The Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Hon. Lamin Jabbi Esq. is attending the BRICS Forum on Partnership for the New Industrial Revolution in Xiamen, China, from 16-17th September.
In his address on epmpowering new industrial revolution through Artificial Intelligence (AI) he echoed the need for developing countries to adopt AI in high-impact areas in order to maximize its benefits. He stressed that AI should serve as a tool to bridge the digital divide, not widen it.
The Gambia is among 19 other countries selected to join the Initiative for International Cooperation on New Industrialization, aimed at fostering collaboration with BRICS and other partners on a number of digital cooperation initiatives.
On the sidelines of the forum, Hon. Minister Jabbi held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, H.E. LI Lecheng, Minister of Industry and Information Technology. The two Ministers discussed the strong bilateral relations enjoyed by both countries in recent years, and reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate in areas such as infrastructure development, skills and capacity training, cybersecurity, and AI.
The key specific issues discussed in the course of the Bilateral Meeting include the need for multiple submarine cable and connectivity for The Gambia and some other sister neighbouring countries, putting up an efficient and sustainable National Data center, building a fully integrated Digital Government Platform, identifying special required Digital Skills for capacity Building and the possibility of having an ICT Equipment and manufacturing in The Gambia.
The issues of Fintech and Digital payments, Cyber Security and Data Protection and the building of a Tech Park and Innovation Centers in The Gambia were also considered in the course of the Bilateral Meeting.
