African countries are making strides in digital transformation, partnering with international companies to achieve their goals.
Google and the Zambian government are collaborating to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence at the University of Zambia (UNZA), while Malawi has partnered with Huawei to launch the Smart Village Initiative.
According to the Zambian Ministry of Technology and Science’s Facebook page, the AI Center is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties in June.
The AI Center of Excellence, a first of its kind in Southern Africa, will provide a platform for young innovators to address Zambia’s challenges.
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It will be housed at the Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN) within UNZA and will offer training and resources for students to develop solutions that positively impact the local community.
Felix Mutati, Technology and Science Minister, said after touring the newly built ZAMREN House in Lusaka, that the Center of Excellence will allow young innovators to find solutions to the pressing challenges Zambia is facing.
“Young people will be coming here to create products and solutions from their ideas that can help us alleviate certain problems,” Mutati continued.
ZAMREN, which has already provided high-speed Internet access to 150 Zambian institutions, will play a vital role in supporting the AI center. Mutati emphasized that ZAMREN’s services, which give students free Internet access for study, are beneficial to several training facilities.
The Malawi’s Smart Village Initiative was unveiled by the country’s President, Lazarus Chakwera, at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.
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He underlined the government’s commitment to driving digital transformation in rural areas, stating that the Malawi’s Smart Village Initiative will improve connectivity and access to digital services in rural areas.
Huawei will establish technical training centers, equipping young individuals with essential digital skills such as AI, cybersecurity, and smart agriculture solutions.
