The Swedish Embassy to Tanzania is today hosting a high level Information and Communication Technology (ICT) conference in Dar es Salaam where major ICT stakeholders will convene to discuss the sector’s development and cooperation.
This comes in the wake of recent reaffirmed commitment between Sweden and Tanzania who have partnered to improve the country’s ICT underscoring that the sector plays an important role in the diversification of the global economy and Tanzania cannot afford to be left behind.
ICT is now globally recognised as a key sector that among other things creates both investment and employment opportunities fueling major economic development.
Sweden is one of the most digitalised countries in the world and ICT is one of the country’s key industries, accounting for 13 percent of total Swedish exports.
A press statement circulated yesterday to the media said that the partnership will be through the Swedish company Ericsson, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Embassy of Sweden to Tanzania.
At the conference, a Swedish delegation of ICT experts as well as major local key players will be among the speakers including Sunil Colaso, Managing Director, Airtel Tanzania and Diego Gutierrez, CEO Tigo Tanzania who will share experience, expertise and technology aimed at supporting the strong growth of the ICT sector in Tanzania.
In the statement, Swedish Ambassador to Tanzania, Lennarth Hjelmaker reiterated the importance of ICT in changing the society.
“Mobile money transfers have multiplied seven fold in the last five years and given millions of Tanzanians the opportunity to save and transfer money.
There is now access to financial services, even in the remotest areas…This is only one example of how mobile technology can make real life differences,” he said.
He emphasized that Sweden, with its strong innovative and creative ICT sector, stands ready to be part of Tanzania’s ICT development.
He explained that the ICT conference will consist of seminars on how ICT can grow and empower people, business and societies, the roles of governments in driving ICT, and how to develop ICT infrastructure, innovation and mobile services.
“This is a unique opportunity for Swedish companies to meet and interact with stakeholders in the ICT sector in one of the fastest growing markets in the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Olov Hemström, Area Manager sub-Saharan Africa Business Sweden said:
“I believe there are great business collaborations for Swedish ICT companies and local players to be made during this conference”.
Head of Region, sub-Saharan Africa, Fredrik Jejdling said that Africa, particularly in the past few years recorded continued growth and shows a direct relationship between broadband speed, penetration and GDP growth.
For over 100 years, Ericsson has worked with partners across the region to build a secure and sustainable ICT
