Spotlight: Chinese firms in Africa dedicated to transferring skills, fulfilling social responsibility

Huawei Technologies, China's leading global Information and Communication Technology solution provider, has initiated various programs aimed at transferring skills to Africans and fulfilling social responsibility.

The skills transfer programs and the launching of numerous Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects which have been initiated in partnership with African governments, will not only improve the living conditions of the beneficiaries, but will also boost relations between China and the African continent.

On Sunday, the company signed a partnership agreement with the Nigerian government to initiate a social development program that would empower 1,000 youths in information and communications technology (ICT).

Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Affairs Nasir Adhama said this was part of the government's efforts in addressing the issue of unemployment in the country.

The initiative would commence at a date to be announced soon, he said, noting that his office would select and screen the beneficiary participants from all geopolitical zones of the country for the training.

"Out of the 1,000 youths that would be trained by Huawei Africa, 200 would be sent to China for more training on ICT," he added.

Huawei which is one of the global brands in ICT, would also establish a world class ICT center in Nigeria to create more opportunities for Nigerian youths.

BOOSTING TECHNICAL LEARNING IN ETHIOPIA

In March 2016, Huawei signed a partnership agreement with a Kenyan-based company, Techno Brain, which is a leading custom software application provider, to launch Huawei Authorized Learning Partnership (HALP) in Ethiopia, with the main goal being knowledge transfer in the ICT sector.

Speaking to Xinhua after the signing ceremony, Techno Brain Ethiopia Country Director Mekonnen Tesafye said "the partnership allows us to give much needed training skills upgrade for ICT professionals in Ethiopia."

Speaking during the same function, Huawei's Deputy Chief Executive Officer in Ethiopia, Cooper Qu, noted that his company had in the last few years, provided Ethiopia with ICT infrastructure to improve service provision in government as well as in education, transport and finance sectors.

"With this partnership, Techno Brain and Huawei can provide the most advanced ICT learning platform to Ethiopian people, so that they can improve their professional ICT capacity and create more value to this country," he said.

PROVISION OF EFFICIENT ICT SOLUTIONS IN ZAMBIA

Like in other African countries where it has set up operations, Huawei Zambia has expressed its long-term plan of providing the Zambian government and population with efficient and affordable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions.

Speaking recently during an exhibition of Huawei products in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, the company's Country Director Emilion Ming noted that "the vision of both the Zambian government and Huawei, will in the near future enable everyone in the country to enjoy modern telecommunication technology equally and conveniently."

Speaking during the same function, China's ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming commended the firm for its continuous efforts to promote ICT development in Zambia.

Huawei has been operating in Zambia for 12 years.

CHINESE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES JOIN THE FRAY

Just like their counterparts in the ICT sector, Chinese construction companies have also joined the fray in launching programs to facilitate technology transfer, besides initiating CSR projects in their areas of operation.

The latest such company is the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), the firm building a standard gauge rail in Kenya, which in March this year, launched its first CSR report.

Speaking during the ceremony to release the report in Nairobi, Kenya's Principal Secretary in the Transport Ministry Irungu Nyakera said the CRBC had brought lots of benefits to local communities where the rail passes through.

"The efforts by CRBC need to be emulated by other contractors who carry out infrastructure projects in Kenya," Nyakera said.

CRBC is constructing a 472 km rail in Kenya, which will replace a narrow-gauge track built over a century ago during British colonial rule.

The CSR report highlights the Chinese company's voluntary activities to boost sustainable development in Kenya, including environmental protection efforts, charity work, job creation and personnel training. Endit