Shaping the future of the internet for all Namibians

The ministry of information and communication technology has recently - together with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and the Internet Scientific Society - held consultative meetings to assess how best to develop policies and create practical initiatives enabling Namibia to improve its internet ecosystem.

Namibia is the first southern African country to do this, which shows that it understands and realises the importance of assessing internet universality indicators.

These are designed see how policies and digital development are taking shape.

Like all technology, the internet is not a static thing - it’s exceedingly dynamic and needs to be constantly improved and upgraded to ensure it is accessible to as many Namibians as possible.

This means policies need to be in place, and the internet needs to be accessible to persons with disabilities.

The internet can be the great equaliser and the driver of our knowledge-based economy. Still, without surveying and assessing where we stand, we cannot make recommendations and take the steps needed to improve and let the internet evolve.

As the world moves towards cloud-based solutions, artificial intelligence and application-driven technology, products and services, there is a great strain on the internet every day.

Suppose Namibia wants to be the world-class information, communication and technology (ICT) destination it envisages and reap the economic benefits from that. In that case, it is essential the government and stakeholders, such as ourselves, know where investment needs to be made.

ICT and the internet can be a great equaliser and, if harnessed properly, can help turn around a nation’s economy, driving its development and innovation. With the boom in oil and gas taking serious shape, we need to be able to offer investors, developers and those managing anything from small-scale projects to multi-billion-dollar initiatives a stable and advanced internet ecosystem. One that is future-proof and part of the overall growth solution we want to see in the Namibian economy, rather than a limiting factor.

Information minister Peya Mushelenga last month said low investment in ICT and the lack of qualified ICT professionals pose the most significant obstacles to expanding the industry in Namibia.

Green Enterprise Solutions knows that investment is essential and is heartened by the consultative meetings and the results and policies that spring forth from this assessment. We look forward to supporting the ministry and working with all stakeholders to develop the growth and leveraging of the internet possibilities and opportunities for the good of all Namibians.