Huawei, Chinese Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions provider, weekend, said it will provide training to 10,000 people in Africa over the next five years.
The announcement was made by senior Huawei executives at the World Economic Forum on Africa held in Abuja, under the theme: The World Economic Forum on Africa, “Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs”.
Charles Ding, global vice president, Huawei, said, “Huawei is committed to developing its business in Africa where our commitment will create mutually beneficial opportunities and win-win outcomes. Africa and China have enjoyed a strong relationship that has seen extensive cooperation in political, economic, and cultural areas.
According to him, Africa has an open and inclusive approach to international trade relations, which has created a sound business environment for Huawei’s development in the region.
Ding went on to discuss Huawei’s approach for the region, “Huawei considers Africa to be one of our most important strategic growth markets, by localising our operations, we can better understand the needs of the market, and improve our overall capabilities. We’re proud to have an opportunity to play an important role in Africa’s modernisation.”
He further reiterated the company’s commitment towards creating more jobs and promoting ICT industry growth and development in Africa. Currently, Huawei employs a workforce of over 7,100 across Africa and has created 12,000 jobs indirectly through procurement and outsourcing services.
In the last five years, Huawei’s seven training centres in Africa have provided training to15,000 engineers, a commitment that is well aligned with the ICT company’s strategies of “transferring technologies to Africa” and “intensifying localisation efforts.”
Under these strategies, Huawei plans to support and develop the sustainable growth of Africa’s ICT industry by cultivating local talent and skills. In the carrier space, the Chinese company will continue to enhance communications infrastructure construction and mobile broadband network deployment, to allow users to enjoy easier and more affordable network and communications services.
In the enterprise space, Huawei will however strengthen its cooperation with local industry, to build Africa’s “Smart Cities”, and promote the implementation of remote e-education, mobile banking, intelligent transportation, and intelligent power projects, to accelerate the informatisation of industries. In the consumer space, Huawei will continue to launch quality products by focusing on the consumer experience.
The firm will also increase investments in technology innovation, focusing on product design, processes, and quality, while improving software and the overall user experience.
When speaking of Huawei’s future plans for Africa, Ding said, “The future development of the ICT industry is reliant on several factors, including, effective planning, innovative technologies, and sufficient investment. The successful implementation of these three strands will improve the competitiveness and promote the development of the digital economy.
“We are committed to our work in Africa and to our support of public and private stakeholders. “We are confident that the future of the industry in Africa holds many opportunities, and we will continue to increase our investment in this region and play a more active role in reshaping society though ICT.”
Ben Uzor Jr
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