Principal Secretary for the Department of eGovernment in the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT), Prosper Mopiwa, has reiterated the government’s commitment to accelerating Malawi’s digital transformation through the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP).
He made the remarks during the Fifth DMAP Technical Committee Meeting, which the department convened in collaboration with the Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC). The meeting reviewed progress on key project components and assessed implementation strategies aimed at strengthening digital public infrastructure.
It brought together senior ICT officials from key agencies, including the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), the Malawi Research and Education Network (MAREN), the National Registration Bureau (NRB), and the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), alongside representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Education, Finance, Lands, and Health.
In his address, Mopiwa emphasized “the Department’s 5 core priority areas under DMAP, such as Bomalathu Platform, National Connectivity, Enterprise Service Bus, Data Centre Expansion, and Digital ID System”, describing them as foundational pillars for building a digitally inclusive and service-oriented Malawi.
He noted that the planned connection of over 2,500 public institutions, including 2000 schools and 500 government offices, will significantly enhance broadband access and improve efficiency in public service delivery.
Mopiwa further urged the ICT experts to remain transparent about operational bottlenecks affecting the digital ecosystem and to adopt a candid, solution-driven approach in addressing emerging challenges.
“Digital transformation requires collective responsibility, accountability, and innovation if we are to achieve sustainable impact,” he emphasized.
Echoing these sentiments, DMAP Project Manager Chimwemwe Matemba called on Technical Committee members to remain steadfast in advancing the project’s objectives through proactive collaboration and shared ownership. He stressed the importance of delivering the project to the highest quality standards, within stipulated timelines and agreed costs.
Matemba emphasized that a considerable amount of the nation’s digital development objectives and public interest are vested in the success of the project.
During the meeting, National Data Centre Manager Paul Kanthambi reported that the preparation for the expansion of the National Data Centre in Lilongwe is at an advanced stage.
Once complete, the upgraded facility will accommodate additional government systems, enabling more MDAs to migrate their services to a secure and modern digital infrastructure.
It was also reported that DMAP finalized technical site assessments in over 90 underserved locations earmarked for cellphone tower installation under the Universal Service Fund (USF) Tower Site Initiative.
The initiative aims to expand connectivity to remote and hard-to-reach areas, thereby fostering inclusive digital participation.
In addition, the project is also in an advanced stage of onboarding 25 e-services onto the Bomalathu e-Service Portal, a one-stop digital gateway under development to enable citizens and businesses to conveniently access government services online.
