The country’s sole data centre continues to generate interest from government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
This is a digital infrastructure that was erected to raise the country’s stakes in delivering data-driven, seamless and timely service to Malawi.
The partners overseeing the running of the National Data Centre are Chinese telecommunication giant, Huawei, the Ministry of Information and the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM).
Latest information from ESCOM indicates that there has been overwhelming response from both MDAs and the private sector since its launch.
ESCOM’s Public Relations Manager Kitty Chingota disclosed that there are presently 78 virtual machines at the centre, with each machine hosting one client, allowing them to manage their data and services remotely.
The number of clients is an increase from ten the facility had four months after President Dr Lazarus Chakwera officially launched it in July 2022.
“The data centre was launched a few years back and so far the response has been overwhelming. We presently have about 78 virtue machines at the data centre that we are managing.
“It is exciting and comforting that people have embraced the concept of having a national data centre,” said Chingota in an interview with MBC.
The centre has this far improved the country’s data utilization in the form of analytic, Artificial Intelligence, robotics as well as machine learning and the Internet of Things.
With the data centre in place, MDAs and other institutions utilising the facility can now keep critical information within the country borders instead of storing it offshore beyond the country.
Chingota disclosed that another facility of a similar nature is being constructed in Lilongwe.
While launching the centre, Dr Chakwera underscored his administration’s resolve to ensure that ICT and digitisation be at the hub of the country’s development, as enshrined in the country’s development blueprint, Malawi 2063.
The National Data Centre is a Malawi National Fibre Backbone Project initiative whose phase one was initiated in 2017.
Chinese telecommunication giant, Huawei, constructed the centre in its quest to build more data centers in collaboration with countries in Africa.
Reported by Kenneth Jali
