Ethiopia has been strengthening integrated efforts among science, technology and innovation institutions at federal, regional, and city administration levels. These endeavors are aimed at consolidating cooperation and improved operational system to better utilize the fruits of science, innovation and technology to national development.
Recently, a discussion forum on creating awareness to professionals about proper execution and effective implementation of innovation and technology activities was organized by Dire Dawa City Administration in cooperation with Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT).
Opening the occasion, Dire Dawa City Administration Science and Technology Director Engineer Mehadi Mehammad said that creating stakeholders’ awareness on science, technology and innovation and ensuring an integrated operational structure is crucial to achieve national goals in the sphere.
“Therefore, this program is organized to discuss on raising the awareness of stakeholders on promoting innovation and strengthening the sector’s structure as well as exchanging experience about implementation of activities in the field so far,” he added.
MInT Regional Coordination Director Nurelign Koku for his part noted that his organization is working towards building the capacity of innovation and technology institutions at regional and city administration level which is decisive to achieve country’s vision of taping resources for job creation and improving peoples’ lives.
He said the ministry is providing the needed professional and technical support to capacitate regional innovation and technology institutions. It has been operating inspection works on proper and structural implementation of innovation and technology development activities at regional level.
The ministry offers consultation, training and technical support to identified gaps in the regional institutions. And the discussion forum is part of the programs via which the ministry meets the institutions to discuss on operational manuals to undertake the capacity building works appropriately.
In addition, the occasion has witnessed Tadesse Anbesie, MInT Incubation Development and Management Director giving a capacity building training to innovation professionals on science, innovation and technology background, procedures that entrepreneurs should follow from innovative thoughts, creating prototypes and providing product to the market.
The program was concluded after the participants get adequate information and answers for their quests on innovation and technology vision and approach that the country is applying in which the ministry is playing the leading role.
Participants also has shown commitment of holding up to the country’s hash tag “No More!” campaign against foreign interference and pressure on Ethiopia. Actually, the western world applies various technologies including media convergence to influence the rest of the world. And the same is true for the current western media propaganda on defaming Ethiopia through disseminating false information about Ethiopia’s political reality using its various communication mediums. That’s why Ethiopian technology and innovation professionals are joining the international campaign of Ethiopians and friends to say no to such pressure.
Having this in mind, it is also important to use technology and new mediums to combat such western influences side by side to the regular platform of demonstrating protest against external interference. Therefore, the innovation and technology professionals are expected to facilitate such new mediums in which Ethiopians can notably express their stand against foreign pressure and holding up to their motherland.
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD DECEMBER 3/2021
