How Tanzania can play leading role in fourth industrial revolution

Technology experts and other stakeholders in the sector say the generation currently in school is better positioned to put Tanzania on the global technology map if adequate financial resources are poured into research and innovation.

“We should not be late as a nation to invest in a generation that has the ability to learn and research; to design and invent for the benefit of society and the nation as a whole,” says Dr Mbulumi Mwakimbwala, an ICT expert from the University of Dar es Salaam.

“We should follow the lead of developed countries and consider investing more in students. They are able to learn more things through the computer and internet and provide various technological solutions to society,” he added.

Young Scientists

Experts from Young Scientist Tanzania (YST) say they’re now focused on building the capacity of secondary school students on issues of technology.

“We seek to prepare secondary school students to be active participants in the fourth industrial revolution, which is being driven more by Artificial Intelligence (AI). If we don’t get prepared as a country, we will be stuck with defective technology,” says Dr Gozibert Kamugisha, co-founder of YST.

Dr Kamugisha notes that YST, a science outreach programme, has traditionally engaged in mentoring programmes aimed at providing teachers and students with the necessary skills for identifying developmental problems in their communities and devising practical solutions.

Students’ science projects have been showcased in the YST annual exhibition and award ceremony programme. He noted that in this year’s programme, YST has put more emphasis on AI and other new technologies.

According to Dr Kamugisha, the new direction is precipitated by the fact that the country still lags behind in the adoption of new technologies.

“When it comes to nurturing youngsters, our country is still far behind. We must actively participate in the adoption of new technologies, including the use of AI,” he notes.

Dr Kamugisha says that the government has been concentrating on providing incentives to researchers who publish in peer-reviewed journals but has not invested in preparing primary and secondary school youth to participate in the new technological revolution.

“It must come to a place now that computer lessons are compulsory for all students, and the government, in collaboration with the private sector, must ensure that appropriate technological equipment is available in schools, without which Tanzania may be left behind in the next few years in this area,” he says.

Dr Mwakimbwala insists that there is a need for the government to invest more in the adoption of new technology.

This will enable the country to achieve sustainable development.

“The government, through the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Information Technology, must put in place strategies to empower young people to be part of the solution,” he notes.

This is what countries like China have done, and now its young people are at the forefront of inventing new things through technology, he says.

Government’s plan

In order to transition the country to a digital economy in the fiscal year 2023/2024, the government says it will continue to manage the digital revolution as a key initiative.

Finance and Planning Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba made this statement when presenting the Sh44.4 trillion national budget for the fiscal year 2023/2024 on June 15, 2023, emphasising that in the digital economy, all sectors will need to effectively work through a better digital environment.

In achieving the intended goal, he said, “the government will implement various projects, including the expansion of the National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB); the Digital Tanzania; and the development of innovation and manufacturing of ICT equipment.”

On the NICTBB, Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) has been given the mandate to ensure the expansion of the backbone after signing a Sh37.3 billion contract with Huawei Tanzania in April 2023 for its expansion to 23 districts in the country. The government believes that the expansion of the 1,520-kilometre national broadband backbone will bring massive transformation to the areas, some of which have no communication at all.

This year, the science and technological projects that YST students are working on cover a wide range of science and technology.

The projects that YST students are working on cover a wide range of science and technology specialisations, including AI in irrigation systems to minimise water wastage and optimise the distribution of nutrients in the soil.

There have been 979 project application submissions this year, of which 361 are being mentored by YST science advisers.