In our March 2025 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Tariq Mohammed, a PhD candidate and the Chair of the Caribbean ICT Youth Network who is based in Trinidad and Tobago, and Chad Fraser, the Founder and CEO of Sonover, headquartered in Grenada, the panel discusses the following three topics: how Caribbean businesses can leverage technology to compete in a global economy; fostering youth development and inclusion in ICTs in the Caribbean; and is e-money a solution in search of a problem?

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

As technology and the internet continue to advance, we are continually having to adjust and evolve our mindset and thinking, as well as how we use them to capitalise on new and emerging features, benefits and opportunities.  However, this evolution is not occurring in all quarters. Across our societies, constituencies, such as small businesses and the youth, are unable to participate fully in the growing digital environment.

We also have situations where we have digital solutions, but it appears they have not gained the traction or the customer base envisaged. Often, this conflict appears to be due to a mismatch between the perceived problem and the solution created.

These initial thoughts provide some context for this month’s Community Chat episode.

 

Introducing our panellists

Tariq Mohammed

Tariq Mohammed holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The University of the West Indies (UWI), where he specialised in communications systems and is currently pursuing an MPhil/PhD in the same field at UWI. Tariq is the lead consultant for projects in the Caribbean being implemented by the International Telecommunication Union.

In addition to consultancies under UN Projects, Tariq chairs and coordinates the Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum (CYIGF), serving as one of the region’s representatives at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum and Youth Track; and is the Chair of both the Caribbean ICT Youth Network, as well as IEEE Young Professionals, Trinidad and Tobago. Committed to regional development, Tariq is passionate about advancing digital agendas and supporting universal and meaningful connection for all through inclusive and sustainable practices.

 

Chad Fraser

Chad Fraser is the Founder of Sonover Inc, a Grenada-based software company that partners with organisations regionally and Internationally to facilitate their planning, design, development and implementation of digital transformation initiatives. He is an entrepreneur at heart, with over 15 years of experience in the Information Technology industry. His expertise spans ICT solutions development, research and advisory, business process reengineering, digital transformation consultation, IT Strategy, governance and quality assurance.

Building innovative technology solutions is Chad’s true passion. He is also passionate about building capacity in young people, as he believes that our most valuable asset is the creativity and skills of our youth.

 

 

The topics discussed

First, in the rapidly changing digital landscape, the question continually arises, “Are Caribbean businesses truly using technology?” Though some are, since around three-quarters of our private sector typically comprises small and micro businesses, the odds are most do not have the wherewithal to implement the measures to capitalise on the efficiencies that can be realised. So, we kicked off the discussion by focusing on How Caribbean businesses can leverage technology to compete in a global economy.

Then, we turned our attention to Caribbean youth, and with Tariq as one of our guests, we were able to get some insight into the youth’s perspectives on ICT. To some degree, Caribbean youth’s views and concerns were surprising, especially with respect to feeling digitally excluded and ill-equipped for our digital age. We thus discussed, Fostering youth development and inclusion in ICTs in the Caribbean.

Finally, we delved into the question, Is e-money a solution in search of a problem?, which was the title of an article written by Mark Lyndersay for TechNewsTT. Though his article was very specific to the situation in Trinidad and Tobago and that country’s digital landscape, the question was considered more broadly within a Caribbean context. Hence, considering all of the efforts and focus on e-money in the region and the limited traction that has been realised, is it indeed a solution in search of a problem?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  C Fraser;   T Mohammed;  Freepik

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez