The Zambia Cyber City will be a business innovation hub, comprising workshops, light manufacturing facilities, Data center to catalyse education research and innovation for small and medium enterprises.
Minister of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba said that his ministry has partnered with the Ministry of Higher Education and the Copperbelt University to construct and develop the Cyber City which will be situated in Lusaka.
In a speech read for him by Ministry of transport and communication Director in the department of communication Yese Bwalya, Mr. Mushimba said the development is in line with the seventh national development plan that seeks to promote investment in all sectors of the economy.
The Minister says the construction of the Cyber City, which is now at feasibility study level, will be in partnership with the private sector.
Mr. Mushimba said this during a dinner hosted by the Information and Communications Technology Society of Zambia.
Speaking at the same function, Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management President Mooka Silumbu pledged that his organisation is ready to work with other entities in fostering development of the ICT sector in Zambia.
Meanwhile, Information and Communications Technology Society of Zambia President Alick Siankumo called for strong linkages between government, his organisation and the private sector for the benefit of the country’s economic development.
That should be private sector investment – the ghosts of Zambia Airways should scare us off this folly.
All because of the work of President Lungu.
Thanks
BB2014,2016
the privates and not government is best suited for such ventures, please take this free advise from Enka.
adios amigos.
How are you going to create a cyber city, when schools don’t have access to computers,, lets not even talk about access to good/normal fast internet
@Enka & Divide,
Which Privates will do this which they haven’t done so far? Zambian tycoons believe in immediate cash (Trading) not long-term investment (wealth creation).
GRZ should thetefore create & build these industries, then ween them off to those “So Called” PRIVATES…???
At least I believe they can run things not building things.
Is it any wonder that most big things being built around belong to foreigners? Except Mansions of course…! And be…eeg Cars…!
That is exciting news. It is better than the proliferation of witchcraft among young people lately.
There is WhatsApp in Zambia. Trump use Twitter.
What more do you need?
Internet is unaffordable for the common man
I WAS TRULY AMAZED AND SHOCKED RECENTLY THAT IN 2017 POLICE STATIONS STILL DO NOT HAVE COMPUTERS AT THEIR RECEPTIONS AND IN MOST OFFICES. THEY STILL USE ANCIENT RECORDING METHODS.
THAT MEANS THEY CAN’T HAVE DATA BASES WHICH CAN BE EXCHANGED OR SEARCHED OR STORED EFFICIENTLY etc etc. IT’S UNACCEPTABLE.
THE SAME GOES FOR GOVT HOSPITALS. PLEASE LET’S DO SOMETHING NOW.
Most government officers are resistant to the use of computers. They fear leaving a data trail they are not able to expunge. In my dealings with ministry of lands, I found that despite having computers, they did everything on paper. They issue receipts from suspect receipt books instead of recording the payments on computers. I think the police have computers but they don’t use them as they should.
@Mukame,
Which Ministry of Lands did you go to? In Lusaka it’s been over ten years of dealing with them and I always get computer generated receipts, even for the smallest payment like checking the ownership which was K25 sometime back.
If they gave you a manual receipt, then maybe there was just a power or computer fault. Let’s be factual all the time.
Mukame is right.
Even state house stopped responding to Emails, they want us to call pompous Amos on landline. But he is always traveling with Edgar.
This is an Excellent Idea. Our own Silicon Valley is long overdue. India & Kenya amongst others have done this. Twali kwisa kanshi? Tunali kuti? I’ve seen one excellent Name here of an IT expert who has been in Training for ages. We can’t go wrong this way.
Software Development is measured in Man Years, using the “COCOMO” Model. Let us develop Software which Apple, Sumsung, etc. Will admire and Buy. One Nigerian guy became an overnight Millionare by selling a System to Apple. Let’s be Innovative and focus on both Traditional & Non Traditional Systems like Cattle Management.
Silicon Chibolya is taking shape but i don’t like the captain at the controls.Captain Edgar Lungu is not very good at stearing big ships of commerce even the IMF said it.
