Government has announced that it will soon table the Innovators and Inventors Bill in Parliament, which includes provisions for a Venture Capital Fund to support young innovators in the country.
Minister of Science and Technology, Felix Mutati also revealed that the ministry is revising the Data Protection Act to strike a balance between innovation and the protection of innovators.
Mr. Mutati was speaking when he graced the 7th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies (ICICT 2025) at the University of Zambia(UNZA) Confucius Institute in Lusaka today.
“As government, we will provide the policy framework, universities will provide the talent, and the private sector must bring the problems to be solved. Together, these partnerships will unlock the potential of AI in Zambia,” he said.
Mr. Mutati emphasized that data integrity, digital infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, partnerships, and a supportive legal framework are the key building blocks for advancing AI in the country.
He noted that Zambian students are already demonstrating AI solutions in areas such as tourism and traffic management, but warned that without robust data systems, the results will remain inadequate.
Mr Mutati also called for localized solutions built on local data, arguing that sovereignty in innovation depends on ensuring that AI reflects Zambia’s unique challenges.
“Otherwise, the solutions we create will always be imitations of the problems we face. Today, we are lifting the lid so that universities can showcase their potential and create the solutions this country deserves,” he said.
The 2025 ICICT Conference was held under the theme: Transforming Resilience: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Machine Learning to Combat Climate Change and Environmental Challenges*.