By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
Outreach Officer, Ministry of Information and Civic Education
The Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Salima Bah has said government has spent a whooping $132 million as direct investment in to the technology and innovation sector over the last six years.
Minister Salima was speaking during the weekly government press briefing on Tuesday, where she highlighted the progress government has made in the sector. Minister Bah hailed President Bio as the Chief of Digital Transformation, an inspiration which she has carried to do her work.
“For President Bio, access to mobile and internet services is a basic human right and that is why under his leadership we have had the highest prioritization to roll out strategies on digital transformation,” she said.
“Government has made significant investment in to the sector, till date government has invested $132 million, in direct investment in to the sector to move the digital transformation agenda forward,” Madam Bah added.
The investments have gone in to policy formulation, roll out, building infrastructure, funding initiatives and projects like what the Universal Access Development Fund has accomplished.
“UADF has expanded digital services, they just completed the construction of three new digital centers at Tokeh, Daru and Falaba. They have equipped those centers with computers and trained people in those communities on digtal skills,” Madam Bah said.
UADF completed training for more than 300 people in those three communities.
She said UADF has also built sites to enhance connectivity across the country, with specific focus to farming communities where connectivity is a challenge.
“In building some of those sites we had to prioritize communities that are agricultural zones, this also helps the government’s flagship program which is Feed Salone” she stated.
Madam Bah said despite what government has achieved in the sector, it is still committed to achieving more.
“We want to show everyone that we are meeting our commitments and we are making progress, but we also know have to do more and we are committed to doing so,” she added.
Madam Bah is the youngest serving Minister in President Julius Maada Bio’s cabinet
