COMESA has opened a four-day stakeholder consultation in Lilongwe to shape the region’s approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Inclusion (DI).
Speaking under the patronage of Malawi’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Dr. Shadric Namalomba, COMESA Director of Infrastructure and Logistics Dr. Bernard Dzawanda said the meeting will gather inputs from the public sector, the private sector, academia, development partners and civil society to develop a Regional AI, Digital Inclusion Strategies, Action Plan and relevant model policies and regulatory frameworks.
The consultations are under the IDEA Programme, supported by the World Bank and the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP).
“AI can transform public services delivery, agriculture, healthcare and trade, but it also raises governance and ethical issues requiring coordinated regional responses,” said Dr. Dzawanda. “Digital transformation will benefit the region only when all citizens have equitable access to digital technologies.”
Dr. Namalomba urged Malawi to shift from consuming emerging technologies to developing AI-enabled solutions suited to its development needs.
“The question is not whether AI will create value, but how Malawi can capture a meaningful share of it,” said Dr. Namalomba.
The Minister said AI will help improve agriculture, healthcare, education and climate resilience, building on digital foundations such as DMAP and the National Data Centre.
He said digital inclusion must remain central to Malawi’s digital transformation, ensuring AI benefits all citizens, especially women, youth, rural communities and persons with disabilities.
The workshop has two workstreams: AI readiness, use cases and regulations; and digital inclusion, focused on connectivity, skills, affordability, accessible services, and digital trust and safety.
Input from Malawi will inform regional consultations to shape practical, evidence-based COMESA digital policies, model guidelines and regulatory frameworks suited to Member States’ varying levels of digital maturity.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
