The Zambian government is pushing ahead with plans to establish the first ever computer assembly plant in the country.

The $24 million project, to be located in Lusaka, was first announced by the late Zambian president Michael Sata who died last year.

After his death, plans to set up the plant seemed to have been abandoned - particularly because construction was scheduled to have already begun last year.

However, the Zambian government, through the deputy Minister of Commerce and Trade Miles Sampa, has announced that the project will go ahead and that the plant will be operational by 2017.

Sampa said the construction of the plant will begin soon after a presidential decree preceding the conclusion of preliminary procedure.

"The plan to set up the plant has now advanced and is being championed by a cross section of line ministries such as Commerce, Education and Youth and Sports," Sampa said.

The minister confirmed that the plant will reduce the cost of ICT equipment and create employment for over 200 people specialising in providing ICT services.

Authorities could not specific the capacity of the plant because details including the design and exact size had yet to be approved by the president.

Sampa said the Zambian government will also invite private companies interested in setting up such plants to come on board and help increase access to ICT.

Through the plant, the country hopes to promote local access to competitively priced technology, services and solutions, as well as boost other sectors and local resources such as copper – which will be used in the manufacturing process.

The country's regulator, ZICTA (Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority), also plans to leverage the plant to further the Connecting Learning Institutions project which is aimed at establishing computer labs in learning institutions.