• Smart Zambia launched a decentralized digital skills training program across government institutions.
• The initiative trains civil servants to manage and deliver courses via the Cisco Networking Academy platform.
• Zambia’s digital transformation could generate ZMW 28.64 billion ($1.26 billion) in added value by 2028, according to GSMA.

Smart Zambia, the public agency responsible for digital transformation in Zambia, announced the launch of a decentralized digital skills training program within government institutions. The agency announced the initiative on December 17, and said it aims to accelerate the implementation of the authorities’ digital ambitions.

The program began with an orientation session that brought together about ten instructor officers from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice, the National Science and Technology Council, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, and the University of Zambia.

The program trained participants on learner enrollment procedures and support mechanisms on the Cisco Networking Academy platform, as part of their duties as instructors. The initiative seeks to expand access to free training in digital literacy and applied digital skills across the civil service.

“By empowering Ministries and institutions to directly manage enrolment and basic administration of the courses, the initiative seeks to increase reach, promote institutional ownership, and ensure the long term sustainability of digital skills development across Government,” Smart Zambia said in its statement.

Digital skills development represents a core pillar of Zambia’s digital transformation agenda to improve the efficiency, security, and citizen-centric orientation of public services. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has also emphasized the need to invest in civil servant capabilities, as digital technologies offer significant potential to modernize public administration.

The GSMA estimates that continued digital transformation could generate added value of 28.64 billion Zambian kwacha, or about $1.26 billion, by 2028 across agriculture, trade, manufacturing, transport, and public services.

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

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum