It is evident that institutions are increasingly embracing digital technology to provide reliable and efficient services, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction. The application of digital technology in both public and private sectors has led to more convenient and time-saving service delivery for clients.
Industry experts continue to advocate for the adoption of digital technology in order to reap the benefits mentioned above. They believe that implementing digital technology is instrumental in promoting social development, achieving productivity enhancements, and ensuring inclusive growth within communities. Presently, public and private institutions are actively competing to provide digital services, aiming to offer high-quality services and improve the accessibility of information while ensuring efficient service provision to customers around the clock.
Health, education, and financial institutions have already embraced digital technology to make service provisions more accessible and efficient than ever before. As a result, customers and beneficiaries are expressing their satisfaction with the use of these technologies.
Mulatu Gebremariam, a resident of Addis Ababa, is one of the beneficiaries whose life has been simplified due to the application of technology in the health sector. In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopia Herald, he expressed, “Previously, searching for all my documents and compiling them was hectic and time-consuming whenever I needed medical treatment or other services. Now, as a client of Black Lion Hospital, I visit the hospital every three months for checkups. Thanks to the automation and digitalization in place, all necessary documents and results are easily accessible through digital technology, making the process wonderful and efficient.”
He further added, “I hope that all health facilities and other public and private institutions will adopt digital technology to satisfy society by providing quality services and creating a more competitive business environment.”
According to him, services in a number of health facilities are transitioning to a paperless system, and mobile banking and internet usage are becoming increasingly common. However, the competency of institutions in providing quality services remains in question. Instances of poor service delivery due to power outages and connectivity issues in the digital technology infrastructure of the health and finance sectors have been experienced.
Tesfaye Alemnew, Public Relations and Communications CEO at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, stated that concerted efforts are underway to embrace digital technology and enhance service efficiency through the adoption of digital strategies and the implementation of education policies that recognize the significance of digital technology transformation.
Ethiopia has encountered both positive strides and challenges in its digital journey. The nation is investing in digital technology infrastructure and striving to produce a skilled workforce to create enabling systems for digital technology transformation. The government has launched numerous online portals to facilitate citizen and supplier access to services, including E-services, E-trade, Ease of Doing Business, and City portals. A new government portal administration and development guideline emphasizes an inclusive and user-centric approach, but its impact is yet to be fully assessed.
The Ministry of Innovation and Technology is currently developing a five-year e-government strategy that includes creating enterprise architecture for e-government, which is expected to be finalized in the upcoming year. However, digital infrastructure remains a challenge, and plans to upgrade and invest in the infrastructure, including the deployment of a data center, is underway.
Ethiopia aims to ensure that 70 percent of its citizens are digitally literate and financially included by 2025, recognizing digital and financial literacy as crucial to achieving this goal. The Ministry of Innovation and Technology, along with leading institutions such as the Ministry of Education, Ethio-Telecom, Artificial Intelligence and Information Network Security Administration (INSA), and the Ethiopia Communications Agency (ECA), have the responsibility to make this goal a reality.
Stakeholders are called upon to enhance their efforts in capacitating citizens and private and public institutions with the ability to find, evaluate, and communicate information using digital platforms for the common good.
The Ministry of Innovation and Technology, within its mandate, is responsible for building citizens’ capacity nationwide. To this end, the Ministry is focused on delivering quality and standardized digital skills and literacy training content for citizens under its Digital Strategy, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
It is evident that institutions are increasingly transitioning from paper-based work to digital processes, even at the grassroots level. Institutions equipped with skilled human resources are effectively leveraging new advanced technology, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction. In the current competitive landscape, capacitating the workforce with digital literacy is essential for institutions to sustain their operations successfully.
Furthermore, educational institutions should prioritize equipping the younger generation with digital technology from an early age. They should also provide intervention training to fill the skill gaps of learners. Higher education institutions should dedicate attention to empowering teachers with digital and digital pedagogical skills, enabling them to utilize technology for a more productive teaching and learning process.
Moreover, increasing computer accessibility, implementing training programs on digital technology, and promoting a positive attitude toward this technology could play a vital role in improving the deployment of information systems in both public and private institutions, thereby building a digital society.
“It is crucial to provide digital skills training through various channels to the workforce of institutions in the country, with a primary focus on youth, women, and smallholder farmers,” emphasized the official.
The Ministry of Innovation and Technology’s 2025 Digital Ethiopia Strategy emphasizes the proactive embrace of digital technology to ensure that communities benefit and exert efforts for the success of the youth in a rapidly evolving future world, enabling their dreams to come true.
While Ethiopia has developed potential space to enhance the transformation of digital technology and leverage it for a more prosperous society, the international community and development partners should support the nation’s progress by providing technical and financial backing.
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 23 DECEMBER 2023
