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The Leader of the Kingdom of Eswatini, King Mswati III, has urged African governments to consciously train the youth in modern technology for accelerated development in Africa.
“It is important for the youth in Africa to be well-equipped in modern technology as it would enable them to take advantage of the numerous job opportunities in the sector,” he stressed.
King Mswati said this when he paid a courtesy call on the management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi last Friday.
As part of the visit, the delegation took a tour of some facilities, including the university’s museum, e-learning centre, and the KNUST Centre for Collaborative Research and interacted with students.
The monarch of the southern African country was on a four-day state visit to Ghana to strengthen existing bilateral ties and to promote further cooperation between the two nations in vital areas of the economy.
He stated that Africa could not be left behind in modern technological advancements, as such a situation would hinder the continent’s development, saying, “African governments must deliberately provide the youth with technological skills for the continent's progress”.
King Mswati said that, whether in the fields of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), engineering, construction or other sectors, the youth must have access to modern technology to make meaningful contributions to the development of these areas.
He stated that, with the African Union’s agenda for all African countries to progress in modern technology by 2063, the target could only be reached if deliberate interventions were put in place to support the youth in acquiring skills and knowledge in modern technology.
He urged the youth to take advantage of the opportunities and not be left behind in the constantly advancing era of modern technology, emphasising that “technology has come to stay and must be embraced by all for the growth of the society”.
King Mswati III stated that the visit to KNUST was an educational experience that allowed the delegation to understand the university’s goal to develop the necessary human capital in science and technology for Africa’s development.
“The visit to KNUST has been beneficial as it will enable Eswatini to deliver on the mandate it has been given by the countries in Southern Africa to lead the initiative towards science and technology hubs in their respective countries,” he stated.
He praised the university's management for making KNUST a beacon of hope in Africa, and further promised closer cooperation between Eswatini and the university for their mutual benefit.
Receiving the delegation, the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, said the university was committed to delivering on its mandate to benefit the country and Africa.
She said the institution was focused on strengthening its leadership as the country's leading science and technology institution and ensuring that it stayed among the top five universities in Africa.
She said the university needed partnerships with local and international institutions to achieve its objectives, emphasising that “as we speak, we have signed over 300 memoranda of understandings in our quest to provide quality tertiary education to students”.
Prof. Dickson, therefore, urged for increased partnerships between KNUST and universities in Eswatini to promote education, adding that “I am waiting for universities in Eswatini to come on board to sign an MoU with us as well”.
