(Ecofin Agency) - The Malian government has decided to make ICT a central pillar of its efforts to modernize administration and government operations. With partners like Huawei, the country aims to fast-track its digital goals.

Yesterday in China, the Malian Transmission and Broadcasting Company (SMTD) signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese tech giant Huawei during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). This agreement is designed to support Mali in implementing its digitalization project, "Mali Numérique."

"This memorandum continues the 'Mali Numérique' project, a collaboration between the Chinese company CITCC and the Malian government. It focuses on three key areas: enhancing video surveillance in Bamako and regional capitals, installing an additional 1,000 km of fiber optic cables, and building a state-of-the-art Tier 3 data center," said Cheick Oumar Traore, SMTD's director general.

This initiative is a vital part of Mali's digital transformation strategy, which aims to create a supportive ecosystem for startups, modernize government administration, and promote sustainable economic growth. The government is also working on developing a National Policy for Digital Economy Development for 2024-2028.

The fiber optic expansion project, managed by CITCC and valued at $117.3 million, was approved by the government in January. It covers the regions of Mopti, Koro, Timbuktu, Gao, Ansongo, and Labenzag. With Huawei's support, this project is expected to accelerate significantly. Huawei, a leader in providing digital solutions for devices, networks, and cloud services, will play a key role in establishing the national data center, which will centralize all information from Malian government structures.