Town to execute over 14 million Birr dev’t projects

Various development projects would be constructed in Chiro town of West Hararge Zone, Oromia State at a cost of more than 14 million Birr, the mayor of the town said. The development projects would be executed with the stated sum earmarked by the government and the town’s municipality. A secondary school, a youth centre and drainage canals are among the projects to be executed during the current Ethiopian fiscal year. Various NGOs, operating in the town and the public would be involved in the construction of the projects. (ENA)

Minister says universities need to implement BPR

The Ministry of Education announced that all the universities in the country need to implement Business Process Reengineering (BPR) so that they would efficiently discharge their responsibilities. Speaking at the opening of a national consultative meeting deliberating on a two years BPR study of the Bahirdar University, Minister of Education Dr Sintayehu Woldemichael underlined that as BPR enhances efficiency and accountability, all universities should implement it as soon as possible. Limited in number and capacity, universities were not able to effectively discharge their national responsibilities in producing well qualified human power, the Minister said, adding that remarkable efforts are made in increasing the quantity and intake capacity of universities. This has remarkably contributed for the double digit economic growth over the past few years, Dr Sintayehu indicated, adding that universities play a vital role in technology transfer and good governance so as to sustain the economic growth.
To this end, all universities need to avoid old and traditional working trends as well as backward out looks and implement BPR as soon as possible, Dr Sintayehu underlined. Bahirdar University is a key role model in embarking on the BPR. Arrangements are well underway to replicate the best practices of Bahirdar University in other universities, according to Dr Sintayehu. Bahirdar University representative, Yehimebirat said the university embarked on the BPR two years ago with 100 professionals and identified 11 work processes so far. The implementation will be effected in five work processes due to capacity constraint, according to the representative. With the constructive comments from the forum, Bahirdar University plans to raise its intake capacity to 40 thousand and increase its staff and disciplines by ten folds, the representative said. The consultative forum was attended by presidents of universities, board directors, Ministers of Capacity Building and Education, and heads of regional education bureaus, it was learnt. (Walta)

Nokia opens research center for Africa

A leading world mobile handset maker, Nokia, on Wednesday opened a regional research center for Africa to carry out research into its products and services across the continent, Xinhua reported from Nairobi. The Nokia Research Africa (NoRA) will allow Nokia to better understand the needs of its African customers in order to develop devices that can offer benefits in health care and education. Speaking at the launch of NoRA in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, team leader Jussi Impio said that mobile communication has already played a significant role in the socio-economic fabric of Africa.
“Our focus is on the youths who make up the larger populace of this continent. Our research work will enable us to design products and services that are relevant and add value to their lives” said Impio.
Impio also said the NoRA will work with universities and non- governmental organizations to develop prototypes of devices that are suited to the African market, as well as study the telecommunications services sector on the continent.
Mobility brings with it a range of benefits not only on a socio-economic front, but in day-to-day life. An increase in mobile penetration has been found to bring impacts positively on the growth of a country’s GDP, a clear indication that the mobile communication industry has a major role to play in the growth of any country. The NoRA has carefully selected its partners to ensure that the research methods and resulting technologies are relevant and connect with the communities involved. “We have chosen to work with NGO’s and institutions of higher learning because these institutions have an understanding and knowledge of the communities. By working with them, we can ensure accuracy in our research methods and findings,” said Impio. (ENA)

Russia commends Ethiopia’s effort to enhance livelihood of rural community

The Government of the Russian Federation disclosed that the due attention Ethiopia has given to the agricultural sector and the activities it has been executing to that end would enable it to steadily enhance the livelihood of the rural community. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Mikhail Afanasiev, said Ethiopia has abundant farmland and human resources and the efforts underway to expedite development activities by putting to use all these resources should be consolidated.
The governments of the Russian Federation and Ethiopia have long standing relations, he said, adding that the contribution Russian troops and medical teams made during the Battle of Adwa have strengthened the relations between the two countries. Currently various efforts are underway to further strengthen the relations between the two countries and a Russian delegate has carried out study in various states and towns at the beginning of this month to the same end, Afanasiev said. Russia has been making preparations to execute several development projects in Ethiopia, and accordingly it will in the near future sign an agreement with concerned bodies to engage in mineral exploration, geological survey, dam related work and electric power as well as safe drinking water areas. (Walta)

Internews awards journalists

Internews, an NGO working on capacity building in reporting on HIV/AIDS, awarded various prizes to journalists. The awardees are from different private and government media. The journalists were awarded digital camera and various recorders, among others. Speaking at the occasion, Internews Ethiopia Resident Advisor Sonya De Masi said the journalists have been working with internews for a period ranging from six months to two and half years doing stories on HIV/AIDS and related issues to a very high standard. “We are really blessed to be able to recognize their commitment to their work with a piece of equipment. It is not a prize. It is something they have earned.”
“Some of the stories the journalists have done with us are as good as anything you hear anywhere else in the world or indeed anything that you read anywhere else in the world. This is not just something that is good enough for Ethiopia. The people here today are among some of the best journalists we have worked with.” The project is anticipating continuing in Ethiopia for at least another couple of years, a plan which is in process now. The project aims at training journalists to be more effective, more professional and more accurate reporters and to ultimately benefit the audience. Soniya called upon editors and journalists to work with the project to make use of the opportunity to genuinely build their capacity. (ENA)