Rwanda aims to add more than 200 e-services to Irembo, an online portal that acts as a gateway to various government services, by the middle of next year, and the newspaper says at least 5 million Rwandans have subscribed to the service. They say they need digital literacy to be able to use the platform. Ministry of ICT and Innovation.
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Ibu Iradukunda, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, said digital literacy is the backbone of Rwanda's digital transformation as technology is an enabler of socio-economic development.
“Digital literacy is a top priority. Having the infrastructure for connectivity and devices is one thing, but you need to be able to use these tools to access services. “The ultimate goal of the various trainings is to enable a digital economy. Our goal is to have all our services delivered by the end of next year.” It's about digitizing government services end-to-end,” he said.
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The Irembo platform has more than 100 services and “another 200 services will be online by June next year,” Iradukunda said.
In total, around 400 electronic services digitized on Irembo will be available by next year.
Electronic services added to the platform will be identified across a variety of sectors, including forest services, livestock movement, licenses to open and operate health facilities, import permits, research permits, and various Rwanda Public Works Regulatory Authority (RURA) licenses. It has been. .
Others include various documents issued at the village, cell and departmental levels, payment of certain services such as certification and inspection services, cemetery fees, cleaning fees, market fees, etc. at the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB). We also provide testing and analysis services. ), here are a few.
The project is estimated to cost more than $12 million (approximately Rwandan francs 14.8 billion).
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Iradukunda said the government has hired ICDL, an international social work organization focused on improving digital skills standards in the workforce, education and society. Provide computer skills certification to ensure civil servants are adequately digitally literate. This allows us to efficiently provide a variety of electronic services.
This partnership aims to address the population's low level of computer and digital literacy. Training and professional certification are based on labor market needs and growth potential. Rwanda aims to achieve a digital literacy rate of 60% among its citizens by 2024.
The Digital Ambassador Program (DAP) was implemented to connect 5 million Rwandans with limited or no internet experience. This initiative is primarily led by young people and aims to provide comprehensive training to the general public on the use of e-government services.
The program also supports rural communities through digital literacy training, improved access to information, internet services, ICT infrastructure, and various applications to provide online services such as e-health, e-agriculture, and email. aims to transform the into a digitally literate and skilled community. – Business, e-commerce, and digital financial inclusion services.
Reinventing digital literacy education in schools
Mr. Iradukunda said that the way digital literacy is taught has been revamped using the ICDL accreditation system to promote the uptake of digital literacy.
The plan aims to standardize digital skills in higher education institutions in Rwanda.
These people can become digital ambassadors, training citizens in digital literacy and equipping them with skills to access electronic services.
“In contrast to the current civil service, which is playing catch-up, we are working closely to ensure that our students have the skills as they study and when they graduate,” he said.
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In March 2023, the Higher Education Council (HEC) held a meeting with more than 26 higher education institutions in Rwanda, with the aim of ensuring that all students graduate with internationally recognized qualifications. discussed how the International Computerized Driving License (ICDL) program can be implemented. Digital skills certification.
HEC Executive Director Rose Mukankomeje emphasized the importance of providing students with access to digital literacy programs to enhance their readiness for the job market.
