BY DARGIE KAHSAY
Nathan Haile is in his late 10s. He is eagerly looking forward to for his Higher Education Entrance Exam result. Nathan is among the talented youths in cyber sector. After fulfilling different criteria, he has joined the first Ethio-Cyber Talent Center Summer Camp training, a center under the umbrella of Information Network Security Administration (INSA). Then, he became one of the 60 talented youths who joined the first batch of Cyber-Security summer camp trainees.
Last week, INSA’s Ethio-Cyber Talent Center graduated the 60 first round Cyber- Security Summer Camp trainers. Nathan is among the 60 first batch summer cyber-security trainees who graduate last week. Nathan with his 59 training-mates after accepted by Ethio-Cyber Talent Center for summer camp training joined Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (ASTU) as the training was organized in collaboration between INSA and ASTU.
During the graduation ceremony, Nathan said that they gained training on different cyber-related topics which gave them an opportunity to specialize in their respective talents as per their inclination in the field. “We got trainings in embedded system, website development, application programs, cyber security and other software developments. I specialized on cyber security which gave me a great chance to extend my knowledge in the sector,” Nathan told Cyberigna Media.
Ethio-Cyber Talent Center is a center established last year under INSA to hunt and train cyber -talented youths in Ethiopia to develop capable and skilled human power in the cyber sector by empowering the talented youths with training. The vision of the center is to inspire, motivate, hunt and train talented youths in the cyber sector. And through mentorship and capacity building training, it aims to create capable and skilled youths in the cyber industry with the goal of developing the industry in Ethiopia by investing on the youth.
Summer Cyber Security trained youths, from the first batch, were selected after the center received over 1,500 applicants through different mechanisms and the selected ones also passed through different processes, according to INSA. The trained youths graduated from the center after a month-long training over 25 different products in group and individually. Before the graduation, the trained talented youths presented their innovational products after INSA organized an exhibition.
INSA Deputy Director-General, Tigist Hamid during the graduation ceremony stated that developing countries are dependent on the technological progress of the developed world in the cyber sector. Due to the sensitiveness and the security issues of the cyber industry, it is difficult to continue on mere dependency on external technological products in the cyber sector. To build secure cyber system, which is critical for overall development, it is critical to invest on home-grown innovations and technologies in the sector, she added.
“INSA is working towards creating cyber secure space. As the industry needs capable and skilled human resource and new technologies and innovations considering the future development of the sector, INSA has established a cyber-talent center foro train gifted youths in the sector. Skilled Human power is very essential in the sector and investing on the youth would help the country to realize set vision in the sector,” Tigist said.
“The goal of Ethi-Cyber Talent Center’s vision is to develop home-grown technologies by own citizens in the cyber sector,” Solomon Soka, Director General of INSA on his part said during the graduation event. As to him, countries of the world are competing to take supremacy in the current world order and these competitions are supported by new technologies and innovations. Basically, to become competitive in the world political order and to have a secure development, there is a call for cyber-secured environment.
Hence, Solomon said, to exploit the cyber space properly, it is important to invest on talented youths. Investing on the youth, for him, is investing on developing national security guarantee on the cyber security industry. “INSA’s work activities are based on analyzing current and forecasting future situations in the cyber sector,” he noted adding that “we are working to build competitive country in the cyber sector to keep pace with the sector’s development and to build a prosperous country.”
According to the Director General, cyber industry is the most complicated sector and the technological innovations in the sector are becoming more sophisticated globally. To plow on parallel with the new developments in the sector, there is a need for capable and skilled human resource in addition to introducing new technologies. Due to the continued development of the sector, there is a demand for sharp-minded-and-talented professionals. “INSA’s Ethio-Cyber Talent Center was opened considering this in mind to hunt talented and gifted youths in the cyber sector to afford them an opportunity to develop their skills and talents through training and mentors,” he noted. For him, the first batch summer camp trained youth spent a successful training season and they produced their own innovations in the sector following the training.
“The youths have innovated very interesting technologies and developed programs that can help different sectors. There are youths who have innovated prosthetic legs, new and easy applications, programs and other innovations,” Solomon noted. He added that, to turn the innovations to real products, the youth need financial supports. To turn to innovation these important inventions of these emerging youths, he calls investors, stakeholders and financial institutions to support the youth.
Amanuel Tesfaye is among the youth who attended the first summer camp cyber security training. Following the training, he has innovated prosthetic leg, an artificial leg which is helpful for people living with physically disability. As to him, his innovational product is very modern that can accept instructions from the user’s mussels. He named it “Advanced Prosthetic.” It is easy for the user and very comfortable.
For Amanuel, his innovation is ready for production. The only limitation is finance to start the production. “If this product is produced at home, users may get it with cheap price and the country will save foreign currency that was outflowing to import artificial legs from abroad,” Amanuel told to local media.
Michael Gebregiorgis has also innovated smart agriculture individually and a 3-D printer with his friends. Like Amanuel, Michael’s innovational works are also ready for production if he is bankrolled. According to these youths, there are also youths who have innovated new programs and applications during their summer cyber security training. But, these innovations need finance to realize the products.
During the event INSA head Solomon stated that during the training, the center gives technical support to develop their technical ability, trainings on mindset and providing resources that are available only at INSA to help their innovational efforts. In addition, there is continuous follow-up by professional experts.
As to him, in addition to the talent-based training, since the youth innovate very important products, INSA creates linkages between the innovators and investors. Innovation and Technology Minister, Belete Molla (PhD), on his part, during the event stated that Ethiopia is digitalizing its economy, adding it is tough to realize digital economy without reliable cyber security. To build safe and secured cyber space, it is critical to invest on the younger generation which could be helpful to keep abreast with next generation’s technologies.
The first Cyber Security Summer Camp Training brought together youths that came from all corners of Ethiopia. Most of them are elementary and secondary school students. Supporting these talented and gifted youngsters is tantamount to investing on developing the cyber sector of the country and would initiate young innovators in various fields.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 6 JANUARY 2023
