HUAWEI IMPLEMENTS TANZANIA'S TALENT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY TO CULTIVATE TALENT WITH ICT CORE COMPETITIVENESS

                                  

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The awards ceremony of the 2024 Huawei Tanzania ICT Competition was held at the University of Dar Es Salaam. This year, 5 national awards were presented, including the Winners of the 2024 Huawei Tanzania ICT Competition from the Cloud track, computing track, and network track, and awards for outstanding women. A team from the University of Dar Es Salaam also won a Sub-Saharan Regional-level award for "2024 Global Finalists & Instructor", and will join the Huawei Global ICT Competition at the end of May in Shenzhen, China.

 During the ceremony, the Minister of Information, Communication and Information Technologies Hon. Nape Nnauye lauded Huawei Technologies for its substantial contributions to talent development within the ICT sector. He emphasized that Huawei has provided a platform to showcase the talent and abilities of the youth in higher learning institutions.

 "Through cooperation with the Government and Academic Institutions, you have been providing a platform that allows the world to witness the capabilities of Tanzanian ICT students at our local universities. I hope you will continue this endeavour in the same spirit for many years to come", said Nnauye.

 The Minister added that when it comes to ICT, Huawei is a true partner for Tanzania that will help the country go far in this arena. A roadmap for effectively leveraging technology will be of huge importance in driving the digital transformation agenda, which is where new technology developers such as Huawei come in.

The Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office (Labour, Youth, Employment & Persons with Disability) Hon. Deogratius Ndejembi highlighted the significance of ICT in providing unique opportunities for employment and economic development. He went on to discuss the necessity of shaping the knowledge and skills of the youth so that they remain relevant in today's rapidly-changing world.

 "The ICT sector presents unique opportunities for both employment and economic growth, and we must equip our youth with the skills necessary to be relevant in today's world. Through targeted upskilling initiatives, vocation training programs, internships, and partnerships with industry leaders like Huawei, we are working tirelessly to ensure our youth are equipped with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed", said Hon. Ndejembi.

 Hon. Ndejembi praised Huawei for its talent cultivation programs. "I would like to take this opportunity to commend Huawei for its unwavering commitment to nurturing talent and fostering innovation through initiatives such as the ICT Competition, Huawei ICT Academy, and Seeds for the Future. By providing a platform for young minds to showcase their skills and compete on both a national and international level, Huawei is investing in the future of our youth and contributing to the socio-economic development of our nation."

H.E. Amb. Chen Mingjian, Ambassador of China to Tanzania, reflected on how Chinese enterprises like Huawei have been making important contributions to the socio-economic development of Tanzania, praising the ICT Competition for serving as a major platform for promoting young innovative minds.

She also pointed out that a revolution in science, technology, and industry, represented by digital technology, is drawing near. With the digital transformation of the global economy is the general trend, countries worldwide are seizing the opportunities for development and promoting the digital economy. The Chinese government will continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to cooperate with Tanzania in a number of areas, including ICT infrastructure and the Internet, with the goal of narrowing the digital gap and building an information society.

Huawei Tanzania's Managing Director, Mr. Damon Zhang stated that Huawei's ICT Competition is part of the company's systematic approach to cultivating a flourishing ICT talent ecosystem in Tanzania. It not only reflects our commitment to 'In Tanzania, For Tanzania', but reflects Huawei's efforts to support the Tanzanian government in achieving the goals of the National ICT Policy 2023 and National Five-Year Development Plan, and build an 'educated and learning society', as well as 'a strong and competitive economy'. At the event, an ICT internship program at Huawei Tanzania was also announced.

The Awards Ceremony event on Friday was co-hosted by The University of Dar es Salaam and The University of Dodoma, and Huawei. The acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nelson Boniface and vice-chancellor Prof. Lughano Jeremy Kusiluka of the two universities, respectively, also offered welcoming remarks at the events.

The ICT competition is one of Huawei's flagship ICT talent cultivation programs, with over 100,000 students participating in the competition worldwide every year. Huawei first held this competition in Tanzania in 2018. Over the past 6 years, 19 Huawei ICT academies have been established in collaboration with various Tanzanian universities, and more than 6,000 students have been trained through these academies, with over 2,500 of them participating in the ICT Competitione in Tanzania