* The over 7,000km of fibre across ESCOM’s power supply lines is towards making Malawi an inclusive digitally connected nation
* Which is President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s agenda as contained in his State of the Nation Address in Parliament
* Directing that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) should embrace digital technology to ensure that Malawi’s economy is driven by digital technologies
By Duncan Mlanjira
After his visit to appreciate progress of technological services being undertaken by ESCOM Limited Optic Fibre Communications (OFC) department in Blantyre, Minister of Information & Communication Technology, Shadric Namalomba, has attested to that the OFC is laying solid internet connectivity highway through its over 7,000km of fibre across power supply lines of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM).
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The Minister emphasised that this is towards making Malawi an inclusive digitally connected nation, aligning with President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s agenda as contained in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament, in which he directed that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) should embrace digital technology to ensure that Malawi’s economy is driven by digital technologies.
The Minister acknowledged that the team at ESCOM Ltd OFC is dedicated in their work in making sure every Malawian is digitally connected since ESCOM power distribution lines are across the whole country — thus affording even the rural masses to access reliable internet connections.
“These are the days that we are all carrying out our businesses through digital means and ESCOM OFC is playing a huge role in taking connectivity to the whole nation,” he said, adding that the department also offers its services to other digital communication providers such as TNM, Airtel, MTL, Nitel, among others.
He also called for urgent implementation of video conferencing and internet protocol (IP) systems across all government institutions, emphasising that modernising Malawi’s digital infrastructure is key to improving government efficiency and service delivery.
“The adoption of these systems will significantly enhance communication and data sharing across key public institutions,” said Namalomba, who was accompanied by the Ministry’s Secretary for ICT, Harold Msusa, Secretary for e-Government, Prosper Mopiwa among others in his entourage.
ESCOM OFC Director, Stella Senti, said the visit was to deepen the Ministry’s understanding on how the energy infrastructure and digital infrastructure intersect and how to strengthen the interface.
“We are connected across the whole nation from Nsanje to Chitipa including Likoma and Chizumulu islands, offering different levels of services,” she said. “The target is reach out to the rural masses, as emphasis that the digital economy must speak to every Malawian.”
On is media platform, ESCOM OFC reported from its meeting held in camera, the Minister emphasised that modern connectivity is the backbone of national development and he commended the company’s technical readiness, noting that robust fiber networks are essential for integrating various public sectors into a unified digital ecosystem.
He also stressed that digitalisation is no longer optional but a priority for the administration and urged all government MDAs to utilizse ESCOM’s infrastructure to streamline operations, reduce bureaucracy, and enhance transparency across the board.
The visit signals a major shift in policy as Malawi scales up its technological ambitions. By leveraging existing fiber assets, the government aims to bridge the digital divide and ensure more citizens benefit from fast, reliable online services.
Earlier in the day, the Minister also paid a working visit to Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) headquarters at Chichiri in Blantyre where he urged the institution to integrate most of its systems with other government agencies to improve efficiency.
“If we work together with institutions such as the Malawi Revenue Authority and the National Registration Bureau, we will build a strong system that eliminates duplication. That is how we can achieve efficiency,” he is quoted as saying by MACRA media platform.
He is also reported to emphasised the need for MACRA to digitise its services and adopt emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), saying: “Let us see more AI-integrated systems so that we improve efficiency.
“Each department should move away from manual processes. For example, our records should be digitised so that future generations can easily access information.”
Namalomba also called on MACRA management to promote gender equality, noting the low representation of women in the institution: “We have noted that less than 30% of employees are women. There is need to deliberately recruit more women to achieve the 50:50 representation, including in managerial positions.”
On his part, MACRA Director General, Mayamiko Nkoloma assured that the institution is committed to embracing digitalisation and strengthening collaboration with other government departments.
“The Minister’s visit has challenged us to remain proactive and position MACRA as a leader in technology. I am confident in my team, and we will immediately start exploring new technological systems,” he is quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, ESCOM OFC has partnered with MACRA for the MACRA National ICT Innovation Awards by providing open bandwidth during the awards launch scheduled for April 21 at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.
During a meeting with MACRA, ESCOM OFC Chief Marketing Officer, Stella Hara, emphasised that supporting the initiative aligns with OFC’s strategic role as the country’s digital backbone and creates opportunities to engage with emerging innovators.
“This initiative presents an important opportunity for OFC to connect with innovators who are developing solutions that will increasingly rely on robust hosting and connectivity as they grow and scale.
“By supporting the platform, we are not only enabling the event but also opening doors for collaboration with future technology partners,” she is quoted as saying by MACRA Media.
The National ICT Innovation Awards are MACRA’s flagship initiative aimed at promoting local innovations that address societal and community challenges through technology and OFC joins several other partners who have pledged financial and in-kind support for the initiative, including PPPC, NCST, NYCOM, MHub, Emerge Livelihoods, MUST, ICTAM, UNIPOD, UNICAF and Next Gen.
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