Story by Sifiso Sibanda, Assistant News Editor

YOUTHS in Zimbabwe have been challenged to leverage on technology and artificial intelligence in their efforts to develop the nation.

As global production trends shift towards technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence, youths in Zimbabwe have been challenged to be aggressive in these areas and become big players in economic development and production lines.

Officiating at the public private sector business interface in Bulawayo this Friday, Vice President Cde Kembo Mohadi said as the nation burns the midnight oil to attain vision 2030, youths must play a key part and fully exploit innovation and artificial intelligence for national benefit.

“Let me say that while we as the current crop of national leaders have a vision of propelling the nation to an upper middle income status by year 2030, youths have the capacity to lead in this through innovation, technology uptake and artificial intelligence.

“This does not apply only to youths in cities, but those in communal areas can also bring in the indigenous knowledge systems, which are still a factor in production. So everyone is involved in this.”

The Vice President also called on public entities to support tertiary education students through offering them industrial attachments, while all stakeholders are expected to play a role in the fight against drug and substance abuse.

“As we nurture you to be good citizens and future leaders, we now have to deal with drugs and substance abuse and I call on all citizens to help us fight substance abuse and i am calling on police and other law enforcement agents the bring to book those who are paddling drugs.”

The government has invested millions of dollars in innovation hubs and other related programmes, and this is bearing fruit as most youths now have developed their own prototypes that could change the way things are done.