The World Bank Mission Team for the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Malawi’s digital transformation agenda, in line with the Government’s digitalization drive and the Malawi 2063 vision.

The team, led by the Team Task Leader, Tim Kelly, expressed commitment yesterday, during a courtesy call on the Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Dr. Shadric Namalomba, in Lilongwe.

Kelly noted that while Malawi has made progress in connectivity, the project seeks to bridge the digital divide by expanding broadband access, developing the new data centre in Lilongwe, and strengthening the country’s digital ecosystem.

“We are anticipating funding for around 100 additional cell towers across the country. We will also support connectivity for 500 government institutions,” said Kelly.

He further disclosed that key project procurements, such as biometric digital ID registration for the National Registration Bureau, are expected to enter the contracting phase before the end of March.

In his remarks, Dr. Namalomba described DMAP as a transformative and strategic investment that will underpin Malawi’s digital future.

“DMAP is a very critical project for us as a nation. It sets the foundation for a digital future for the nation. In fact, the project is arguably one of the largest public ICT investments ever undertaken in the country,” he said.

The minister highlighted that the project aims to connect more than 2,000 schools to the internet, a development expected to significantly enhance access to digital learning, while fostering innovation and e-learning opportunities among students.

However, Dr. Namalomba stressed the urgent need to upgrade the government’s connectivity systems, noting that current bandwidth remains inadequate for modern digital demands.

He said the existing capacity of 12.5 Gbps is insufficient and called for an upgrade to at least 50 Gbps to meet growing data needs across public institutions.

Namalomba also called for the expedited development of a national data centre, emphasizing the need for it to be future-ready and aligned with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

On connectivity expansion, the minister urged that initiatives such as connecting schools should go beyond infrastructure and include practical, transformative solutions.

Namalomba further stressed the importance of integrating all ministries, departments, and agencies under a unified digital platform through the Bomalathu eService Portal, which will allow citizens to access multiple government services seamlessly from a single portal.

He also proposed establishing a Government Network Operations Centre or call centre to improve system monitoring, service delivery, and responsiveness.

The World Bank Mission Team is in Malawi as part of its Implementation Support Mission, aimed at reviewing project progress and working with key stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of DMAP.