Youth gain practical innovation skills to build digital solutions for Tanzania’s future
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIAN youth are being equipped with practical innovation and digital skills to develop technology-driven solutions capable of addressing real-life challenges while creating employment opportunities in the country’s growing digital economy.
University and VETA students from across the country recently participated in an Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Literacy training programme aimed at strengthening their capacity to design, test and implement innovative technologies for sectors such as healthcare, transportation, water management, security and public service delivery.
Speaking during the training, JATEC Business Development Manager, Elia Kinshaga, said the programme was designed to empower young innovators with practical skills that enable them to create IoT-based solutions to some of Tanzania’s most pressing societal challenges.
He said the country’s technological advancement depends on nurturing young innovators who can think creatively and transform ideas into practical solutions that improve people’s lives.
Kinshaga cited prepaid smart water meters as an example of how IoT technologies can improve service delivery by reducing revenue losses, increasing transparency and enhancing operational efficiency.
He further explained that through innovation laboratories established under the programme, young people have access to modern ICT infrastructure, including computers, internet connectivity and innovation spaces where they can develop and test new technologies.
According to Kinshaga, one of the programme’s notable success stories is Visomo, an e-learning platform developed by MagilaTech that enables VETA students to access online learning. The platform is now being used not only in Tanzania but also in Dubai and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He encouraged participants to continue applying the knowledge gained during the training to develop innovative products and services that create jobs, improve productivity and contribute to Tanzania’s economic growth.
Participants said the training had expanded their understanding of how IoT technologies can be applied to solve everyday challenges and build sustainable technology businesses.
One of the participants, Levina Chifiye, a student at St. Joseph University College of Engineering and Technology, said the training deepened her understanding of how IoT can be applied in areas such as security, transportation and digital payments.
She noted that access to Airtel Money APIs provides innovators with an opportunity to integrate secure digital payment solutions into their technology projects, making it easier to commercialise innovations.
Meanwhile, Airtel Money’s Manager for Financial Services, Foreign Transactions and Digital Platforms, Rita Nyamwehura, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting youth innovation through digital financial services that promote financial inclusion and accelerate Tanzania’s digital transformation.
She encouraged young people to take advantage of digital financial services, including airtime and data purchases, utility bill payments, merchant payments through Lipa Namba and other cashless solutions available across the country.
The IoT and Digital Literacy training programme was made possible through the support of Airtel Money, in partnership with Buni, Dar Teknohama Business Incubator (DTBI), the Vocalize IoT Project, and Techstar Innovation Hub, all of which collaborated to equip Tanzanian youth with practical innovation skills for the digital economy.
