Vice President, Mutale Nalumango has launched the 2026 Zambia Mobile Congress, unveiling an ambitious partnership between government and Huawei Technologies to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption and digital transformation in the country.
Speaking during the official opening of the congress, Mrs Nalumango said Zambia was positioning itself to become a leader in Africa’s digital economy through investments in AI, cloud computing and advanced connectivity infrastructure.
She described artificial intelligence, 5G technology and cloud computing as key drivers of economic growth and public sector transformation, saying Zambia must move quickly to remain competitive in the global digital economy.
The congress is being held under the theme “Advancing All Intelligence in Zambia.”
Mrs Nalumango also praised Zambia’s long standing partnership with China, saying the relationship had continued to contribute to the country’s development agenda through strategic cooperation.
“The farmer in Lundazi must benefit from this intelligence. The nurse in Mansa must benefit. The student in Mongu, the entrepreneur in Kitwe and the young innovator in Chipata must all have a seat at the table of this digital future,” she said.
She called for expanded broadband access, lower internet tariffs and increased digital literacy to ensure that no Zambian is excluded from the digital economy because of geography or poverty.
Mrs Nalumango also challenged technology firms, academic institutions and development partners to invest in Zambia’s young population, saying local talent would determine the future success of the country’s digital economy.
She further urged private companies to invest more heavily in digital infrastructure and affordable services, while calling on government institutions to accelerate the transition from analogue systems to digital governance.
“The era of analogue government in a digital world must end,” she said.
And Smart Zambia Institute Acting Coordinator, Percy Chinyama said Zambia has saved billions of kwacha and expanded digital public services through government technology reforms, and outlined an ambitious roadmap to transform the country into one of Africa’s leading digital economies by 2030.
Chief Government Technical Officer, Kasali Musenge said Zambia was entering a new phase of digital transformation focused on artificial intelligence, data sovereignty and cybersecurity, as the government moves to modernise public services through advanced digital infrastructure.
Ms Musenge said systems such as the Government Wide Area Network,Government Service Bus and ZamPortal had already laid the foundation for integrated digital government services across the country.
She said the government’s Digital Zambia Acceleration Programme would expand infrastructure through the installation of 2,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable, the connection of 500 government institutions and the issuance of four million digital identities.
Ms Musenge said the government planned to train 5,000 ICT professionals through Huawei’s ICT Academy by 2028 and expand digital and data science skills across public institutions and universities.
Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, Han Jing, reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Zambia’s digital transformation agenda, saying technology cooperation between the two countries will play a key role in driving economic growth, public service modernization and youth empowerment.
Mr Jing said digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and smart connectivity were becoming increasingly important in shaping national development.
Huawei Technologies Regional Vice President Chen Li, said Zambia’s digital transformation will depend on stronger connectivity, artificial intelligence adoption and investment in ICT skills development.
Smart Zambia and Huawei have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at deploying AI-powered systems and cloud infrastructure across government institutions.
The agreement includes co-investment in a national AI data centre, the rollout of AI-powered public services in all 25 government ministries and the training of 5,000 Zambian ICT professionals by 2028 through Huawei’s global academy.
The Zambia Mobile Congress has drawn policymakers, telecommunication operators, technology companies and business leaders to discuss innovation, connectivity and the future of Zambia’s ICT sector.
No need for this. Sort out quality of service issues first.