Zambia is taking significant steps towards accelerating its digital transformation agenda by deepening ties with global technology provider Huawei through a new agreement to deploy cloud and AI infrastructure across the government ecosystem.
The SMART Zambia Institute, the country’s e-government division, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the tech company to enable AI-powered e-government services across all 25 ministries.
This pact was formalised during the Zambia Mobile Congress 2026, held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Tuesday.
According to the institute’s national coordinator, Percy Chinyama, key pillars of the MOU include technology transfer, AI deployment, a joint feasibility study for a national AI data centre, and the training of 5,000 Zambian ICT professionals through Huawei’s ICT academy by 2028.
Huawei regional vice president Li Chen reaffirmed the firm’s long-term commitment to the Southern African nation, emphasising that connectivity must go beyond infrastructure to create opportunities for students, farmers, businesses, and healthcare facilities.
“Technology alone is not enough. People are the true foundation of digital transformation. Young people must learn to build, manage, secure, and innovate with technology,” Chen said.
Despite this infrastructure push, officials signalled a strong need to reduce dependence on foreign technical expertise.
Government chief technology officer Kasali Musenge asserted that every AI system deployed within the government must integrate seamlessly with the national digital architecture, safeguard data sovereignty, and be secure by design.
“Dependence on external technical expertise is a form of digital sovereignty risk. We must mitigate it deliberately and urgently,” Musenge emphasised.
The pact sits within the wider Digital Zambia Acceleration Programme.
Under this initiative, $100 million has been committed to laying 2,000 kilometres of new fibre optic infrastructure, connecting 500 government institutions, and issuing four million digital identification documents by 2031.
Zambia’s vice president Mutale Nalumango challenged the private sector to invest boldly, government institutions to adopt digital systems with urgency, and the youth to step forward as creators and innovators.
“A digitally connected school is a transformed learning environment. A digitally connected clinic saves more lives. A digitally connected citizen is an empowered citizen,” Nalumango noted.
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