By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The Regional African
Satellite Communication Organisation (RASCOM) Director General, Timothy Ashong,
joined the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and executives of
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Mozambique in a show of
support for emerging African digital innovators participating in regional
development programmes.
The engagement took place
alongside activities marking the CTO’s Digital Development initiatives in
Mozambique, where four young innovators from Lesotho are being supported
through an international exposure and capacity-building programme that began
with the CTO Digital Roadshow Innovation Challenge in Lesotho.
The innovators — Relebohile
Irene Mopa, Thato Flora Rasupu, Nomvuduka Valentina Mabaleha, and Ikaneng
Christopher Makakole — were selected following a national competition organised
by the Lesotho Communications Authority and subsequently supported by CTO to
participate in high-level digital development engagements in Mozambique.
Their innovations include a
Clinic Management System designed to modernise healthcare delivery, Nala –
Reimagining Job Access, a platform connecting job seekers to verified
employment opportunities, and CertiVert, a blockchain-based certificate
verification solution aimed at improving trust and authentication systems.
During their visit, the
innovators joined policymakers, regulators, industry leaders and development
partners at Mozambique’s National Communications Conference, where they gained
insights into digital transformation strategies shaping the continent’s future.
They also participated in a
lecture at Eduardo Mondlane University on promoting women and girls in ICT,
delivered by ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, providing further
engagement with global digital inclusion and gender equality advocates.
Speaking on the importance
of sustained investment in youth innovation, RASCOM Director General Timothy
Ashong noted that “empowering young innovators is not a one-time gesture; it
is a sustained commitment to building the digital future of Africa through
exposure, opportunity and collaboration across borders.”
He further emphasized the
importance of institutional collaboration in scaling innovation across the
continent, stating that “when we bring together institutions like CTO, ITU
and RASCOM, we are not just supporting innovation—we are creating an ecosystem
where ideas from young Africans can grow into real solutions with continental
impact.”
Their programme will
culminate at the CTO Digital Development Day at INCM headquarters, where
selected innovators will take part as panelists and all participants will
showcase their solutions to a broader audience of stakeholders.
The presence of RASCOM’s
Director General alongside CTO and ITU leadership underscores growing
institutional collaboration aimed at empowering young innovators and
strengthening Africa’s digital ecosystem through skills development, exposure,
and cross-border cooperation.
