Somalia holds 3-day conference on technology, innovation

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - A three-day conference to discuss planning and advancement in technology and innovation concluded on Thursday in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.

Senior government officials, including Planning and Investment Minister Jamaal Mohamed Hassan, CEOs of banks, ambassadors, and hundreds of people attended the last day of the Mogadishu Tech Summit 2021, which was organized in a local hotel.

"If we go back to 2017, technology has already made great strides, we have been joined by big tech-based businesses, and we will make every effort to invest in technology," Hassan said in his speech.

He stated that the government expects the youth to innovate and produce a lot, and that "we stand with them, and the Mogadishu Tech Summit 2021 is an opportunity for the youth in technology."

Said Moallim Hassan, a senior banker from Salaam Bank, said they have pledged $5 million for small businesses and supported 100 start-ups with the help of iRiseHub, a technology company.

Abdullah Ahmed, executive director of the International Bank of Somalia (IBS), announced a $3 million allocation for creative women and youth.

The event has been organized by the iRisehub for the past three years, with the exception of last year, when it was postponed due to coronavirus limitations.

"For the Somali people, only 36% have access to electricity. Our people do not know, but it is a reality. We must be aware of the opportunities available in the energy trade, especially in the solar system," Sharmarke Abdulkadir of Tamarso, an energy company, said on the occasion.

Anisa Mohamed, an economist, told Anadolu Agency that despite not having a centralized and effective administration and having lawlessness in the country for almost two decades, the country has made amazing progress in terms of technology and innovation.

"For the past seven or eight years, we have seen a high level of innovation and technology in this country. Banks have doubled their online shopping, as have electrical providers and mobile money transfer services, but we must remain competitive and invest in our youths, who have huge potential," she opined.

"I believe Somalis are the most active people in east Africa, they are creative people who use their brains, and we are helping them to make that possible," said Osman Ali Halane, CEO of Dahabshiil Bank.