• Zambia has urged the AfDB to partner on new AI-driven polytechnics and support the University of Zambia’s Innovation Village to build future-ready skills for mining and agriculture.

• The call follows the success of the US$29.4m STEP project, which modernized UNZA and trained over 150,000 students, including 24% women in STEM.

• The initiative targets 3m tons of copper and 10m tons of agricultural output by 2031, addressing Zambia’s skills gap in key growth sectors.

Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science, Felix C. Mutati, has called on the African Development Bank (AfDB) to deepen its partnership with the government to establish new polytechnic institutions and support the University of Zambia’s (UNZA) Innovation Village. The appeal aims to equip Zambia’s future workforce with advanced skills in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to strengthen the country’s key economic sectors of mining and agriculture.

The minister made the call during a visit on October 8 by AfDB Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade to the University of Zambia. Both parties celebrated the successful completion of the Bank’s earlier Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP)—a US$29.4 million investment launched in 2013. The project modernized lecture theatres, installed state-of-the-art laboratories in the Schools of Engineering and Mines, and increased access to skills training for more than 150,000 students. Over 11,400 merit-based scholarships were awarded, with 24% going to female students, marking a significant step toward gender inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Building on this success, Zambia now seeks AfDB’s partnership in two key areas. First is support for the University Innovation Village (I-Village)—a hub that will connect academia, government, and industry to accelerate innovation and technology adoption. The I-Village will focus on Agritech, Healthtech, Fintech, and Precision Mining, reflecting Zambia’s broader economic vision and alignment with Vision 2030 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. It is expected to foster entrepreneurship, facilitate research commercialization, and provide a collaborative environment where students and researchers can co-create solutions with industry partners.

Secondly, the government is revising its laws to integrate polytechnics into the higher education framework and is seeking AfDB’s support to establish a model institution powered by emerging technologies such as AI. The aim is to develop a skilled workforce capable of driving Zambia’s ambitious targets of producing 3 million tons of copper and 10 million tons of agricultural output by 2031. According to the World Bank, copper accounts for about 15% of Zambia’s GDP and over 70% of its export earnings, yet output has remained stagnant at around 800,000 metric tons annually since 1969. The Bank notes that tripling copper production will significantly increase demand for skilled workers, underscoring the critical role of universities and technical training institutions in meeting industry needs.

Minister Mutati emphasized that this new phase of collaboration must be based on shared investment and sustainability, declaring, “The old Africa of gifts is long gone.” He assured AfDB that Zambia is ready to co-invest to ensure ownership and long-term impact.

Hikmatu Bilali