In the current world, technology is an accelerator of socio-economic development and is shaping and reshaping governance as well as policymaking across the globe. In an era where the influence of technology is rapidly growing and diversifying, coupled with the sophisticated nature of the emerging technologies, equipping lawmakers on the technology ecosystem and the necessity of technology in national development is a timely action for nations.
Especially with the development of digital technology and other emerging technologies like AI, it is crucial to be aware. It develops the digital skills of the nation’s lawmakers on the nature, current development, features of technology, emerging technologies, and their influence on the nation’s political, social, and economic endeavors, both negatively and positively.
Ethiopia’s post-2018 national reform has made technology the key sector of the country. Accordingly, over the past six years, Ethiopia has been striving to create a favorable ecosystem for the development of technology and technological innovations in the country. In this effort, adopting appropriate laws, policies, strategies, and regulations was among the measures being undertaken to create a suitable ecosystem for technological development in the country.
Despite the drafting of policy reforms by experts in the sector, every policy needs the approval of the lawmakers of the country for its practical implementation. These national reform measures in the technology sector are bringing landmark achievements and laying the foundation to accelerate the development of technology in the country.
Currently, technological transformation is gaining momentum in Ethiopia, where digital technology is showing tremendous development within short period of time, thanks to the policy measures and the digital infrastructural development.
To build technological transformation on a solid foundation, providing necessary training and enhancing technological literacy, as well as digital insights among members of the parliament and policymakers, is more pressing than ever in Ethiopia. Parallel to investing in human resource development through formal education and short-term training for the young generation and experts in the sector, Ethiopia is working on creating technologically literate leadership in all sectors as well as technology-literate legislators.
From the features of AI to cyber security awareness and data-driven decision-making, technological literacy can enhance the efficiency of the legislative and improve policy formulations, and strengthen national security, as the legislative branch is the highest body to regulate the executive. As Ethiopia is pushing forward to realize its technological transformation aspirations, equipping and preparing its lawmakers is essential to navigate the complexities of the technology era, especially the digital age.
Considering the necessity of having technologically literate legislators on governance and national development, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT) provides awareness training on technology for the legislative body. To realize Ethiopia’s ambitious strategy towards technological transformation, including digital transformation, the nation’s lawmakers’ technological expertise helps to fully engage with emerging digital policies, cyber security concerns, the pros and cons of AI and other emerging technologies to protect the country and its development endeavors from the threats of the negative impacts of technology.
The Ministry of Innovation and Technology has provided an awareness creation training program to the members of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), the nation’s legislative body. According to MInT, the training focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital technology, and other emerging technologies to enhance the understanding and insights of policymakers on AI, digital technology and other fields of technology. By providing the training, it aims to enable the legislative body to formulate timely and forward-thinking legal frameworks aligned with the nation’s digital ambitions, as well as to consider the current technological competition at the international level in policymaking.
Speaking at the opening of the training program, Deputy Government Whip at the HPR, Meseret Haile, underlines the necessity of technology for national development. As to her, technology is becoming a critical sector to ensure and accelerate national development, the legislative body must develop the awareness of technology literacy, especially digital literacy, to realize the nation’s efforts in ensuring technology transformation.
Therefore, according to Meseret, enhancing the knowledge and literacy of the legislative body in the technology sector, including emerging latest technologies remains crucial. The HPR, as representative of the people and as the highest policymaking body of the country, the knowledge of the legislative branch in technology would help the country in fostering technological development as well as digital transformation, as the legislative branch can help the progress through enacting and adopting supportive policies and proclamations.
For his part, Minister of Innovation and Technology Belete Molla (PhD), pointed out the national efforts being underway to create a suitable ecosystem to enhance technological transformation as well as realize a digital governance framework through strengthening digital connectivity between the government, private sector, and citizens. As to the minister, though the Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy, Ethiopia’s digital transformation journey is bringing wonderful achievements in infrastructure development, growing connectivity, and digitalizing services.
Through the national reform and the technology transformation initiatives, Ethiopia’s main focus, according to Belete, is transforming the digital economy, enhancing human resources in the technology sector, and modernizing regulatory systems to realize Digital Ethiopia. For the minister, in addition to developing the awareness and literacy on latest technologies, swift adapting and understanding the rapidly advancing technology by policy makers is an urgent need for nations to understand the rapid transformation of the technology sector and to draft relevant legal frameworks to support the nation’s initiatives to realizing digital transformation.
And, he underlines the necessity of organizing awareness-raising initiatives and trainings on the latest technological advancements and the nation’s efforts in technological enhancement for policymakers to place the national efforts on a solid foundation as the lawmakers will help the nation by drafting adequate and timely legal frameworks.
As to the Deputy Government Whip, Meseret Haile in today’s digital era developing effective institutional frameworks is critical to ensure efficiency and effectiveness as well as to meet the needs of the public through technological advancements. As technology is becoming a driving force in the socio-economic as well as political development of countries, the awareness of policy makers on the technological developments is crucial, she said calling the Ethiopia’s lawmakers to develop their awareness to the latest and emerging technologies and to be sensitized about the advantages and disadvantages of the technological developments for their country.
The Ethiopian government is actively working on amending existing laws and drafting new policies, laws and frameworks to enhance the effectiveness and transformation of Ethiopia’s technological landscape, including emerging technologies. The efforts to establish a conducive environment for the growth of technological development and realization of digital economy as well as innovations is productive so far, according to the officials mentioned the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy as a foundation for national transformation in the country.
It was learnt that, the nation’s efforts in transforming technological development and enhancing innovations is promoting and fostering an ecosystem for local startups and innovators and ensure youth participation in the innovation and technology sector, especially the digital technology. The youth is benefiting from the nation’s attention towards digital technology.
During his recent parliamentary brief to the lawmakers about the nation’s current socio-economic and political developments, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) stated that in addition to the job opportunities created by the technology sector at home, more than 45,000 Ethiopian professionals secured overseas job opportunities in far off lands working with various international organizations remotely and generating incomes using technology.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 28 MARCH 2025
