Federal government institutions are mobilizing their employees to take the training, and all employees of some institutions are fully participating. In this regard, the entire staff of Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT) and the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute (EAII) are taking the training.
On Tuesday, the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute organized an institutional program to acknowledge the officials and staff of the institute who completed the first round of training of the five million Ethiopian Coders’ Initiative. According to information from EAII, the entire staff of the institute is undergoing the training and has received their first round of certificates.
During his opening remarks at the program, EAII Director General Worku Gachena (PhD) said that the courses included in the five Million Ethio Coders program have a direct linkage with the major objectives of the institute. Worku stated that courses like AI, web programming, data science, and Android development are crucial to realizing the institute’s goals. He emphasized the importance of the national initiative in developing digital literacy and skills for the younger generation, stating that these courses are essential for all staff members to enhance their skills while working at institutions like EAII.
In addition to the officials and staff members of the institute, Worku mentioned that students who are members of AI Clubs established by the institute are also participating in the training with the support and follow-up of EAII. By taking the training, all staff members of the institute have gained valuable skills in the digital sector, which is crucial for fulfilling their institutional tasks and personal activities. Worku encouraged other institutions to mobilize their staff members to participate in the training, as the digital sector is becoming increasingly important across all sectors.
Head of the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Affairs Minister, Alemtsehay Pawlos, attended the EAII program and stated that the five million Ethio Coders initiative will play a significant role in creating internationally competitive and skilled human resources in the digital sector. She mentioned that the Ethiopian Government is working towards realizing the Digital Ethiopia 2025 vision by investing in skilled human resource development and digital literacy. The 5 million coders’ initiative is a national program aimed at achieving these visions, and as the training is freely available to everyone, the younger generation should take advantage of it.
Alemtsehay appreciated the initiative being implemented by EAII and encouraged all staff members to participate in the training, calling on other institutions to follow this exemplary initiative.
Following the launch of the five million Ethio Coders initiative, Ethiopia is investing in creating awareness to inform the public about the program and encourage the younger generation to take part in the training. According to a report from the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT) last week, more than 422,842 people have registered and are currently undergoing online training. In order to mobilize the youth and support regional states in participating in the training, MInT has established a national taskforce, bringing together stakeholders from various federal institutions, as reported last week by the ministry.
During the launch of the national taskforce, Minister of Innovation and Technology, Belete Molla (PhD), stated that over 422,842 individuals are currently participating in coding training nationwide. To further encourage youth participation, especially in regional states and city administrations, the establishment of a federal-level taskforce is necessary.
This taskforce will work with stakeholders from federal institutions and support the activities of regional states in training five million coders. It will also assess the performance of regional states and city administrations in implementing the program, identifying any major obstacles they may face.
The taskforce aims to address these obstacles by bringing them to the attention of the ministry for solutions. Minister Belete emphasized the importance of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s direction, noting the significant number of individuals across the country participating in training on artificial intelligence (AI), web programming, android development, and data science.
While over 422,842 citizens are registered for training nationally, 104,460 have already completed their training and received certificates. Employees of federal and private institutions in the capital have shown strong performance, prompting the ministry to work on extending this success to regional states.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the progress at the national level, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts from all stakeholders at federal and regional levels to achieve the goal of training over five million Ethiopians by 2026.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 3 JANUARY 2025
