The Sierra Leone government will later on Friday unveil its national strategy on innovation as part of a large effort to digitalize the country’s governance infrastructure.
President Julius Maada Bio is scheduled to preside over the official launching of the document titled: ‘National Digital and Innovation Strategy (NIDS), which officials say will serve as the national vision to digitize the way the government manages its resources and how citizens can access services.
The document, according to a media release ahead of the launch, was developed by the Directorate of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI), noting that it is line with the president’s priority of human capital development. It is also billed as the country’s road map towards moving from analog to digital within the next 3 to 10 years.
Human capital development was a key campaign platform of President Bio in the 2018 general elections that brought him to power.
Since assuming office, President Bio has said he intended to attain this goal via promotion of science and technology, among other means.
The formation of the DSTI is one of his major actions towards this.
The Directorate has embarked on a lot of projects over the last one year since its creation.
“What I have learned in engagement with innovators, and technologists from MIT, TED and here within the Directorate of Science, Technology, and Innovation is that if we are open to exploring new ideas, and innovatively doing things, we not only gain a better understanding of our development challenges but we also solve the problems affecting our people,” the President said in a statement issued by his office ahead of the landmark launch.
KC/as/APA