Department of e-Government in the Ministry of Information and Digitalization has disclosed that the completion of the Government Data Centre in Lilongwe is at 77 percent.
The ministry is implementing the initiative through the Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) with funding from the World Bank-funded project, the Digital Malawi Project (DIGMAP).
In an interview yesterday, Data Centre Technical Project Manager for the department Paul Kanthambi said the initiative has made significant progress in the past two months following the arrival of all the essential equipment and materials from abroad.
“We have achieved some key milestones such as the completion of interior and exterior civil works, and mounting of server racks, battery racks, network racks as well as solar panels. We have also finished the installation of the backup server and network equipment,” Kanthambi said.
Currently, works such as networking cabling, floor tiles, canopies for generators and car parks, and installation of ESCOM power are still in progress.
The Government Data Centre in Lilongwe will serve as the Primary Data Centre, with the Data Centre in Blantyre designated as the Secondary/Backup Data Centre.
Kanthambi justified this arrangement by saying that “the country’s government machinery predominantly operates in the Capital City, Lilongwe. As such, most government systems are housed within government offices in Lilongwe, making it logical for the Primary Data Centre to be located in Lilongwe.”
In a separate interview, PPPC Chief Executive Officer Patrick Kabambe emphasized the Government Data Centre’s crucial role in advancing Malawi 2063’s digitalization agenda.
He added: “The Government Data Centre will consolidate government-wide systems under one roof, eliminating challenges associated with managing an array of siloed systems.”
Kabambe further clarified that the integrated infrastructure will foster interoperability between government systems and third-party or private systems, ensuring seamless and timely services for citizens, organizations, and development partners, to mention a few.
The Government Data Centre project began in May 2023 and is expected to be completed in December 2024.
