On July 19, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Quadripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on business collaboration and cooperation with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc (hereinafter referred to as Safaricom Ethiopia), and Sumitomo Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Sumitomo Corporation). (hereinafter referred to as “Sumitomo”). The MOU was signed in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, between Mr. Belete Mola Getahun, Minister of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia, Mr. Stanley Njoroge, CFO (Acting CEO) of Safaricom Ethiopia, Mr. Tadayuki Saita, Africa Manager of Sumitomo Corporation, and Toshiyuki Nakamura, Special Assistant to JICA President and CEO.
The purpose of this MOU is to contribute to the realization of the Ethiopian government’s national ICT policy “Digital Ethiopia 2025”. Specifically, working groups will be established in the following areas to explore possibilities for collaboration
(1) Infrastructure: digital infrastructure, data centers, terminals, etc.
(2) Systems: Development of digital financial services and digital IDs, and enhancement of cyber security, etc.
(3) Interaction: e-government services, e-commerce, enhanced e-payment, etc.
4) Business Ecosystem: DX promotion in education, agriculture, health, and tourism
(5) Regulation, Job Creation and Capacity Building: Improvement of the regulatory framework of the Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology, job creation and capacity building of digital technology personnel, support for digital entrepreneurs, and implementation of training in the telecommunications sector.
This collaboration will also contribute to SDG Goal 9 (Create a foundation for industry and technological innovation) and Goal 17 (Achieve the goals through partnerships).
© Source JICA