Namibians are urged to leverage technology and capitalise on its benefits.
ICT Minister Emma Theofelus made the call at the ministry's Strategic Policy Review Planning session.
The two-day session aims to review the ministry's strategic policy on how the public and private sectors can collaborate in accelerating the adoption of information, communication, and technology as a catalyst for the country's economic growth.
"Our three-year strategic plan is officially coming to an end on 31 March, and from 1 April, with the administration, a new strategic plan should be put in place. So, it is intended to guide the ministry for the next five years. This is related to connectivity, broadband access, media freedom, and issues related to ensuring the nation is well-informed in terms of our Access to Information Act. Looking at the digital economy and digital services, especially in terms of service delivery for our citizens, and making sure that we look at emerging technology and AI and machine learning. We need to make sure that we are prepared."
The strategic plan will be instrumental in driving digital transformation and fostering innovation across various industries as presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
"Our strategic plan was really crucial for us as we came out of the COVID pandemic in 2021/2022. We said we had lost so much time, and finances were diverted from what we wanted to achieve, so how could we accelerate what we wanted to do? So, we were able to pass the access to information law in 2022; we were able to review our broadband policy to increase the speed of broadband to try and reach 25GB per second. We still think it's not enough; we still need to do more."
Information from the Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) says 60% of Namibians use the Internet, while the current 4G population coverage stands at about 80%.
Currently 456 schools out of 1,835 have 4G coverage, while 84 out of 453 health facilities have coverage too.
The strategic policy under review is expected to be implemented for a period of five years from 2025 to 2030.