TWELVE police officers from the Police Force of Tanzania headquarters have been given special training in cybercrime aiming at promoting and improving cyber security against the new wave of crime in the country.

The three-month training programme started in August and ended late last month was sponsored by a private entity-Punjani Charitable Trust.

Cybersecurity in Tanzania is gaining prominence as the country continues its digital transformation. The increasing reliance on digital platforms for commerce, banking, education, and government services has heightened the need for robust cybersecurity measures.

The Commissioner of Scientific Investigation of the Police Force CP Shabani Hiki made this observation on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam during the ceremony of handing over the certificates to the officers who successfully completed the training.

According to him, the training also involved the funding of system development for monitoring online money theft, smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking, infringement to personal data, planned online terrorism, and crimes related to artificial intelligence.

Gulam Punjani Director Punjani Charitable Trust called upon the police officers who received the training to make good use of it so that they become productive for the nation’s interest by reducing or completely eliminating the challenge of online crime.

For his part, Izack Marandu, the Project Manager of Online Security at the Tanzania Police Force said that the aim of the training is to support the government in managing online security as technology is currently developing rapidly.

One of the police officers who took part in the training, Marry Samba, said that the training will help the police officers to fulfill their duties better compared to those who previously had no training about cybercrime.

In March this year, Tanzania was recognised as the second safest country in Africa for cyber security.

Dr Nkundwe Mwasaga, Director General of the Information and Communication Technology Commission (ICTC) said in a recent interview that Tanzania’s rise in cyber security is attributed to data by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) through the Global Cyber security Index.

 “We are dedicated to offering opportunities for youth to create diverse ICT programmes, advancing our technology landscape, and positioning Tanzania as a digital frontrunner,” said Dr Mwasaga.

This is the case when technology and innovation are increasingly empowering young Tanzanians to pursue self-employment opportunities.

With each passing day, these advancements are becoming vital drivers for economic independence and entrepreneurial success among the youth in Tanzania.

Data by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Commission shows that as of March 2024 there were 21 million youth self-employed in the technology and innovation sectors particularly start-ups and online businesses.

The ICT Commission’s data clarifies that youth employed in the two sectors are aged between 15 and 34 years forming 33 percent of the total country’s population pegged at 61.7 million as per the 2022 National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Census report.

The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) current report shows that in the academic year ending 2022, a total of 2,166 higher learners graduated from the ICT field.

It states that students pursuing ICT related subjects in primary and secondary schools are approximately 12.3 million.