Government says Zambia risks missing out on the transformative opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI) if data integrity, digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystems are not strengthened.
Minister of Science and Technology, Felix Mutati stressed that the country’s top priority in advancing AI solutions is improving the quality of data pipelines, which form the foundation for innovation.
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.
“If there is a deficiency or deficit in our data pipeline, the output will always be defective. Without accurate data, our solutions will not reflect the real challenges we face as Zambians,” Mr. Mutati said.
He revealed that government has already provided free and unlimited internet to public universities to enable students and researchers to innovate.
Mr. Mutati added that creating an ecosystem for innovation, including the establishment of hubs and support structures, remains central to government’s strategy.
He further disclosed that the HH Innovation Hub will be launched next month in Lusaka to provide modern facilities that support research and problem-solving using AI.
Mr. Mutati also urged the private sector to collaborate with universities by presenting real-life problems that students can solve using AI, noting that such partnerships would bring not only resources but also practical impact.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies(ICICT), Professor Jameson Mbale called on government and institutions to use AI to help solve critical challenges facing the country.
“AI is one of the tools that communities and societies can use to develop solutions to existing problems. As you know, in our country, we face many challenges, such as climate-related issues. We recently experienced a drought, which led to problems like load-shedding,” Prof. Mbale said.
“The agricultural sector was heavily affected. Looking at all these challenges, we are calling on institutions, including universities such as UNZA, to embrace Artificial Intelligence in order to provide solutions that can address these problems.”
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.