Namibia intends to make the most of the upcoming eighth National ICT Summit to showcase its adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).

The Ministry of ICT is organising the event, to be held 9-11 September in the capital, Windhoek. The event theme is “Building Resilience to ‘Adapt or Die’ in the Era of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence”.

Industry leaders, experts, innovators, policymakers and stakeholders are to participate at the summit, which is the biggest event in the country’s ICT calendar.

Ahead of the summit, the Ministry of ICT is buoyed by the International Monetary Fund’s recent ranking of Namibia as ninth out of 54 African countries in terms of preparedness in adopting AI in 2024.

“This ranking highlights Namibia’s significant progress in developing the necessary infrastructure and environment to leverage AI technologies,” said Audrin Mathe, executive director of the ministry.

He added: “It underscores the relevance, alignment and timeliness of this year’s theme, showcasing the country’s commitment to adapting to the evolving digital area.”

Shoki Kandjimi, Public Relations officer, Ministry of ICT, said the summit will position Namibia’s ICT sector and allow the country to be a digital nation, “where Namibians can benefit from opportunities presented by the digital space”.