Fourth Industrial Revolution strategy underway

Ministry has already developed a Draft National Cyber Security Strategy to protect Botswana’s national interests in the cyberspace

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has developed a draft National Cyber Security Strategy that will assure protection of national interests in the cyberspace. Minister Thulaganyo Segokgo said this was done with the aim of accelerating the achievement of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy. Segokgo said the transformation agenda for the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector, remains a very important cornerstone for his ministry. He indicated that the ministry has placed emphasis on a response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and related concept of Smart City/Village (Smart Nation).

“To achieve the Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy, my ministry seeks to provide a framework that enables the transformation of all sectors of the economy. This will accelerate the adoption of the Industry 4.0 related technologies in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“In anticipation of this process, we have developed a draft National Cybersecurity Strategy that will assure protection of national interests in the cyberspace. The smart cities use ICT to address complex urban / rural problems such as traffic congestion, water leaks, power cuts, poor planning, access to health/ medical facilities,” said Segokgo. He was presenting his ministry’s proposed strategies, programmes and projects for the remainder of the National Development Plan (NDP) 11 in Parliament.

The minister indicated that the smart city strategy should be developed through a multi-stakeholder approach covering financing, infrastructure, policies, regulations, skills and technologies to be implemented by various ministries, agencies, and academia in collaboration with the private sector. Key supporting policies to be developed, he said, should focus on Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data among others.

“My Ministry has a responsibility to ensure the distribution of ICT products and services across the country irrespective of geographic location,” he said adding that the Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF) has been established for this purpose. “The Kgalagadi, Mabutsane, and

Ghanzi Districts have benefitted from the Programme in the last financial year. The second phase of the Fund will focus in the Kweneng District, focusing on the unserved and underserved communities. The funding will cover upgrades of base stations to high-speed broadband networks and provision of broadband connectivity in public schools.

“In assessing where we are as a country, we note that we have managed to accomplish key indicators of a knowledge and information society. My ministry notes with pride Critical National Information Infrastructure in the finance, water, energy, communications, health, public safety and so on that have grown phenomenally reliant on the use of ICTs,” explained Segokgo who is also Member of Parliament for Tlokweng. According to Segokgo as part of the Economic Recovery and Transformational Plan, his ministry has earmarked the School Connectivity Project, under ICT Programme, as a low hanging fruit, with the highest impact. He said this is because the new normal has necessitated the use of ICT, as way of improving on service delivery in smart and efficient way. He explained that the transformational agenda for the sector includes among others taking government services online in the next three (3) financial years; re-engineering process at a government level, to take out any duplications; re-configuring the government ICT infrastructure to cater for working from home by government workers; and promoting youth and women participation in the sector to ensure inclusivity and future growth of the sector.“At the national level, Botswana has a national fibre coverage in excess of 10,600 km countrywide which connects cities, major towns and villages. In that regard, 206 out of 399 localities are connected to high-speed open access network infrastructure. 193 villages, however, still require open access broadband backbone network connectivity,” Segokgo told Parliament.