Namibian IT Manager Calls for Enhanced Tech Collaborations With Russia to Boost National Prosperity
13:40 24.09.2024 (Updated: 13:56 24.09.2024)
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On September 18 and 19, Moscow hosted the BRICS Urban Future Forum, themed "Cloud City." The event drew over 5,000 participants from more than 30 countries, including representatives from Africa.
Namibia should cooperate with Russia in the technological field, as the latter has the latest technologies, Ruben Francisco, IT manager at the Namibia Training Authority, told Sputnik Africa.
Highlighting the advanced level of technological development on display at the event, he expressed a desire for Namibia and other African nations to learn from Russia's innovations. Francisco envisioned future collaborations that could accelerate Africa's digital growth.
“You guys are very well advanced, very well organized. I've seen even the level of technology that you guys are displaying here [...]. It is state of the art. This is something that I think we as Namibians and Africa in general can emulate from Russia,” said Francisco on the sidelines of the BRICS Urban Future Forum.
He emphasized the potential for Russian institutions and companies to form partnerships with African counterparts, particularly through memoranda of understanding. These collaborations, according to him, could help transfer knowledge and technology, enabling African nations to build their own capacities.
Francisco also discussed the importance of technology education for Africa, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. He believes that equipping teachers and students with advanced knowledge and skills will help Namibia move forward.
“It is vital that we start to engage with your institutions in Russia to develop memorandums of understanding, to have student exchange [...] or even the innovators exchange [...] to migrate technology to Africa,” he explained.
When asked about Namibia's potential to integrate with BRICS, Francisco voiced strong support, seeing the bloc as a key driver of development. He also admired Russia's model of technological sovereignty and aspired for Namibia to achieve a similar level of self-reliance.
“We definitely want to be that [...]: to be self-reliant, produce our own things, be independent [...]” he concluded.
