Malawi is preparing to invest between US$35 million and US$75 million in the second phase of the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP), as the country steps up efforts to expand digital connectivity and public services.
The Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) is leading the initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. The wider DMAP programme is backed by US$150 million in World Bank financing and is designed to strengthen Malawi’s digital infrastructure and improve access to online government services.
The second phase will focus heavily on expanding connectivity, with plans to connect more than 500 public-sector institutions, including the Ministry of Lands and the National Registration Bureau. More than 2,000 schools are also expected to benefit from improved connectivity.
The plans were discussed during a consultation involving the PPPC, government representatives and ICT service providers at the Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre.
Prosper Mopiwa, principal secretary for e-Government in the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, said cooperation between government and the private sector would be essential to delivering the project.
He noted that government could not implement DMAP on its own and stressed that reliable connectivity was becoming increasingly important as Malawi advances its digital transformation agenda.
Chimwemwe Matemba, DMAP project manager, said the project would make use of existing structures during its six-year implementation period.
He added that the response from potential bidders and contractors had been encouraging, with contractors already working alongside the World Bank Implementation Support Mission.
“We are doing everything to make sure this project works,” Matemba said, adding that school connectivity forms part of the second phase, while the wider programme will run for six years with total funding of US$150 million.
The project also includes the Universal Service Fund’s 100-tower rollout, the Bomalathu e-services portal and the operationalisation of the National Data Centre in Lilongwe.
For ICT providers already involved in the programme, the first phase has provided useful lessons for the next stage.
Dickson Daelo, head of projects at Bengol Net, said the company had supported connectivity at facilities including the National Library in Blantyre and Blantyre Free Market.
He said the experience had highlighted areas that could be improved during the second phase.
“As partners, we had several learning points which we have seen and have been addressed in the second phase,” Daelo said.
With the next phase focused on schools and public institutions, Malawi is looking to expand the reach of its digital infrastructure while creating a stronger foundation for wider digital services across the country.
