And according to some documents from the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT), the ministry would give priority for innovation and technology from the government’s plan to create three million jobs by the coming Ethiopian New Year. State Minister of the Ministry, Ahmed Mohammed said that private technology sectors should work for creating job opportunity for others beyond themselves. And the government is also willing to support the sector, he added.
Speaking for The Ethiopian Herald, Surafel Muluye Mobile App Developer and a 3rd-year Computer Science and Engineering student at Adama Science and Technology University said software development status in Ethiopia is poor even compared with other African countries. For example Kenya has the best experience in developing and designing different software for public institutions.
But here in Ethiopia, public institutions do not have a website either for information giving or other purposes, Surafel said. Also, there is no organization or kind of infrastructure to support Startups. Even the education system under IT should be revised.
As to him, for future technology development in Ethiopia, the government must invest a lot especially in providing quality internet Service with full infrastructure apart from revising its education system particularly in computer science and IT departments.
Besides this, the government should work cooperatively with software developers. All in all the government should strive for the implementation of its plan on investing in innovation and encouraging innovators. Particularly, experts argued that the private sectors should work cooperatively with the government in taking Ethiopia for its development tip.
The Ethiopian Herald August 31, 2019
BY HIZKEL HAILU
