08 Oct 2020

Former President Dr Festus Mogae says development can only be achieved and sustained through harnessing the power of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Dr Festus Mogae was giving a key note address at the sixth Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) festival held at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) on Tuesday.

The five-day 2020 National Science Week and STEM Festival is held in collaboration with the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research Science and Technology (MOTE) under the theme: Digital Innovation as a gateway to prosperity for all, is taking place virtually.

The Former President who is also BIUST Chancellor said economies that invested heavily in science, technology and innovation thrived in the modern world, and therefore capacity building was required nationally.

He said Botswana needed to consistently drive STEM awareness and capacity building through initiatives that enabled the country to be competitive in the era of rapid technology change and digitization in the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).

“Botswana should maximise the benefits of the National Science week and STEM collaborations for society, in a sustainable way by ensuring compliance requirements,”he said.

He explained that digital technology had fundamentally transformed the world, peoples’ daily lives including in the area of trade and investment, telecommunications, media consumption, manufacturing, government and security, ushering in a total change in business transactions.

“Digital technologies are disrupting all facets of our modern lives and services at an alarming rate , with each becoming technology driven hence AgriTechnology, Mining Technology, EduTech, Banking  and e-Government to name a few,” he said.

Former President Mogae said Botswana needed to intensify its efforts and innovation and fast track the economy as the country is behind in digital technology, noting that the increasing digitalization of the industries requires Botswana to re-imagine the future and re-invest it to suit customer needs if the nation is to thrive in the digital age.

He said digitization has facilitated among others working from home and enabled businesses and households to adapt faster and more prudently during COVID 19.

He said it has also provided access by public services during health emergencies,

The former president noted that digitalisation has also facilitated the application of software in e-commerce, e- learning, electronic banking and electronic transfers, electronic payments and e-governance.

“To date classroom and lecture halls have transformed from face-to-face platforms to a more private online affair, run through ICT zoom lessons,” he said adding that as a result stake holders should position themselves to tap into development for economic empowerment.

He said digitization has made huge inroads into financial sector, noting that South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria are leaders in the mobile money transfers which he said is gradually trickling into industries in Botswana.

“The role of stakeholders is to ensure that we match international standards and optimize our resources to deliver at a very high level. We also need to teach students to develop modern applications that will be used in industry for them to be self-employed after graduating,” he said adding that parents should enable students to acess digital technology, including buying them appropriate instruments such as computers.  

The former president explained that BIUST was established through an Act of Parliament with strategic intention to transform the country’s economy from being resource based to a knowledge based one through STEM education, research and innovation. ENDS