One of the best Resources we have in Z are our Great Thinking Brains. Only that most of them ended up abroad. Let’s look at Algorithms that solve problems & not add problems to problems. Rasta should be a stakeholder here, in order to have a Back up System. This could take a Year or more, but it’s Worthwhile. We should also include Statistical Modelling to improve on Agricultural Yield, Fleet & Route Management, Hospitals, etc. Cheers!
@The Observer please simplify to Mushota what you mean by algorithms. She doesn’t understand and yet she has a PhD.
The World’s Richest Names did not get there by exporting Raw Materials. They export Knowledge. Let’s put aside our Political differences. There is Massive Job creation here. Let’s think Global, not Local. We can also export Knowledge. Countries that have currently Revolutionized are also ahead in Technology. Gentlemen, this is about turning around the Economy from what we have. Only that most Systems have already been developed so we have to be Highly Innovative.
@flag The Observer.
The Observer you must be well vested in this area. And I have not seen one here who articulated the importance of mathematical and engineering modeling to growth sectors such agriculture. I support and can collaborate with you.
Why are we so obsessed with locating every conceivable project of significance in Lusaka? The major partner in this project is Copperbelt University based in Kitwe, but instead of having Cyber City in Kitwe or any other Copperbelt town, it is located in Lusaka! This Lusakacentric bias in the development process must stop!
Location is not a big deal here since UNZA & Evelyn Hone School of Computer Science are key players. Its a 30 minute to 1 he flight locally. We shall need to invite & interact with Internationally Recognised Experts & Exchange Students from other parts of the World. This is how knowledge works. We shall also invite Institutions from other parts of the World to Fund some Project Proposals which we can solve for them. I don’t think Bill Gates or Steven Z will ignore this. Steve was recently in Kenya enjoying “Ubwali”. Cheers! We want to see PHDs at Work.
The Observer,
You seem not to have even read the full story, but you have rushed into an ill-conceived response. If you read the story again, you will discover that neither UNZA nor Evelyn Hone are involved in this project. So how do the two institutions come in? It is Copperbelt University which is involved. And since when did Evelyn Hone establish a School of Computer Sciences? Your hasty response reveals serious ignorance of the facts, apart from exposing the same Lusaka centred development bias I am decrying. If this project can be set up in Lusaka, why not on the Copperbelt. Don’t young people from CBU have the IT skills to work on such a project? Don’t youths on the Copperbelt also need jobs? Do they all have to trek to Lusaka every time they need a job?
This is like climbing the tree from top. The country should get the basics right first before embarking on fancy eye catching programmes. Make IT widely available with free access in schools at all levels, preschool, primary, secondary and tertiary. After you do that thats is when you should start talking about a cyber city.
Well said……yours is the most sensible post.
Fake news
It is a third term bid gimmick campaign. Where is the promised Zambia Airways?
and at this late hour, our agriculture is on its deathbed. So we will have a Cyber City on empty stomachs?
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an unambiguous specification of how to solve a class of problems. Algorithms can perform calculation, data processing and automated reasoning tasks. Google has more. Its basically a set of Instructions for performing a task. Cheers!
This tin again Brian…we need to break up this ministry, Transport and Communication are two very big sectors!!
The Observer,
You seem not to have even read the full story, but you have rushed into an ill-conceived response. If you read the story again, you will discover that neither UNZA nor Evelyn Hone are involved in this project. So how do the two institutions come in? It is Copperbelt University which is involved. And since when did Evelyn Hone establish a School of Computer Sciences? Your hasty response reveals serious ignorance of the facts, apart from exposing the same Lusaka centred development bias I am decrying. If this project can be set up in Lusaka, why not on the Copperbelt. Don’t young people from CBU have the IT skills to work on such a project? Don’t youths on the Copperbelt also need jobs? Do they all have to trek to Lusaka every time they need a job?
More panicking in the Under Five party! Hazaluza I think Hagain too for the sixth time once more!