Somalia: Minister closes Conference for ICT professionals

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's Minister of Post, Telecom and Technology, Abdi Ashur Hassan, has officially closed the third conference for Somali Network Operators Group (SomNOG 3), which brought together decision-makers and professionals from the private sector, academia, and government.

Abdiqani Jama, ICT Regulations Expert; Dr Abdirisaq Dalmar, Vice President for Somali Research & Education Network; and Abdulkadir Kadle, SomNET manager, highlighted the development Somalia made in the ICT sector in the past two decades, commending the efforts made by the private sector, academia, IT professionals and the government in this field.

Organizers applauded the Ministry for implementing some of the recommendations from SomNOG 2, in which speakers demanded the establishment of communications regulator and Internet Exchange Point - which are functional - and urged the Minister to keep this momentum in reforming the sector.

Minister Abdi Ashur Hassan thanked the organizers for inviting him to this conference for the second year in a row, adding the Ministry is impressed with the growing enthusiasm among the youth in ICT.

“It is an important week for Somalia’s ICT sector because we have three events in almost seven days. We are closing SOMNOG workshops and conference. From 16 to 17 ICT Expo Somalia was organized, and on 23rd October Mogadishu Tech Summit will open,” said the minister “all these youth-led initiatives show a brighter future for Somali youth in ICT, and we are ready to support them.”

Speaking on the theme of this conference, the minister urged the ICT professionals to actively participate in the upcoming consultations for the regulations of the Communications Act that will start soon.

“The outcome from conferences like this will inform in the development of policies and plans by the Government to develop the sector. We need to hear your voice in policy making,” noted the minister.

SomNOG is an annual event for ICT professionals in Somalia to develop the skills of Internet and networking engineers and creating an open platform where they can share the developments in the sector and influence policymaking.

GAROWE ONLINE