• The World Bank approved a $120 million grant for Zambia to modernize its digital public infrastructure.

• Zambia ranks 130th out of 193 countries in UN’s e-government index, with a score below the global average.

• The government targets a digitally autonomous and inclusive nation by 2030 under its national strategy.

Zambia secured a $120 million grant from the World Bank to modernize its digital public infrastructure (DPI), Technology and Science Minister Felix Mutati announced in Lusaka last week. George Matulula, the ministry’s human resources director, delivered the minister’s remarks during the launch of the ABSA Mobi Tap application.

The program forms part of Zambia’s national digital transformation strategy. The World Bank said DPI can provide essential functions such as digital identity, electronic signatures, digital payments, and data sharing. These tools can be reused across sectors, enabling public and private service providers to innovate and roll out services more quickly and efficiently.

The SMART Zambia Institute, the government’s e-government agency, plans to launch a national electronic Know-Your-Customer (eKYC) system. Authorities first outlined the project in May and cited Ethiopia’s model as an inspiration. The government already provides electronic signatures and operates ZamPay, an online payment platform.

Zambia currently ranks 130th out of 193 countries in the United Nations e-government index, with a score of 0.5424 out of 1, below the global average. Authorities see digitalization as a way to raise productivity, improve efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and reduce poverty.

The World Bank cautioned that DPI must be supported by broader conditions. The institution said that developing and deploying digital public infrastructure successfully depends on broader enabling conditions, such as nationwide digital transformation strategies, clear legal and regulatory frameworks for governance and data protection, strong cybersecurity, strict oversight, and measures to build digital culture and skills across both public and private sectors.

The Bank added that DPI rely on high-speed connectivity, equipment, data centers, and cloud systems, as well as the digitization of processes across industries.

Zambia’s national strategy envisions an “integrated, inclusive and digitally autonomous nation by 2030.”

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum