With a digital future clearly unavoidable and inescapable, President Hage Geingob has set sights on ensuring that the requisite legislation is in place to ensure the rights of the citizenry are guaranteed online.

In tandem with this promise was the president’s guarantee of press freedom for as long as he occupies the highest office in the land when he spoke during the opening of Namibia’s 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) indaba in the capital on Tuesday.

“I endeavour for the remainder of my term as president of the Republic of Namibia to champion these critical reforms, together with the whole of government, towards improved quality of life for all Namibians,” Geingob vowed.

At the centre of Namibia’s 4IR should be the rural population, who are without basic services such as electricity and internet connectivity.

“[The] 4th Industrial Revolution technologies contribute to this green economy as an enabler for production and advanced manufacturing systems, communication networks, education, healthcare, government and community services,” the president said.

However, unlocking the full social and economic benefit from 4IR enabled projects will require a coherent policy and regulatory framework, “Such as licences and authorisation to operate drones in the airspace, for such critical missions.”

The expo is being held under the banner: ‘4IR as an enabler for Green and Inclusive Industrialisation’.

Namibia, Geingob said, has embarked on a green future, where it is positioning itself as a global producer of green hydrogen and ammonia.

“Not only do we want to produce green hydrogen for the world, but we want to utilise it in Namibia and include our citizens in the entire production value chain,” Geingob said.

The president further added that the country is now the mecca of global attention and sat at the high table at the just-ended World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.

“We did our best [in Davos],” he said.

This new industry will serve as a catalyst for Namibia’s rapid adoption of 4IR technologies, while positively contributing to the global fight against climate change, he noted.

Not only has Namibia jumped onto the 4IR bandwagon, it is walking the talk.

Last week, the Namibia Institute of Pathology showcased drones that will deliver and collect medical specimens to remote communities of Kunene and Zambezi.

“This will significantly reduce diagnosis waiting times and enable prompt commencement of treatment for our citizens in remote and rural areas,” Geingob said.

The said drones can also be used for surveillance to curb crimes [such as poaching] and in agriculture [pest and disease control].

Source: The Namibian Press Agency