The Sub-Saharan African finals of the Huawei Global ICT Competition kicked off on 10 September. The competition is under the theme of “Connection, Glory, Future” which Huawei believes to be the biggest event of its kind in Africa covering 14 countries and attracting over 50,000 students.
Launched in the region just five years ago, the Huawei ICT Competition has developed into the largest ICT skills competition in Africa.
During the opening ceremony attended by industry partners, UNESCO and students, Huawei Southern Africa VP, Liao Yong highlighted the significance of connectivity in the era of social distancing.
“The digital divide is actually widening under the new normal caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. As people work and study more online, the digitally disadvantaged people are hit harder,” Liao said.
Huawei has invested heavily in preparation for this event. Holding 300 campus roadshows, in 14 Sub-Saharan African countries, with a total of 50,000 students participating.
Stacy Ojwang, a 4th-year student at JKUAT University studying Business and ICT praised the competition.
“The ICT competition is a great platform for learning, for growing and generally getting career options. I would therefore encourage everyone to take up the challenge and work hard as it is a great experience.”
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Ydo Yao, acting Director of UNESCO International Bureau of Education, applauded Huawei for playing an exemplary role. Especially how they support initiatives that create, innovate and deliver ICT skills for the continent.
In Africa, the partnership between UNESCO and Huawei is fruitful with many successful projects. For example, DigiTruck and Huawei ICT Academy. Both under the auspices of Huawei’s digital inclusion initiative TECH4ALL.
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With this, Huawei hopes to up-skill more than 700,000 ICT professionals by 2023. The aim is to bridge the ICT talent gap, advance the digital transformation of industries, and bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.
