Hamiza Hamid is freshman student at Electrical and Computer Engineering department of Gondar University. He has developed his own Wi-fi apparatus. The thing that amazed the people who observed his innovation is how he developed a wi-power with his own handmade transformer that gives electricity service within 25 KM radius. He practically showed how the transformer can provide light to places many KMs away.
His Wi-Fi tech is about to be registered by the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office. As the office requires a technology to stay at least for six months, the patent is expected to be at hand in the next two months. Students and instructors are helping him to do so.
In today’s Ethiopia, people in general and students in particular are coming up with various innovative ideas. Thus, if the nation invests on such innovative ideas, people in the rural areas can get benefit out of such innovative ideas.
Recently, the Ethiopia government under the newly established Ministry of Innovation and Technology has given prior attention to realize national transformation by introducing various innovative ideas. According to state minister Dr. Shumete Gizaw, the ministry is dedicated to bring viable changes in three priority areas.
One is innovation development and research, and that the ministry is devoted to transform researches outcomes into practicability. The second is providing various ICT technologies for government institutions in order to modernize their working system via various technologies. Utilizing various applications in order to modernize the working systems of the organization as per their type of work would also be considered.
The third point is advancing product and productivity. Most of the time, factories or trading companies are not familiar with how they would be able to assure quality of products using innovative works. In this case it’s imperative to mention the various components of innovations such as product innovation, system innovation, process innovation as well as marketing innovation. The ministry would facilitate conditions for these institutions to apply new technologies and play important role for the benefit of the country.
Even after a certain innovative idea is developed, there are still limitations in terms of employing them. Recognizing the truth on the ground, the ministry is striving in order to create a society highly attached to technology and innovation. Especially at this critical juncture, youths and other citizens found at various age groups are highly encouraged to engage in various innovative works.
For this to happen, incubation centers would be established. And the primary objective of these centers is receiving and improving the design of the innovation, keeping their standards and displaying them through creating various platforms such as exhibitions and others. This will enable to link up investors and other institutions such as banks, GOs, NGOs and even foreign companies. In so doing, various innovations would be changed to products and services.
“Unless we saw the seed of innovation and technology in today’s generation, we could not find scientists of tomorrow. Thus, now is the time to saw the right innovation seed on the youth.”
Indicating that the ministry is about to establish esteemed centers at 13 universities, he said that the main objectives of these centers is building the capacity of citizens to come up with various innovative ideas using waste particles.
Students are coming up with a certain innovative idea before they jump to tertiary level of education. After receiving innovative works of students, the ministry organize prototype and transfer them to mass production. And the youth with innovative ideas are also expected to engage in micro and small scale enterprises so that they can contribute their share for the development of the country by creating jobs.
Today’s youth and tomorrow’s investors should prioritize science and technology in the course of creating wealth. And that is how it is possible to create sustainable wealth. Therefore, the ministry has developed a strategy-called start up Ethiopia.
“Here, we are interested to build an economy whose bases are innovation and technology. In so doing, the ministry has planned to create 20,000 jobs in the next two years through organizing 2,000 micro and small scale enterprises in order to generate 2 billion USD from sector.
In relation to mobile economy, e-commerce and e-customs, the ministry is embarked on applying well developed technologies. These technologies are capable of preventing bribes and thefts as well as protecting the security of citizens. By and large, the government is committed itself to develop culture of innovation within the society at large.
Herald December 13/2018
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
